Mobile World Congress is where the world’s biggest players gather to showcase their latest pieces of mobile technology. From Samsung and Xiaomi to Lenovo and Honor, almost all of the world’s tech giants come to Barcelona to get in on the action. MWC 2026 runs from March 2 to 5 and we expect to see big product launches, some wild concepts and a lot of tapas. And indeed Xiaomi has already taken its surprise outfit called Leitzphone. But what about the products we’ve seen over the years?
From the Samsung Galaxy S smartphone to amazing hardware from Xiaomi, we’ve seen some amazing devices over the years CNET has attended the show. But we’ve also seen many unusual products that have promised more than they’ve delivered.
From quickly forgotten devices to new gadgets boasting revolutionary functions, these MWC technology launches arrived in an interesting way… but they’re not where you’d expect them to be today.
Human AI pin
AI may be the biggest buzzword in tech, thanks to all the phone companies pushing their devices with all kinds of weird AI functions. But at MWC 2024, one company wanted to keep that going. The Humane AI Pin was a wearable badge that you could talk to and ask questions about your schedule, the weather or things like sports scores. It can read the answers and even project them on your hand with a laser. Because everyone loves lasers.
Sounds good, right? And the company’s rhetoric that AI-based devices like these will replace phones sounds compelling. However, the product, well, sucked (just ask CNET’s Scott Stein, who spent a lot of time with it) and the company was eventually swallowed up by HP, with Pin itself going out of business in February of last year. If you were one of the early adopters, let us know what you did with that $699(!) paperweight now.
Motorola Rizr
MWC is a great place to showcase concepts that will excite tech geeks like us. Motorola has a good history of this on display and the Rizr is one of my favorites. Not only did this phone have a flexible display like we’ve seen on most flip phones today, its display could pop out mechanically at the push of a button, extending the top of the screen to provide a more focused display for watching videos or playing games.
It was amazing to see in person and it was a different perspective on how to use flexible displays. But that was all; the idea. Motorola hasn’t included a mechanical release of the Rizr in any of its products, with the upcoming Razr Fold being introduced which is simply a foldable book style. The reason is obvious: The technology is expensive and can be fragile as well. Three years on and Motorola hasn’t said anything about this great idea, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed for this year.
Xiaomi SU7 EV
Xiaomi may be best known for its excellent cameras, but the Chinese firm has its fingers in many pies, including motorcycles, vacuums, air fryers and water pistols. It is not surprising then that during MWC 2024, the company showed its first EV, the Xiaomi SU7. With shiny, sporty looks and a promised range of over 470 miles, I was excited.
I was also excited when the company showed off a more performance-focused model at last year’s show, which already delivered some great times on the infamous Nürburgring. But I will still be driving. Although Xiaomi already manufactures and sells cars in its home country of China, the company has no plans to launch in the UK or wider Europe until at least 2027 and it likely won’t be sold in the US at all.
As a result, I feel somewhat taunted by the promise of this sleek, powerful EV that would have sat perfectly in my driveway. In fact, I still have a big wait ahead of me, if the SU7 European launch happens at all. Sales of the SU7 in China have surpassed the Tesla Model 3, according to Car News China. At the same time, the same story shows that sales of the SU7 Ultra have dropped significantly due to the many controversies and lawsuits surrounding the car and Xiaomi’s release.
Samsung Galaxy Ring
Samsung’s Galaxy Ring made for an interesting MWC 2024. Here’s a new type of wearable that promises improved health and fitness tracking, while being integrated into your everyday life by staying off your finger. And that’s what it does, CNET giving it a healthy 8.5 out of 10 in our comprehensive review.
But that was 2024, and two full years later, I’m left wondering what’s going on with the wonderful world of smart jewelry. Samsung has not made an official comment about a follow-up, with rumors suggesting we may see one as late as 2026 or 2027. Smart ring manufacturer Oura, meanwhile, has filed a civil lawsuit against Samsung and other smart ring companies claiming patent infringement. This may be one of the reasons we will have to wait for the Galaxy Ring 2. Although other smart rings exist — such as Oura Ring 4 — it is not a category that flourished after Samsung introduced its ring.
No Google Pixel Ring, no Apple iRing and not even the LED-infused Nothing Ring (1). Most other smart rings are made by smaller companies, like Pebble’s recently announced $75 recyclable ring. Smart rings may have a place on our hands for a while now, but Samsung’s long delay in launching a follow-up might suggest that it’s not really a flagship product.
Motorola wrist phone
I said the aforementioned Moto Rizr was “one” of my favorite MWC ideas. That’s because the company’s flexible handset from 2024 takes my top spot. This candybar-style Android phone had a fully flexible body that allowed you to wrap the whole thing around your arm and wear it like something like Leela from Futurama’s wrist-mounted doodad.
I found it very interesting. Here’s a phone that doesn’t pop out of your skinny jeans when it’s in your pocket, but also looks like a smart watch. And compared to the precise engineering required for the Rizr, the technology of a handset seems relatively affordable. After all, we already have flexible displays and this didn’t require any special motors — you just slap it on your wrist like a ’90s slap bracelet.
But, like the Rizr, the wrist-mounted phone remained the only round that I experienced oh so briefly for a few days in Spain. And like any kind of holiday romance, it’s probably best for me to just remember it for what it was and not spend my days looking for what could have been.
With MWC 2026 just a few days away I’m excited to see new and wild products show their faces, and I’m curious to see which ones will have staying power.
