MWC 2026: What to expect at the world's largest phone show

I've been writing about phones for a long time, and don't remember when I expected to see so many new phones in such a short time span. I'm talking late February to early March, when we could see more than a dozen new devices within a week or two.

Samsung typically launches its new Galaxy flagships in January, but this time it's probably happening in late February. This year, Apple is also reportedly launching its new iPhone 17e in that same time frame. And the Mobile World Congress, an annual mobile industry event taking place in Barcelona, Spain, kicks off on March 2, with some announcements probably coming a day or two earlier.

MWC is always about phones, with some tablets, laptops, and other gadgets thrown into the mix. So what's different this year? Well, there's just gonna be a little more of everything, we suspect.

This year marks the Mobile World Congress' 20th year in Barcelona. The event was badly hurt during the Covid pandemic years, but it managed to rebound, once again attracting numerous large phone manufacturers which will show their new devices in Barcelona for the first time.

Judging by the invites we have, and the reports we've seen, there will be a lot of those. Here's what we know right now.

Xiaomi could bring a surprise or two

Xiaomi is the largest consumer electronics company that typically unveils its entire new lineup of mobile products at MWC. Think phones, tablets, earbuds, watches, and a bunch of accessories.

In the past couple of years, Xiaomi also spiced things up by bringing its latest electric vehicles to the show, as well as showing off cool gadgets like this cute, back-flipping robotic dog. We've got big expectations for the company's MWC booth, and Xiaomi always manages to surpass them.

Honor's Robot phone highly anticipated

Honor is a company that quietly ships devices with specs that beat most other phones out there. Last year, Honor mostly focused on strategy, which isn't the most exciting topic from the consumer's standpoint. This year, however, Honor's booth is going to be a lot more interesting.

First, the company is bringing a new foldable, the Honor Magic V6, to the show. It follows the Magic V5 which globally debuted in August 2025; hopefully, Honor's got a good reason to show us the V6 so much earlier in the year.

We'll also likely see new tablets and laptops from Honor at MWC. But the real star of the show could be the Honor Robot phone, a concept device with a robotic gimbal camera that extends from the rear of the phone. The idea extends a smartphone's functionality into a unique blend of a home smart companion, a tripod, and a baby monitor. The Robot Phone has been spotted in the wild before, but at this year's MWC, we could get a really close look at what it can do.

Samsung likely to bring Galaxy S phones

This is an odd one. In the past couple of years, Samsung has revealed its Galaxy S flagships in January, leaving a little space between the launch and MWC. This January the company showcased an entirely new category of devices with its triple-folding Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold, but the Galaxy phones are likely coming in late February.

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked is set for Feb. 25, just days before MWC kicks off. We'll definitely cover Unpacked, but perhaps the MWC gives a chance to have a second look at some of the new Samsung phones, or maybe the company is saving a surprise or two for the Barcelona show. Remember the Samsung Galaxy Ring? We (unexpectedly) got a first glimpse of it in Barcelona, a few years back.

Lenovo/Motorola might bring a fun concept

Lenovo likes to bring bold new concepts to MWC, and we're expecting something similar this year. Think laptops with rotating displays, flip laptops, laptops with transparent display...well, you get the idea.

Lenovo's phone brand Motorola probably won't launch anything major during MWC, but we'll be on the lookout for new concepts and prototypes.

TCL will likely bring it all

China's TCL keeps building on its interesting NXTPAPER tech, which turns a regular-looking smartphone's display into something much easier on the eyes and akin to an e-ink display.

The company typically brings its entire lineup to Barcelona. Often, these are phones that have already launched in China, but it's always cool to get an overview of what the company has in store (and when it plans to launch the latest devices globally).

Nothing expected to have a new phone to show off

Nothing, the brand that makes those see-throughy phones that look like nothing else on the market, launched its Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro during MWC last year.

We're not sure whether the company will follow up with successors this year, but we do know that it will have a presence in Barcelona. Fingers crossed.

Oppo, Vivo, Huawei, ZTE, Nubia, Tecno, and others to bring phones, cameras, more

Yes, a lot of Chinese companies have a strong presence at MWC, and a lot of them are bringing new devices to the show this year.

We're not aware of any specific major flagship that's about to launch in Barcelona this year, but that doesn't matter, because concept phones and prototypes that we see at these companies' booths often end up being more exciting than your standard candy bar phones. Think ultra-thin foldables, bendy displays, phones with incredibly powerful cameras, and other off-the-charts stuff. Will all of them ever actually make it to market, especially the U.S. market? Probably not, but they're really cool to look at.

Mobile World Congress 2026 is officially held in Barcelona from March 2 to 5, 2026, with press days starting on February 28. Mashable will be there to cover all the news coming out of the event.