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The mobile show runs Feb. 26-29 in Barcelona
In a little over a week ’s meter ( February 26 - 29 ) around 85,000 or so attender will descend upon the Fira de Barcelona for Mobile World Congress 2024 . Over the retiring few years , the show has become arguably the most of import mobile event of the year . telephone set makers , telecoms and a variety of other tech vendors , journalists and analysts converge to hash out what the next year will curb for the industry .
Like every other major in - person upshot , the last few years have been rough for MWC . In 2019 , the show hit 109,000 visitor — not quite CES numbers ( which hit ~175,000 that same yr ) , but still an impressive sidetrack for what is ultimately a importantly more narrowly focused show . COVID arrive at the show hard for a few years ( join the clubhouse ) .
After many major vendor withdrawals and weeks of handwringing , the GSM Association ( GMA ) canceled the 2020 event . A significantly scaled back version of the issue find the next year , with a hard cap on attendance . 2022 saw the beginnings of a bounce back to 60,000 attendees , while last year hit 88,500 . organiser anticipate a alike pattern for this year ’s consequence . The number is still down significantly from the show ’s height , but MWC still qualifies as a large show .
TechCrunch is heading to MWC . We require to see about your inauguration .
It ’s a skilful snatch hard , however , to judge the show ’s current level of grandness for the industry . This is due in no pocket-size part to some macro vogue that have bear upon pretty much every technical school industry tradeshow . Even prior to the pandemic , large vendors had begun migrating to their own standalone events , so as to not get lost among the disturbance . COVID only expedited the trend , as companies were ram to count on out live effect cyclosis .
Some of the biggest manufacture names no longer have a major comportment . Take Samsung , which has taken to herald its young flagships during the once - slow workweek between CES and MWC . As we steer into this twelvemonth ’s event , I would fuck to tell you that — as with CES — small , engrossing startup have step on it in to satisfy that void , but it ’s not really the grammatical case . At least it ’s nowhere near the degree of what we ’ve seen from the Vegas outcome .
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There is a decent enough startup presence at MWC , though it have the signifier of its own sister event . 4FYN ( that ’s Four Years From Now ) is lionize its tenth year of existence in 2024 . Hopefully that will translate into an exciting showing . The issue is track down by the same organization in the same venue . I ’ve come to think of it as the Mobile World Congress equivalent to CES ’ Eureka Park : a big , cacophonic elbow room full of startup . There are honestly unfit direction to spend an good afternoon for study .
For the companies that participate on the show floor and in pitch - offs , it ’s a chance to get an audience with MWC ’s large and busy audience . For us , it ’s an opportunity to check out smaller firm that might have otherwise fly under the radar . The effect is n’t single to European startups , but they incline to dominate for reason of propinquity . It ’s a mint easier to sway over to Spain than it is to fly across an ocean and a continent or two so as to hang out in the neon fossa of despair that is Las Vegas , Nevada .
If you ’re planning to show off some interesting new tech , let us knowhere .
Some of the trends I anticipate dominating the conversation include a continued focussing on health - pore wearables , include newer form factor like the smart ring . pass - outwear displays have always had something of a presence at the show . It seems to be among the bigger show for HTC Vive , for instance . In the wake of Apple ’s Vision Pro launch and Qualcomm ’s committal to AR and VR , I expect to be talking a peck about this once the show kicks off .
MWC is also a playfulness show for concept machine . This is where Lenovo / Motorola smooth . In fact , the more I think about it , the more I ’m convinced that Lenovo is possess the most merriment among the world ’s major consumer electronics manufacturers . Expect everything to fold and/or slew . Some will be pure concepts , but Lenovo ’s not afraid to unloosen some unfeignedly , delightfully weird stuff . There ’s even a“transparent laptop”currently rumor for the event .
Speaking of rumors , Nothing ’s mid - level 2a French telephone is nail for a March 5 release ( albeit an manifestly limited one here in the U.S. ) . Carl Pei ’s old caller , OnePlus , will also be present . Last class ’s show find the troupe leaning into its own demarcation of concept twist . This twelvemonth , meanwhile , it ’s rumored to be readying the release of the OnePlus Watch 2 .
More broadly speaking , expect AI everywhere at MWC , but be prepared to cut through the BS ( do n’t occupy , we ’re here to help ) . Samsung broke the “ procreative AI smartphone seal with the Galaxy S24 transmission line , ” and now it ’s going to be out in full conformation with applications ranging from helpful to laughable . I ’m carefully affirmative about the proliferation of AI devices in the mold of theHumanePin andRabbit R1 . As with CES , I anticipate robot getting a moment to shine at the event , albeit primarily from European companies this time out . There ’s also the topic of thatXiaomi car .
Above all , this is a big show for telecos , and yes , the 6 G conversations have already begun . Remember before the inevitable deluge , however , that we ’re still in the VERY early degree of development . No criterion has been agreed upon and we ’re likely ~four yr out from actually seeing compatible equipment . However , 5.5G/5 constant of gravitation advanced is very much a reality being pushed by Chinese firm , in particular . Expect to hear a lot about this — and other things — from Huawei , which has spend the last several twelvemonth slowly claw its way back up after losing access to Google and Qualcomm products .
Also very real and likely to be very present at this twelvemonth ’s show is Wi - Fi , which succeeds Wi - Fi 6E as the former wireless monetary standard . TechCrunch will be live and present at MWC , as well .
