Best of MWC 2026: Live updates on phones, concepts, and innovations we're seeing

It's the weekend before Mobile World Congress, and we've already got a full slate of announcements from Xiaomi, Honor, and more.

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Smartphones

Best of MWC 2026: Live updates on phones, concepts, and robots we're seeing

It's the weekend before Mobile World Congress, and we've got a full slate of announcements from Xiaomi, Honor, and more.

[nina-raemont-headshot]

Written by
Kerry Wan, Editor in Chief
Editor in Chief
Nina Raemont, Editor, Wearables & Health Tech
Editor, Wearables & Health Tech
and
Kyle Kucharski, Editor
Editor
March 1, 2026 at 10:34 a.m. PT

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 (left) and Honor Magic V6 (right).

Kerry Wan/ZDNET*

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Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026 is shaping up to be a landmark event. Coming quickly after the latest flagship reveals from Samsung and Google, the Barcelona showcase is ready to pivot the conversation toward the breakthrough trends and hardware innovations that will define the rest of the year, and ZDNET is on the ground with front-row seats.

Also: What to expect at MWC 2026: Best phones I'm anticipating from Xiaomi, Motorola, and more

As is tradition, industry giants like Xiaomi and Honor are set to dominate the exhibition floor, with their own keynotes happening throughout the weekend. While Google and Samsung will maintain their own presence, the focus will likely be on ecosystem integration rather than major new hardware.

Of course, the real magic of MWC often lies in the "showstopper" -- that unexpected, boundary-pushing reveal that catches the entire industry off guard. We'll be on the lookout for that over the coming days, as the showfloor officially opens on Monday, March 2, and runs through the rest of the week.

When is MWC 2026?

This year's MWC will run from March 2 to March 5, but manufacturers typically announce products as early as the weekend before. While the trade show was built around members of the press, analysts, business partners, and brands, anyone can access the show floor by purchasing a ticket for about $1,028.

Latest updates (refresh for changes)

The Honor Magic V6 makes the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 look bad

[Honor Magic V6 at MWC 2026]

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

By Kerry Wan, Editor in Chief / Mar. 1

Honor also unveiled the Magic V6 foldable phone, which ZDNET's Jason Howell tested ahead of the launch and says is the thinnest yet powerful of its kind.

The Magic V6 measures 8.75mm thin when closed, is rated IP68 and IP69 for water and dust resistance, and somehow packs a 6,660mAh battery thanks to its silicon-carbon material. That's compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7's 4,400mAh. It's not even close.

Also: I held the thinnest foldable phone at MWC 2026, and it sets a satisfying new standard

But there's more: Honor says the Magic V6 outer and inner displays can reach a peak brightness of 6,000 and 5,000 nits, respectively. That only applies to HDR content, but is still a number we've yet to see on foldables, raising the bar for media consumption.

Powering the phone is Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, the same one found in the recently released Samsung Galaxy S26 series.

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Honor's Robot Phone may be more than just a party trick

[Honor Robot Phone at MWC 2026]

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

By Kerry Wan, Editor in Chief / Mar. 1

We're officially on Day 2 of what I'll call "MWC Preview Weekend," and Honor is leading the news wave today with its AI Vision keynote. There, the company announced several new hardware products, including some fresh information on its wild Robot Phone, which debuted at CES.

The Robot Phone may be the richest embodiment of AI in a handset that we've seen thus far, for better or worse. It's shaped like a traditional phone, with a slab-like design, but features a rotating camera gimbal that extends from the back of the device.

CNET: A Phone With a Robot Arm? I Got a First Glimpse at Honor's Quirky Camera Phone

There are some creative use cases with such a feature, like body-tracking during video calls and more stabilized recording. Then, there are some more questionable use cases, like its playful nods and head shakes (and Honor says it can even dance to music), that give it more personality. Because we all want our phones to have a little more character, no?

Honor hasn't shared a definitive release date for the Robot Phone yet, but it positions the brand well in an AI hardware space that's constantly seeking out what's next.

Show more

Xiaomi just set the tone with its camera-centric flagship

[Xiaomi Leica Leitzphone at MWC 2026]

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

By Kerry Wan, Editor in Chief / Feb. 28

I just got out of Xiaomi's Saturday launch event, where the Chinese electronics maker announced a barrage of products, ranging from flagship phones and Gemini-supported wearables to a next-generation Gran Turismo hypercar.

Judging by the audience reaction, one product was clearly the star of the show -- the Leica Leitzphone. While built on the framework of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, meaning most of its general specs are the same, the ultra-premium handset features three key differences:

[...]

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