Ahead of the official start of Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona, Xiaomi has unveiled the Leica Leitzphone by Xiaomi smartphone and new tablets, while Honor introduced its ultra-thin MagicPad 4 tablet. These announcements highlight advancements in mobile photography, portability, and accessories. The event begins on March 2 and runs through March 5.
Mobile World Congress 2026 is set to commence on March 2 in Barcelona, Spain, with pre-event announcements already generating buzz in the tech industry. Xiaomi led the reveals by launching the global version of its 17 Ultra smartphone, which first debuted in China in December. The device features a 1-inch 50-megapixel camera sensor with an f/1.67 lens, a 200MP telephoto setup on a 1/1.4-inch sensor, and a 50MP ultrawide camera, complete with a manual zoom ring. It includes a 6.9-inch OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate peaking at 3,500 nits brightness and a 6000mAh silicon-carbon battery. Pricing starts at £1,299, approximately $1,750, with availability now rolling out in Europe, though US launch remains uncertain.
In a collaboration with Leica, Xiaomi also introduced the Leitzphone by Xiaomi, which mirrors the 17 Ultra's specifications, including the 1-inch sensor and mechanical zoom ring. It offers a Leica-designed camera interface with monochrome shooting modes and filters, powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip. This variant is priced at €1,999, about $2,362, and emphasizes Leica branding in design and software.
Xiaomi expanded its lineup with the Pad 8 and Pad 8 Pro tablets, both 5.75mm thick and weighing 485g, featuring 9200mAh batteries. The Pro model uses a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, while the standard version has a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4. Additional accessories include the 6mm-thick UltraThin Magnetic Power Bank 5000 15W in orange, silver, and charcoal gray, and the Xiaomi Tag Bluetooth tracker compatible with Apple Find My and Google Find Hub.
Honor announced the MagicPad 4, claimed as the thinnest Android tablet at 4.8mm (excluding camera bump), with a 12.3-inch 165Hz OLED display, 450g weight, up to 16GB RAM and 512GB storage, Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip, 13MP rear and 9MP front cameras, eight speakers for spatial audio, and a 10100mAh battery with 66W charging. It runs MagicOS 10, with pricing details forthcoming after Honor's press conference.
Tecno showcased a modular smartphone concept at 4.9mm base thickness, using magnets for 10 interchangeable modules like camera lenses and a power bank. Meanwhile, Xiaomi surprised attendees with its Vision Gran Turismo hypercar concept, displayed at its Barcelona launch event.
