The Mobile World Congress returns to Barcelona for another year this 2023 to celebrate its seventeenth edition in Barcelona. It is surprising to make a comparative exercise between the technological innovations that were presented in this same city in the distant year 2006, with those that we will see in a few days. At that time, advances in mobile technology were still at a fairly early stage and, although brands, companies and manufacturers were already displaying a wide range of interest for users with their new releases, the truth is that there was no such a wide variety in terms of equipment, networks, applications or technological systems.
What will be presented at the Mobile World Congress 2023?
The world has come a long way in all this time and users have become increasingly demanding, while showing massively more interest in advances in mobile technology and all its possibilities. Therefore, it is to be expected that in this new edition the Mobile World Congress will come loaded with interesting news and launches that will surprise even the greatest connoisseurs, fans and consumers of the latest technological news.
But the most important thing is not the technology itself, but how technology is capable of improving our lives, changing our behaviors and our daily lives. During these years, the different advances that have been presented in this annual event have not only been disruptive for the final consumer but also for the entire ecosystem of companies that make up the different industries, which have used them as a catalyst for the transformation of their business.
This transversal impact of mobility has more and more weight in the content of services and use cases related to industries related to Logistics, Fintech, Health, Automotive, Robotics, UAV, Frontier Materials, etc., adding much more vertical content to the congress compared to its beginnings, when it had a focus mainly on operators, manufacturers, terminals and devices.
For some years now, the Mobile World Congress has been part of the Four Years From Now (4YFN) hall dedicated to innovation, recognizing the fundamental role that startups play in achieving the potential of mobile technology. This section of the congress, during this year, will grow significantly, connecting the entire Spanish ecosystem of startups with international investors.
Added to all this, it is to be expected that, as every year, the most recent advances in the technologies used in mobile devices will be shown. The main exponents will, of course, be its reference brands and manufacturers. However, as we mentioned before, it is expected that there will be presentations that show diverse themes and that explore new technologies in depth, such as the acceleration of 5G, augmented reality, open networks, the Internet of Things, the digital everything and the new financial and cybersecurity technologies.
It is well known that the most general public is interested in finding out about the new functions that will be added to the latest models of mobile devices, tablets and smartwatches. But it is also a showcase of interest for many companies that will be able to discover how these new technologies will help them to evolve their business.
Therefore, let us review the main topics that will be discussed during the Mobile World Congress.
News regarding Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics and Augmented Reality / Metaverse
Despite the fact that the great event focuses on the presentation of the latest models of mobile equipment, the latest advances in AI, data analytics and AR will also be present, close technologies that arouse a lot of interest, where mobility has been one of the the transversal agents that have facilitated its promotion.
Both Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality have seen their boom in recent years, so it is not surprising that the public and investors are attracted to them in order to know what the possibilities are.
With Artificial Intelligence, the development of new business models is expected that companies can take advantage of to facilitate the interaction of their users. In the field of augmented reality, it is expected to know much more deeply how the metaverses that promise new spaces for interaction and value for users are developing.
Interest regarding Cloud connectivity
The interest that exists on the part of users, investors and the general public in information technologies will also play a leading role in this Mobile World Congress. The large companies that develop and provide these services will have a space to note the advances that have been made in this field.
Technologies such as
connectivity is one of these areas that has aroused the most interest in companies in recent months. Surely they will have their correlate in this edition of Mobile. The adaptation of businesses to the cloud, whether in SaaS, PaaS or IaaS mode, will focus many of the conversations that are held throughout these days, ensuring migrations to the cloud in a safe and reliable way.
News in acceleration of the 5G connection and other services
It is expected that many of the almost 500 European and international companies that will be present at the event will mention the acceleration and use of the connectivity of 5G networks. But, above all, the greatest interest will be captured by those companies that are in charge of developing equipment and systems to make this network work together with other technologies, such as the management and administration of equipment and connection tests.
And, although this is not an approach that is being made for the first time, there are many interested parties, both users and investors, in learning more about the capacity and connection speed that 5G networks will be providing this year 2023. Access The 5G network will develop the ability of companies to effectively host and distribute new services to their users.
The companies that are capable of providing application, device, and SIM approval services and advanced functionalities for these new services will therefore have a relevant role, since they will become facilitators of future business success.
What’s new in mobile equipment and devices
As we said before, we cannot forget the “more traditional” part, mobile phones and their novelties are one of the attractions for those attending the Mobile World Congress. It is mainly expected that the most technologically advanced equipment will be revealed, including the major brands and manufacturers from Europe and the entire world.
Among the most anticipated technologies by users and the general public are mobiles with folding screens, high-end devices and those with very high-definition cameras, which are capable of capturing images with the best possible quality, even over long distances or low light.
The trend of this 2023 in terms of mobile equipment continues to be similar to that of other years. Users are interested in equipment capable of effectively connecting to the Internet, which can support the largest number of applications.
Many brands will present their new models, updated versions of the previous ones, but with some changes in terms of the capacity of their processors and with improvements in the quality of the cameras and the durability of the batteries.
The medium and medium-high range teams will have a particularly relevant role during the announcements made during the event. In particular, many mid-range models are expected to arrive with advanced features and high-performance processors at quite affordable prices, and be within the reach of a large number of users for the first time.
As always, it is expected that many of the technologies already presented in the Asian market will begin to have a greater penetration in Western countries. Many of the brands that will be presenting in this edition of the Mobile World Congress have shown their latest models to the Chinese, Japanese and South Korean markets, with an excellent reception from the public.
The market for these electronic equipment continues to grow every day, and competitiveness increases as technology advances. The Mobile World Congress 2023 will serve as a space for manufacturers to show their latest releases related to tablets and smartwatches.
It is expected that the improvements and new models that the big brands have for this type of device will be shown. Specifically, how they have managed to make them evolve in terms of connectivity, time of use and adaptation to new applications and updates of the operating systems used in a majority.
Juan Martínez, Managing Director Telco & High Tech, Grupo Oesía