Another year is already motoring by, and Mobile World Congress 2026 is just days away. MWC has been one of Europe’s top tech conferences for years and globally one of the biggest smartphone events on the calendar. But what should attendees and phone fans expect from 2026’s offering?
Jolla to Launch European Smartphone
I’m particularly excited about the launch of Jolla Phone. With the world in ever growing instability, EU consumers have started seeking products closer to home for privacy and political reasons. Jolla is in the right place at the right time. Since launching the Jolla Phone in late 2025, the company has secured over 10,000 pre-orders from eager shoppers.
The Jolla Phone is proving popular by being one of just a handful of smartphones from the EU. Even more impressive is the Linux-based SailfishOS which is also gathering momentum. Enough to genuinely pose a European challenge to iOS and Android alongside Huawei’s HarmonyOS from China.
I’ll be getting my first look at Jolla phone in Barcelona this weekend and I cannot wait.
Xiaomi to Launch 17 Ultra
My lips are sealed for now beyond confirming the Xiaomi 17 Ultra will launch in Barcelona this weekend. I’ve had the phone for the past few weeks and have been mightily impressed with the phone, and in particular the camera.
More on this over the weekend.
Google to Launch Pixel 10a
After being mightily impressed by the Google Pixel 10 Series, the affordable reduced bells and whistles version launches during MWC.
Priced at €559, the Pixel 10a promises to offer enough spec to challenge the upper-mid-tier smartphone market with classic vanilla Android UI and an interestingly designed body which is perfectly flat. Rare these days.
I’ve been playing with this phone for the past few weeks too and will be bringing you a full review on March 4th.
HONOR Goes Robotic
Out of nowhere, HONOR teased its Robot Phone late last year. A bizarre take on a gimbal-focused creator camera and a top-tier smartphone. Now, all these months later we finally get to see what the phone actually looks like properly and hopefully get some hands-on time too.
HONOR will also reveal the Magic V6, which I’m particularly excited about given it’s the latest upgrade to my current daily driver.
I’ll have the latest from MWC on this around the 1st or 2nd of March – depending on schedules. Might be worth following my on TikTok where I’ll post some rough and ready news from the floor of MWC.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Gets Its Barcelona Moment
Samsung held its Galaxy Unpacked event on 25th February in San Francisco, so the S26 series will already be official by the time MWC kicks off. That said, Barcelona will likely be the first chance for the wider public and press to actually get hands-on time with the new flagships. Samsung has previous form here: the company brought the Galaxy S25 Edge back to MWC last year after its Unpacked debut, so there could be a surprise or two waiting on the show floor. Worth keeping an eye on.
Nothing Builds the Hype
Nothing has confirmed a Phone 4a series launch event in London on 5th March, right after MWC wraps. The company rarely misses a chance to generate buzz ahead of a release, and Barcelona is the obvious place to do it. Rumours point to two devices this time around: the Phone 4a and 4a Pro, with refreshed cameras, a new chipset, and Nothing’s trademark transparent aesthetic. The brand has already ruled out a flagship for 2026, so these mid-rangers carry a lot of weight. Whether we get a formal tease at MWC or just some carefully placed noise, expect Nothing to dominate a few headlines regardless.
Lenovo Goes Weird Again
Lenovo has quietly become one of the most entertaining exhibitors at MWC, consistently showing up with concept hardware that makes you wonder what they’re putting in the water. Last year it was a laptop with a transparent display. The year before, rotating screens. Nobody knows exactly what’s coming in 2026, but that unpredictability is half the appeal. Motorola, Lenovo’s phone brand, is unlikely to drop anything major on the floor, but prototypes and concept devices from the wider Lenovo stable are almost guaranteed to generate some genuinely baffling and brilliant moments.
Qualcomm and MediaTek Look Further Ahead
Beyond the phones themselves, the chipmakers will have plenty to say at MWC this year. Qualcomm has confirmed it will be showcasing 6G technologies on the show floor, and notably, these won’t just be theoretical demos. Live applications are promised, which is the kind of claim that either impresses or disappoints in equal measure once you’re actually standing there watching it. MediaTek, meanwhile, has its ‘AI for Life’ keynote scheduled for 4th March, focusing on new products and partnerships. Neither company will be selling you anything directly, but what they show tends to shape what ends up in your next phone eighteen months down the line.
Tecno Keeps Swinging Big
Tecno has quietly carved out a reliable slot at MWC as the brand that brings genuinely bold hardware without the flagship price tag. The CAMON 50 and POVA 8 series are both confirmed for the show, but if history is anything to go by, the real talking point will be whatever concept device they have tucked away. Last year they managed to fit serious specs and a bigger battery than the Galaxy S25 Edge into a slim chassis. There’s no particular reason to think they’ll play it safe this time around either.
I expect to see plenty of other wild products from the rugged phones of RugGear to Petnow animal biometrics. There’s nothing quite like a good tech conference and I’ll be covering it all, here and over on my TikTok.
