Mobile World Congress (MWC) has wrapped up, and like every year, there were tons of new devices, gadgets, handsets and more shown off, but the big focus was artificial intelligence (AI).
At this year’s conference in Barcelona, Spain, I was impressed by the variety of tech I was able to play around with, but at the top of my list — or at least what I wanted the most — was Humane’s AI Pin. But I also checked out way more than just the AI-powered wearable.
Below are the coolest things I saw at MWC 2024:
1. Humane AI Pin
Humane announced its AI Pin in November, but this was the first time I saw the new gadget in person. Users can pin the device onto their shirts, jackets or wherever they want, really. I met the co-founder of Humane, Bethany Bongiorno, who took me through a live demo of the device. The Humane AI Pin can answer questions, take pictures, offer trusted contacts that you can easily message, and even interpret languages.
For me, it was the highlight of the convention, but of course, there were other cool devices and gadgets as well.
You can learn more about the Humane AI Pin here.
2. TCL’s RayNeo X2
I got to play with the RayNeo X2, a pair of AI-powered augmented reality glasses. Instead of simply being able to take pictures and listen to music, these smart glasses feature an AR component that allows you to see messages, live translations and an odd AI avatar, all on the screen.
This was pretty cool and pretty much a device I’ve always wanted. You can learn more about it here.
3. Clicks
While Clicks was shown off at CES, the team behind the iPhone accessory brought the physical keyboard accessory to MWC as well. Clicks is an accessory that brings a physical keyboard to iPhone 14 or iPhone 15 series handsets.
Right away, I noted that it feels like an extension of your smartphone and part of its unibody design, despite its size. While Clicks makes your device feel like a BlackBerry, the keyboard is actually designed with Apple’s iPhone virtual keyboard in mind. This means you don’t need to have used a BlackBerry to get up to speed with typing with Clicks, which is good for the Gen Z-ers interested in trying out the accessory.
You can learn more about Clicks here.
4. Motorola’s wrap-around phone
When the device isn’t wrapped around your wrist, it features a 6.9-inch display with a very tall aspect ratio. In this mode, you can use the device like any other handset. You’ll quickly notice it features an odd orange fabric backing. On the back of the wacky smartphone, there are two silver magnetic strips you’ll need to ensure are attached to the wristband.
When it’s wrapped around your wrist, it’s pretty sturdy and connected. I thought it was a cool idea for a two-in-one device; however, it’s totally just a concept that may never be released.
To learn more about Motorola’s weird prototype smartphone, click here.
5. Infinix E
Infinix brought a cool colour-changing phone to the Showstoppers floor, showcasing an advanced E-Ink Prism backing. This prototype device’s rear can be customized to change colours between its four different interchangeable designs.
This handset is just a cool-looking concept, but Infinix says it’s hoping to do even more with this smartphone in the future, like display the time on the rear.
6. Honor Magic6 Pro
The Honor Magic6 Pro looks like a regular smartphone, but besides being a powerhouse (sporting up to 16GB of RAM and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor), it also offers several cool features. One of them, called Magic Portal, uses AI to do several pretty cool things.
The demo I was shown allowed users to drag an address to the side of the device where different app options appear. With the Google Maps option, you can drag the address there, and a Google Maps pop-up will pop up, allowing you to quickly find a route to that address. The second primary feature allows users to open notifications with just their eyes. I was pretty impressed by both features.
7. Xiaomi’s CyberDog 2
The Xioami CyberDog 2 is a canine-shaped robotic dog that can do backflips and make its own decisions. I didn’t really see why anyone would replace their own dog with it, but it was fun to watch and that’s why this somewhat scary, dystopian robot made it into this list.
The MediaTek SDXL Turbo uses text-based AI to create images at a ridiculous speed. While this isn’t the first time we’ve seen AI do this, it’s the first time I’ve seen AI capable of doing it live. As I typed, the AI generated images matching exactly what I was writing.
The future is wild.
9. HTC Vive Ultimate Tracker
The HTC Vive Ultimate Tracker is pretty cool and includes a full-face tracker. With it, you can make realistic avatars that move with your face and different body parts, including your hands, waist and feet. VTubers or others who want to use avatars that are perfectly synced to their body would definitely use something like this. It can also track as you play certain games like soccer or Dance Dance Revolution.
This is just a quick look at some of the coolest things I saw at MWC 2024. Expect a deeper look at some of these devices and more in the coming days.
