The world’s largest wireless technology event began on Monday in Barcelona, with the enthusiasm surrounding AI’s potential to revolutionise devices colliding with concerns over escalating trade tensions driven by the United States.
The Mobile World Congress (MWC), held annually and now in its 19th year, is expected to attract approximately 100,000 visitors to the Catalan capital, just a day before new American tariffs on Chinese goods are set to take effect.
The event takes place until Thursday at the Fira de Gran Via, in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, with around 2,700 exhibitors, including the top tech companies in the world, such as Huawei, Samsung, Xiaomi, Microsoft, Meta and Google.
With the motto ‘converge, connect, create,’ the new edition of the MWC will feature all sorts of new trends in topics including AI and 5G connectivity.
From early Monday morning, a bustling crowd filled the exhibition halls, navigating between booths flashing with digital displays. Attendees were eager to discover the latest innovations from tech companies and participate in discussions about the industry’s future.
A significant portion of MWC’s exhibitors come from China, whose products will face an additional 10% import tariff on top of the existing 10% levy imposed by President Donald Trump since he assumed office in January.
The billionaire president is also pushing neighbours Mexico and Canada to follow suit.
If Trump maintains the tariffs on China and extends them to other major economies like the European Union, as he has suggested, rising trade costs could have wide-reaching consequences for the global tech and smartphone markets.
China not only hosts tech giants such as Huawei but also plays a crucial role in assembling smartphones and manufacturing essential components for international brands like Apple.
On Sunday, ahead of the official MWC opening, several Chinese smartphone makers and other global telecommunications leaders showcased new products and future investment plans.
Honor, a Huawei offshoot, announced it was embarking on a new phase in its development aimed at transforming the company into ‘a global leading AI device ecosystem company’.
According to Honor, its upcoming ‘intelligent’ smartphones – developed in collaboration with US companies Google Cloud and Qualcomm – will feature AI ‘agents’ capable of performing tasks like scheduling appointments or booking restaurant reservations.
Meanwhile, Xiaomi, the third-largest smartphone manufacturer globally after Apple and Samsung, introduced a new line-up of smartphones equipped with advanced cameras and their own integrated AI capabilities.
The emergence of generative AI, which has captured the tech industry’s imagination since the launch of ChatGPT, has made AI integration an essential feature for any company developing new devices.
The MWC trade show will reportedly have an impact of over 500 million euros for Barcelona, with an occupation of 95% of the city’s tourist apartments. The organisers have also reserved 21,000 rooms in hotels for attendees for Monday night into Tuesday.
Restaurants and nightclubs in the city expect to earn 125 million euros during the week.
(Main image from MWC 2024).
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