Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026, held in Barcelona from March 2 to 5, has wrapped up after a week packed with groundbreaking product reveals, innovative concepts, and a tantalizing glimpse into the future of mobile technology. The event showcased everything from radical smartphone designs to AI-powered robots, foldable phones, and next-generation wearables. Although Apple did not officially attend, its recent product announcements coincided with MWC and added a significant buzz to the tech landscape. CNET’s extensive on-site coverage provides a comprehensive look at the most exciting developments from the show.
### Standout Smartphones and Concepts
One of the biggest highlights of MWC 2026 was Xiaomi’s Leica Leitzphone, a collaboration between the Chinese phone maker and the legendary German camera brand Leica. The Leitzphone, based on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, features a unique circular hardware dial around the rear camera that mimics the focus ring of manual cameras, allowing users to adjust settings like exposure physically. Praised by CNET’s photography expert Andrew Lanxon, the Leitzphone redefines smartphone photography by delivering images that rival those from dedicated cameras. It earned a CNET Editors’ Choice award for its exceptional camera capabilities, setting a new benchmark in mobile photography.
Honor also impressed with the unveiling of the Honor Robot Phone, a smartphone with a mechanical arm that unfolds to act as a gimbal for the camera, offering greater stability and new creative possibilities for photography and videography. Although still a delicate prototype not available for full public interaction, the phone’s combination of robotics and smartphone tech hints at a future where devices blend multiple functions seamlessly.
In addition to these, other notable phones included Motorola’s Razr Fold, a premium book-style foldable phone boasting a massive 6,000-mAh battery and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor. Motorola promises a sleek design comparable to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7, with a release expected in summer 2026, though pricing remains undisclosed. Meanwhile, British tech company Nothing previewed its Phone 4A in new colors, including a soft blue shade, continuing the legacy of its popular previous models.
For enthusiasts of physical keyboards, two devices caught attention: the Clicks Communicator, reminiscent of classic BlackBerry phones with multiple keyboard layouts, and the Unihertz Titan 2 Elite, a compact Android phone featuring a small 4.03-inch AMOLED screen and capacitive keys to navigate the interface without touching the display. The Titan 2 Elite, notable for its pocket-friendly size and strong specs including a MediaTek Dimensity chip and dual 50-megapixel cameras, is set to launch via Kickstarter in March.
### Privacy and Security-Focused Devices
Privacy remained a key theme at MWC 2026, with the Hiroh privacy phone standing out as a unique offering. Priced at around $1,100 and launching in April, the Hiroh phone aims to protect users from unwanted audio and video surveillance. It features physical switches to manually disable microphones, cameras, and even all wireless connectivity, setting it apart from phones that rely solely on software privacy controls. Running the Murena EOS operating system—a privacy-conscious, open-source Android variant—the phone offers toggles to spoof location, block data sharing, and route connections through TOR for anonymity. Despite its strong security focus, the Hiroh retains flagship hardware features like a triple camera setup and a MediaTek Dimensity 8300 chip, alongside five years of software updates.
Samsung continued to innovate in privacy with its Galaxy S26 Ultra, which includes a customizable Privacy Display that can obscure screen content from prying eyes. Unlike traditional screen protectors, this hardware feature allows users to selectively apply privacy filters to specific apps, notifications, or parts of the screen. CNET’s editors found it especially useful for protecting sensitive information during travel or in crowded places.
### Wearables and Smart Glasses
Wearable technology took a leap forward with Qualcomm’s announcement of its Snapdragon Wear Elite chip, designed to power the next generation of smartwatches, AI pins, smart glasses, and other wearable devices. This chip promises a 30% boost in battery life, faster charging, advanced AI capabilities on-device and in the cloud, and support for high-definition video input and output. Industry giants like Samsung, Google, and Motorola plan to incorporate the Wear Elite platform into upcoming devices, signaling a new era of smarter, more efficient wearables.
Alibaba made a bold entry into