The mobile-focused show has some exciting new phones, tablets, and... humanoid robots?
Raymond Wong, Kyle Barr, and James Pero
Mobile World Congress, or MWC for short, is like CES or IFA—but focused on mobile announcements. That means new phones, tablets, wearables, and accessories that help while you’re on the go. But MWC 2026 features some big changes: In addition to new versions of touchscreen slabs that fit in your pocket, phone makers like Xiaomi and Honor are showing up with EV supercars, electric scooters, and humanoid robots. It’s a not-so-subtle nudge that the definition of “mobile” is evolving beyond a glass screen—into mobility, specifically transportation and personal robotics.
Gizmodo isn’t on the ground in Barcelona this year, but we’re still paying close attention to what’s coming out of MWC 2026. Check back often to see our highlights of the best and weirdest tech announced each day.
Mar 2Xiaomi Imagines a Teardrop-Shaped Electric Hypercar
Xiaomi’s newest flex in the car world comes in the form of an electric hypercar concept, which was designed for the Vision Gran Turismo project—a series of virtual cars conceptualized in partnership with the sim racing franchise.
While Xiaomi has already dabbled in electric vehicles to some success, this one is purely theoretical for now, though it did bring out a prototype to show off at MWC 2026. Obviously, since it isn’t real, there aren’t many hard specs to give you, but it sure looks fast. I love the “teardrop” shape, as Xiaomi is calling it, and I also love the circular rear lighting. It looks like a futuristic hover ship. Xiaomi says it’ll have more details to share on its hypercar’s debut in Gran Turismo 7, but doesn’t say when that announcement will come. For now, it’s just some fast-looking virtual eye candy. —James Pero
Nothing beats this energy. 🔥 Massive crowd, pure enthusiasm—everyone vying for a chance to witness the first look of the Xiaomi Vision Gran Turismo at #MWC26. #VGT pic.twitter.com/hlTpSdFhgG — Xiaomi (@Xiaomi) March 2, 2026
— Xiaomi (@Xiaomi) March 2, 2026
Mar 2Tecno’s Concept Phone Has a Ludicrous Number of Accessories
What do you need your phone for? Tecno’s “Modular Magnetic Interconnection Technology” suggests the smartphone should be useful for every scenario. The device is essentially a phone with two magnetic connection points that let you stick on multiple kinds of attachments. There’s a module for an extra camera bump, clips, or even one more extra battery pack. Then things get weird. There’s a separate attachment that offers a large telephoto camera lens with a 20x zoom capability and a more ergonomic camera grip.
Other than desperately needing a catchier name, there seem to be a few outliers among these peripherals that don’t make much sense. Why would I want to stick a Game Boy-like controller on the back of my phone? Not to knock a genuinely cool idea any more, I long to see a phone with this kind of modularity. It could potentially keep the device light and allow users to head out of their house with the kinds of attachments they need that day. —Kyle Barr
Mar 2Best Foldable of the Show?
Americans may not be aware of this, but outside of the U.S., Honor has actually been a trailblazer on the foldables front. Case in point: the Magic V6, the company’s fifth-generation (it skipped the V4 because four is an unlucky number in Chinese culture) book-style foldable, has several innovations that put it at the front of the pack again.
At 8.75mm closed, the Magic V6 just edges out Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7, which measures 8.9mm thick. It’s also got a much larger battery compared to the Z Fold 7: a 6,660mAh silicon-carbide cell versus 4,400mAh. The Magic V6’s foldable 7.95-inch screen can also hit a peak brightness of 6,000 nits; the Z Fold 7 can only reach 2,500 nits of peak brightness.
Furthermore, the Magic V6 is also more durable—it’s IP68 and IP69 water- and dust-resistant. The Z Fold 7 only has an IP48 rating.
Honor hasn’t announced pricing yet for the Magic V6, but if we go off the V5, which retailed for £1,699 (about $2,277), then we can extrapolate that the new version will also be expensive. —Raymond Wong
Mar 2Bring In the Humanoid Robots
Honor’s robot phone wasn’t the only robot it showed off at MWC. It also had a robot, robot, and, well… it can dance. To be honest, no major tech show is complete nowadays without some kind of humanoid robot, so I’d be a little upset if MWC didn’t have any. As some people have noted, this tiny bot looks a lot like the Unitree G1—eerily similar, in fact.
