Here is Euronews Next’s round-up of some of the tech displayed at the Mobile World Congress this week in Barcelona.
ADVERTISEMENTThe annual Mobile World Congress (MWC) is off and running in Barcelona this week, an event that organisers say brings together “tens of thousands” of leaders from the world of connectivity under one roof.
Each year it’s a chance to see what’s next for mobile phones, laptops, and consumer tech, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence (AI) this time around.
Here’s a round-up of some of the new technologies found on the floor so far this year.
Deutsche Telekom gives a first look at its AI phone
Germany’s Deutsche Telekom announced this week that it is launching a Perplexity chatbot-powered AI phone.
The phone, which will be released sometime this year, will run “Magenta AI,” which will give users access to a pack of AI tools including Perplexity Assistant, Google Cloud AI, ElevenLabs, and Picsart.
The company wrote in a press release that the phone will be able to order a taxi, reserve a table, translate in real time, and respond to a user’s questions.
The AI assistant will act as a “virtual butler” that can write emails, start phone calls, play music, summarise texts, and add events automatically to a calendar.
For those who don’t want to buy a new phone, Deutsche Telekom said some AI capabilities will be available in an app starting this summer.
A preview of new Google AI features on Android
Google is in Barcelona testing two new AI features coming to Android phones later this month, the companysaid.
AGemini Live demo shows a user asking the AI to suggest a colour for a vase based on the surrounding room’s decor and style.
Another shows a user sharing their screen with Gemini Live to ask their AI assistant foroutfit suggestions that would go with a pair of jeans they would like to buy.
Gemini Advanced subscribers will be the first ones to get access to these capabilities this month, Google said.
Phones focus on photography
A few mobile phones at MWC had a higher focus on professional-grade photography.
The Nubia Focus 2Ultra, one of the latest designs from China’s ZTE, has what they call an AI Photography System that “lets you take high-quality photos anytime and anywhere,” the company wrote.
The phone’s unique rotating dial at the back lets users choose between five focal lengths that will help them take wide-angle, street photos, portraits, and long-focus shots. It also includes AI features like an eraser that lets users edit their shots.
ADVERTISEMENTRival Chinese company Xiaomi and Germany’s Leica Camera released the 15 Ultramodel, another photography-heavy phone at MWC.
The phone offers “all focal lengths” with its Leica Summilux optical lens and gives users the option to shoot video in 4K resolution.
Also part of ZTE’s display at MWC is the nubia Neo 3series, a number of phones that are built specifically for gamers.
Lenovo’s solar-powered laptop
While not focused on phones, the Chinese company Lenovo unveiled potential AI-powered laptops at MWC this year.
ADVERTISEMENTAmong the showing is the Yoga Solar PC, a proof of conceptlaptop with a solar panel built into the cover that could power itself for up to one hour of video streaming when left in direct sunlight for just 20 minutes.
A proof of concept demonstrates the feasibility of a specific idea or design.
The laptop would also keep track of the panel’s current and voltage and automatically adjusts the settings to maximise how the laptop can save energy, regardless of the light intensity in any workspace.
