MWC 2025: Highlights on Mobile Tech and The Future of Connectivity from Barcelona
From Drew Barrymore to lifelike robots, from artificial intelligence to human connection, there was a ton of cool stuff on display and being discussed at Mobile World Congress 2025. And, of course, iQmetrix was there!
The massive event saw more than 100,000 attendees (59% from mobile/telecom or mobile-ecosystem companies) from more than 200 countries, representation from more than 28,000 companies, around 2,700 exhibitors, and more than 1,000 speakers.
The conference sessions during the week were predictably dominated by high-level discussions of AI and its power to transform the world in unlimited aspects of life and work. Political volatility, especially in the US, was also a major topic of discussion at this European conference, and many speakers made note of the need to reduce reliance on American tech companies.
Overall, there was somewhat less emphasis when it came to advancements in mobile connectivity and technology, aside from the many session speakers from global telcos and tech companies who used the massive platform to share corporate strategies and messages.
Nevertheless, some of the keynotes offered insightful telecom discussions, and there were many impressive mobile technologies displayed on the show floor. Here are some of the event’s key telecom- and device-related highlights, as noted by the iQmetrix team this week in Barcelona.
Day One: Digital Divides and Tech Transformations
Bridging the Connectivity Gap
In the opening keynote “The Gateway to a New Future,” the critical need for spectrum to drive economic growth was emphasized, and it was noted that $500 billion has been invested in the last decade. Mobile connectivity is universal, said the panelists, but usage is lacking among 3.1 billion people globally, due to affordability, digital skills, and safety concerns. Closing the usage gap could add $3.5 trillion to global GDP by 2030, they said.
Sunil Bharti Mittal, chair of Bharti Airtel, pushed for industry consolidation and stronger satellite partnerships. He said mobile operators must work together to bridge the digital divide and connect the 400 million people globally who remain unconnected. “This is not the time to be fighting each other,” he said. “This is the time to be working together. We have a mission to finish the job of covering the last 400 million people.”
The Telco to Techno Transformation
In the keynote “Beyond Connectivity: The Telco to Techno Transformation,” the telco-only panel discussed that, given the low growth, high taxes, and low profit for carriers right now, there is need to transform their companies to diversify their revenue. Panelists observed that carriers are the conduit for streaming services and data, but it’s the media companies like Netflix and Prime Video, and apps such as What’s App, that are capturing all the profit. CEOs from the global telecom carriers on the panel — KDDI, e&, and MTN — all spoke of moving into new verticals and becoming technology companies rather than telecom companies to stay ahead of the competition.
KDDI’s CEO was also one of the few leaders to speak of using artificial intelligence to improve the retail experience, within its convenience store vertical in Japan. The company is using AI for digital signage, autonomous checkouts, and even AI robots to stock shelves and clean stores.
Day Two: Humanoid Robots and AI-Ready Telcos
The Robotic Revolution
Peggy Johnson, CEO of Agility Robotics, demonstrated the company’s advancements in AI robotics live on stage with its latest humanoid robot, Digit. Digit uses AI, such as Google’s Gemini, to learn and adapt to new tasks without prior training, such as lifting up to 25kg and performing tasks in warehouses. The conversation also covered the integration of AI in robotics, the importance of user interfaces, and the potential for robots to enter home environments. Agility Robotics said there was potential to partner with telecom companies to bring its robot technology to consumer and enterprise applications.
Telcos’ Role in AI Advancement
In the day two opening keynote, Mistral AI co-founder and CEO Arthur Mensch said there was potential for European telecom operators to invest in data centers and become hyperscalers, using existing fiber networks to build AI-ready facilities. “To build a data center for AI, you need three things. You need the electronics, you need the fiber, and you need the chips. Telcos already have the fiber, so they’re already involved in the data center discussions and so on.”
Mensch also highlighted Mistral’s collaboration with European telco Orange — a partnership that is focused on building AI applications for predictive infrastructure maintenance and network efficiency. He cited AI as an important tool for telecom operators to optimize network operations and cut costs.
Day Three: AI as a Superpower and a Customer Service Tool
AI: Your New Superhero Cape
In the panel session “Disinformation, Trust and Security,” there was a lot of focus on AI creating bias and spreading disinformation — although this is nothing new and not limited to AI, by any means. The fear of short-term job losses was also discussed. Sachin Duggal, Founder of Builder.ai, defended artificial intelligence as not so much stealing people’s jobs, instead giving them a “superhero cape” to enable them to do their jobs better and more efficiently.
Verizon Business’ AI for SMBs Strategy
US Tier 1 telco Verizon discussed how its Verizon Business division is targeting small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with an AI-powered virtual assistant to help them with customer inquiries. Scott Lawrence, SVP and chief product officer for Verizon Business, said the Verizon Digital Assistant uses conversational generative AI to communicate with SMB clients via text messaging.
“Think of this as kind of an on-ramp into an AI experience for small business,” he said. “You want to get information on what is your business hours, what’s your menu. And then it learns and it continues to build off that.”
From the Show Floor: Star Power, Tiny Foldables, and Smarter Glasses
Throughout the week, there were countless technologies on display, ranging from the mind-blowing to the eyebrow-raising to the head-scratching. Here are just a few that “Drew” in the biggest crowds.
- Drew Barrymore, Hollywood movie star and mother of two, took to her new role as ambassador for “human mobile device” manufacturer HMD, which has a focus on family-first technology. Speaking to a gathered audience around a circular stage, Barrymore endorsed HMD’s new Fusion X1 phone. Barrymore talked about screen time and device safety, telling the crowd, “Technology has taken advantage of the tired parent. It’s time to redefine how we live. Patience from the past meets future forward technology. I started this for my children, but I also truly want it for myself, and for you.” HMD also unveiled new research, which surveyed 25,000 children and adults from around the world. The findings reveal more than half of children have been contacted by strangers online.
- Also gaining attention on the show floor were some surprising foldable phones. One of significance buzz was the prototype of the Infinix Zero Mini Tri-Fold Concept Device (its current actual name, but hopefully a working title). This candy-bar-sized mobile device features two hinges, allowing it to collapse into a very compact size. Infinix says that it can also be used as an action camera or a multilingual translation device. Another was Samsung’s pincer-style phone, which has two side pieces (or top and bottom, depending on orientation) that fold over to almost — but not quite — cover the central section. Opinions on this have been mixed, at best. There was also even a clamshell-style flip phone with a simple display on the folded front, like the clamshells of days past. What’s old is new again, we guess.
- Smart glasses are still trying to become a thing that real people actually wear — but at least the technology is getting smarter. Meta continued its AI-supported Ray-Bans push, while T-Mobile showcased its 5G standalone network using its partnership with Qualcomm, which has also developed AI-immersive smart glasses powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon tech with Hololight’s XR streaming service. TCL was also promoting its RayNeo X3 Pro AR glasses, which (unlike Meta’s Ray-Bans) have a display projected onto the lens. This means the glasses can offer features such as voice-to-text translations — so you can read in English in real time what someone is saying to you in Spanish, for example — or map directions, and so on.
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