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Being the globe’s largest trade show for wireless technologies, the Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona brims with manufacturers exhibiting their most recent devices and innovations.
This year’s exhibits aim to impress guests with an incredibly realistic human-like robot, phones whose colors can change dynamically, intelligent contact lenses, and much more.
'Spatial audio' during phone conversations
Nokia, a manufacturer of mobile devices, along with service provider Vodafone, claim that their new "3D spatial sound" technology will provide users with an unparalleled immersive auditory experience during phone conversations, making it seem like the caller is physically present in the same space.
While present calls utilize just one audio channel to convey voices, the advanced system enables sounds to appear as though they are coming from various directions.
Labeled as "Immersive Video and Audio Services" (IVAS), this technology necessitates smartphones equipped with dual microphones.
This, coupled with the requirement for a speedy 5G network, suggests that the technology might not be accessible to the majority of users for several years.
High-fidelity robot
Dressed in a black gown, a red jacket, with long brown hair flowing down her back, the highly realistic human-like robot Amira is showcased by the UAE telecommunications company Etisalat.
Although Amira replicates human characteristics with great accuracy, her motions still appear noticeably sluggish and disjointed.
Elliott White from Engineered Arts, one of the roboticists behind the project, mentioned that the machine could be linked to various generative AI "large language models," enabling communication with humans.
Remote driving
At MWC, numerous connected vehicles could be found on display, yet attendees had the opportunity to remotely operate a car located 3,000 kilometers away in Finland from the GSMA congress organizer’s booth.
The configuration — featuring just a steering wheel and several displays — was developed by the Estonian company Elmo. They have equipped the vehicles with a specialized control system as well as numerous cameras, working together with Nokia.
Chameleonic smartphone
A Chinese company called Realme has created a smartphone whose color alters based on the external temperature.
The 14 Pro series features a body design inspired by a seashell texture and incorporates thermochromic pigments. These pigments change color to blue at temperatures below 16 degrees Celsius (61°F) or turn white as the temperature rises.
The company behind the smartphone acknowledges that this merely ornamental feature won't be popular for long.
"Due to regular usage, the temperature-dependent color-shifting feature will slowly become less effective," according to Realme.
Smart contact lenses
The Dubai-startup Xpanceo is working towards integrating advanced functionalities such as an "extended reality" screen, health tracking capabilities, and wireless charging into a bendable contact lens.
Models showcased at their booth demonstrate proof-of-concepts for various features that co-founder Roman Axelrod states they aim to integrate into one singular prototype device "by the end of 2026."
For now the devices are relatively clunky, with a large metal coil needed to receive the wireless power to light up a single pixel on one demonstration lens.
Axelrod mentioned that those components could be reduced in size by utilizing "two-dimensional materials... just one atom thick."
Those are the scientific insights that set us apart.
Solar-powered laptop
Lenovo, a Chinese PC manufacturer, has integrated solar panels into the lid of its Yoga Solar laptop to enhance battery longevity.
Lenovo claims that its 84 solar cells can supply power to the device even without being directly exposed to sunlight.
The laptops will include a power management system designed to determine when the solar panel should be utilized.
Lenovo stated that this innovation enables the solar panel to capture sufficient direct sunlight within 20 minutes, which can then be used to support up to an hour of video playback on a PC.
"Cat Eye" for detecting cataracts
Spanish mobile operator Telefonica has joined forces with startup Edgendria Innovacion to build its "Cat Eye" tool.
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Individuals can perform an eye examination on their own to assess whether they have a cataract severe enough to necessitate surgery.
An image of each eye taken with a basic photograph is processed using an AI-driven system for detecting the condition.
As stated by Telefonica, this implies that doctors can "assign specific duties to their staff members allowing them to step in at appropriate moments, thereby optimizing their own time more effectively."
