All the best new gadgets from the first day of MWC

Once a year the great and good of the mobile technology world gather at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona to show off their most futuristic and unlikely creations.

The goal: to convince the world they see the direction of travel of consumer technology in an increasingly unpredictable world. In the past we’ve seen such wonders as the unveiling of foldable screen technology, which is becoming a mainstay in the consumer tech world.

On the flip, MWC has been the place where obsolete creations such as 3D televisions have been showcased to the world, only to swiftly suffocate owing to a lack of interest from people like you and I. This year the show features a new generation of smart watches and the latest smart glasses – here are some of our favourites.

Redmi super fast-charging tech

Whether you’re talking about a smart watch or your mobile phone, charging time is one of the eternal bugbears of the mobile tech world. Redmi, the Xiaomi-owned phone maker, has released a charging dock that can juice up your gadgets in as little as five minutes, with 50 per cent of the charge coming at a frankly unbelievable two minutes. The manufacturer has led the way for fast-charging tech but this is a new high-bar for the manufacturer, which could soon see its way into our homes. 

Huawei Watch GT Cyber

While smartwatches are becoming old hat in the consumer tech world, there is still space for  iteration, at least according to Huawei, who promise military-grade durability and a replaceable shell, which promises to make the notoriously short-lived gadget come into line with the timeless mechanical wrist-watch.

Xiaomi AR glasses

Smart glasses, which overlay images over your vision, already seem like antiquated technology, a clever idea that people simply weren’t sufficiently interested in to become economically viable. But at MWC Chinese firm Xiaomi released a new product that hopes to shift that perception. Using the same chip as the Meta Quest Pro, it features a swanky new magnesium-titanium alloy frame that incorporates a microOLED display with a brightness of 1,200 nits (which is bright). The big selling point is the ability for the glasses to track hand movements with a high degree of accuracy, allowing the wearer to manipulate augmented reality overlays with a hitherto unattainable degree of accuracy.

Nokia debuts a DIY repairable phone

The prevailing winds of the smartphone world suggest your most personal – and expensive – device should be entirely sealed up, un-fixable should the worst happen. But with an increasing emphasis on sustainability, Nokia has other ideas, as evidenced by its new G22, as seen at MWC, which allows you to swap the screen, battery and charging port. 

Lenovo foldable screen laptop

Foldable screens have been on the cusp of the mainstream for years and Lenovo have brought that idea closer to the desk of Mr and Mrs Jones than ever. This powerful laptop will roll from 12.7 inches to 15.3 inches, making it extremely portable while still incorporating OLED technology. Definitely one to watch.