At the four-day Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which runs till Thursday and attracts 2,400 exhibitors from around the globe in addition to 95,000 guests, phone manufacturers are anticipated to highlight the distinctive AI-powered features of their most recent smartphones.
The largest mobile phone trade show in the world opens in Barcelona on Monday, and the industry is relying on artificial intelligence to try and turn around falling sales.
At the four-day Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which runs till Thursday and attracts 2,400 exhibitors from around the globe in addition to 95,000 guests, phone manufacturers are anticipated to highlight the distinctive AI-powered features of their most recent smartphones.
The event will be used by telecom operators to investigate how artificial intelligence (AI) may enhance their operations, from increasing security to offering better customer service.
According to Thomas Husson, principal analyst at Forrester, AI “is democratizing and is now embedded everywhere: in phones, in devices, in networks.” Husson believes that AI will spur innovation in the industry once again.
The incident occurred when 1.17 billion smartphones were shipped globally in 2023, a 3.2% decrease from the previous year.
According to the IDC consultancy, it was the second straight year of decline as consumers delayed upgrading their gadgets because of a dearth of new products, high inflation, and uncertain economic conditions.
However, shipments increased by 8.5 percent to 326.1 million units in the fourth quarter, indicating that “momentum is moving quickly toward recovery.”
Both Google and Samsung, the massive South Korean electronics company, have just announced new flagship phones that are expected to be emphasized for their showy AI-powered features, like enhanced photo editing and simpler online search.
At the event, new handsets from other smaller handset manufacturers, like China’s Honor, will be unveiled.
The AI motion-sensing camera on Honor’s next flagship phone can recognize and automatically capture images of moving objects at the ideal moment.
Flying cars and robots
Though “a year later we have a much better idea of how operators and the mobile industry can take advantage of it,” stated Peter Jarich, head of intelligence at telecoms industry association GSMA, the event organizer, AI had already “kicked off” before the last MWC in 2023.
Brad Smith, the president of Microsoft, and Michael Dell, the founder and CEO of the personal computer company Dell, are two of the 1,100 speakers slated to appear.
Apart from artificial intelligence, talks are anticipated to center on the consolidation of the European telecom industry following the EU’s approval on Tuesday of the union of Orange, the dominant French telecom company, and Mas Movil, its Spanish competitor.
The question of whether large technology companies should pay a “fair share” of the expenses associated with establishing the networks that support their products is also expected to be discussed.
Since 2006, phones have been the main focus of the annual convention in Barcelona. However, over time, it has evolved to include all kinds of linked devices, including robots and drones.
The working model of what US company Alef Aeronautics claims to be the first “real” flying car and a lifelike robotic dog by TECNO mobile that can understand voice instructions are two of the more striking gadgets that will be on exhibit.
An emergency involving drought
The incident happened barely three weeks after the regional administration of Catalonia issued a drought emergency for Barcelona and the surrounding area after three years without any appreciable rain.
It implies that there will be more regulations on water consumption, particularly for agriculture.
The second-largest city in Spain has long since closed its public fountains, and hotel chains are launching awareness programs to get patrons to use less water.
The regional government has planned to permit ship delivery in case of necessity due to the extremely low levels of water reservoirs.
The director general of GSMA stated, “A lot of people who aren’t from around here might not realize we’re in the middle of a drought.”
“We will try to make sure people drink less water and save water as much as possible.”