My question really isn’t about who or what Honor is copying, though, it’s just… why? I’m not saying humanoid robots are useful, but does every brand have to have one? Maybe I’m overthinking this. Yeah, I’m overthinking—just watch it dance, I guess. —James Pero
This thing can dance, too!#MWC26 pic.twitter.com/zI3aQcXGAy — Stan (@franticnews) March 1, 2026
This thing can dance, too!#MWC26 pic.twitter.com/zI3aQcXGAy
— Stan (@franticnews) March 1, 2026
Mar 2AI Pins Are Back (They Never Really Left)
While you may have assumed that AI wearables were done and dusted after Humane failed so completely, various companies are hard at work picking up where it left off. Qualcomm’s latest chip built for wearables is specifically geared for the next generation of AI pins or pendants. The Snapdragon Wear Elite includes extra NPU capabilities that make it possible to run a 2 billion parameter model on-device. That may sound impressive, but in reality most models that use AI image processing require more horsepower. Perhaps the next device will use some amount of on- and off-device AI processing to handle your requests. That is, if we finally see a device that doesn’t outright lie to users based on a simple prompt.
Meet motorola Maxwell, Motorola's newest AI wearable. Has a camera and a speaker, answers your queries. Proof of concept for now.#MWC26 pic.twitter.com/4H41U7WJsB — Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) March 2, 2026
Meet motorola Maxwell, Motorola's newest AI wearable.
Has a camera and a speaker, answers your queries.
Proof of concept for now.#MWC26 pic.twitter.com/4H41U7WJsB
— Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) March 2, 2026
There are new AI pendants on their way. First, we have Motorola, with its Maxwell concept device. While it looks like a modern car fob, Maxwell is a small speaker with a built-in camera. The device is supposed to analyze your environment and answer your most inane questions. The company first showed it off at CES, though it seems like the phone maker is keeping this new device in the realm of “concept device” for a while yet. —Kyle Barr
Mar 2Like Framework, but With More Screens
Other than a folding handheld, Lenovo’s other big concept device it brought to MWC 2026 was a special kind of ThinkPad for all those Framework fans. Instead of its usual business laptop with a more repairable design, the Modular AI PC Concept throws in an extra screen that can swap out with the keyboard. The keyboard then connects via Bluetooth so you can have a dual-screen setup, akin to the Asus Zenbook Duo.
You can also stick the extra monitor on the laptop lid, which may be useful for showing folks across from you what you’re doing on your PC. Otherwise, the extra monitor can remain upright at your desk and act as an external display with the help of a USB-C cable. Lenovo also threw in a little bit of Framework flair. Two of the ports can detach from the laptop, and you can replace each with another port. Need an HDMI or SD card slot? Just shove in a separate dongle. —Kyle Barr
Mar 2A 7-inch and 11-inch Gaming Handheld in One Device
Lenovo’s latest concept, the Legion Go Fold, is pure fodder for those of us who can’t get enough of handheld gaming PCs. Instead of sporting a single 7- or 8-inch screen, the device has a foldable display that can be positioned horizontally or vertically. When folded down, you can play on a 7.7-inch handheld. Unfolded, it becomes an 11.6-inch gaming device. Like past Legion Gos, the concept device allows you to remove the controllers for when the screen is propped up on a tabletop. The Legion Go Fold takes it one step further with the addition of a miniature keyboard to turn the folding tablet into a pint-sized PC. Is it practical? Likely, no. But what’s more interesting is the fact it’s using an Intel chip instead of AMD. Perhaps Lenovo may be preparing a Panther Lake handheld. —Kyle Barr
Mar 2People Are Losing It Over This Magnetic Power Bank
This is what tech shows are all about. A company like Xiaomi pulls up with a whole family of badass electric scooters, a dope-looking Leica phone, a bunch of solid-looking new tablets, and a magnetic power bank is what people can’t stop yappin’ about. Okay, I sort of get it, the “Xiaomi UltraThin Magnetic Power Bank 5000 15W” is super slim at 6mm, light at 98g, and made of aluminum. It also comes in three colors, including orange, which is clearly a shade to match the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pros—yes, it does work with iPhone’s with MagSafe. In this case, the design is the whole appeal.
I’m the exact kind of sucker for this type of accessory. But $150 (discounted to $75.50 as of this writing) for a thin battery, even one that charges wirelessly at 15W and has a silicon-carbide design—is a bit much. But more power to you if you’re an aesthetic snob. —Raymond Wong
