🏆 The top 25 breakthrough technology winners: The Shortcut MWC 2024 awards
We came, we saw, we played with the future of mobile technology all week in Barcelona. Here are our top 25 picks.
We came. We saw. We played with the future of mobile technology all this week in Barcelona. We then ate a lot of patatas bravas. 🥔
The Shortcut team – me (Matt), Adam and Kevin – personally handed out more awards (actual trophies) than anyone at Mobile World Congress (MWC 2024). We chose winners based on what we saw in person on the show floor, not by reading press releases ahead of time (AI could do that), and we’re very grateful that paid subscribers keep us going as a trusted resource. We’re daringly going against the grain by investing in human journalism when the rest of the media is collapsing.
It’s time to celebrate the technology – and the people behind our favorite tech – with the top 25 winners who earned one of The Shortcut’s coveted MWC 24 awards ⤵️
🔦 Spotlight: Mophie 3-in-1 travel charger on sale
We’re all flying back from Barcelona this week, but the travel charger that caught the eye of some of my Instagram followers on the way here was this one: the mophie 3-in-1 Travel Charger with MagSafe. It’s currently on sale at Best Buy for $15 off.
Also on sale today:
🟦 $100 PlayStation gift card for just $86 ($14 off) with code PSN100US
🟩 $51 Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for just $26 ($25 off) with code USXGPU
⭐ 1. Best in Show
Lenovo ThinkBook Transparent
Lenovo’s transparent laptop looks like something straight out of a sci-fi movie/show and it captured the “wow” factor that our team traveled all the way to Barcelona for. Seeing icons and windows on the ThinkBook Transparent seemingly float in the air made this see-through screen a marvel to look at – and look through. It somehow still managed to display a great image with plenty of brightness and eye-popping color.
It captured the “wow” factor that our team traveled all the way to Barcelona for.
Why it’s a winner: It’s a concept device for now, but like the LG OLED T TV (our best in show for our CES 2024 Awards), the mere existence of a transparent laptop has us thinking about what it can do that a regular laptop screen cannot. Teachers could see if students are keeping up with their work (or simply goofing off playing Fortnite) and artists could trace images very easily.
🎨 2. Best Mobile Concept
Motorola Adaptive Display
Is it a smartphone? Is it a smartwatch? How about both? Motorola blended two major product categories at MWC 2024, allowing us to try its Adaptive Display for the first time. This bendable Android phone has a 6.9-inch screen that can bend backward and be worn on your wrist. Samsung Display had something similar, but only Motorola gave us a demo in which its device powered up and we got to play with it.
Motorola blended two major product categories. This bendable Android phone has a 6.9-inch screen that can bend backward and be worn on your wrist.
Why it’s a winner: It may end the age-old questions: What do I do with my phone during runs? Can I just get away with wearing only a smartwatch daily? With a full-screen Android phone on your wrist, we’re getting a glimpse of their combined future.
📌 3. Best AI Hardware
Humane Ai Pin
We had our doubts about the Humane Ai Pin before we saw it in person. In fact, we had a last-minute pivot to give Humane an award at MWC, if that tells you something. As a standalone AI device with its own SIM, this is the closest thing to a pocket AI companion from the movie Her. The laser-projected UI was also a nice touch that worked better than expected (truly the theme of this demo).
This is the closest thing to a pocket AI companion from the movie Her
Why it’s a winner: This small wearable AI tech impressed us with a hands-free way to get answers and record video in a pin-ch. We’re eager for a future where you rely on your smartphone less and have AI do more. Stay tuned for review.
💻 4. Best Slim Laptop
Techno MegaBook T16 Pro
Tecno’s Megabook laptop features an ultra-slim and featherweight design, but it doesn’t skimp on battery life. You’ll be able to power through your workload with up to 17.5 hours and there are nine ports for maximum productivity.
Why it’s a winner: An incredibly thin and light laptop that doesn’t sacrifice its features as a result. The Tecno Megabook is a magnificent laptop for creatives and power users alike.
🤖 5. Best AI demo
MediaTek SDXL Turbo
We’ve all seen AI image generators by now and often the result is mixed, to say the least. However, MediaTek’s SDXL Turbo AI demo was the best use of the tech yet, generating images in real time while reacting to every change we made to our text-based prompts. Want to see a Capybara wearing a tiara? How about an orange DJing at a wedding? The SDXL Turbo adapted to whatever we threw at it.
Why it’s a winner: The MediaTek SDXL Turbo is the new ‘doodling’. Watching the AI tool magically create surprisingly accurate pictures in real time was compelling stuff. We just wish we could use it right now and let our imagination run wild.
💻 6. Best Laptop
Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Pro 360
Most 2-in-1 laptops have a distinct convertible look with thick screens and ugly hinges but that isn’t the case here. The Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Pro 360 is an elegant clamshell laptop that just so happens to be able to turn its 16-inch AMOLED display a full 360 degrees to turn itself into a Windows tablet.
Why it’s a winner: The Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Pro 360 has a gorgeous design and display that proves convertible 2-in-1 laptops don’t have to be ugly.
🕶️ 7. Best AR Glasses
Tecno Pocket Go AR
The Tecno Pocket Go AR delivers a gaming experience quite like no other. You don’t need a console or a powerful PC as everything is built into the controller and your gameplay is beamed to a pair of high-end AR glasses. It’s a new and innovative take on the growing handheld market.
Why it’s a winner: A discreet yet fully-fledged gaming experience built into a controller and a pair of glasses. Thanks to the Tecno Pocket Go AR, the future is now.
📂 8. Best Mobile Display Technology
Samsung Display
Samsung Display brought some wow factor to MWC 2024 with foldable and round screen prototypes that may come to future devices. We saw a tri-fold smartphone the size of a tablet, a round screen, and even a flexible phone.
Why it’s a winner: Samsung Display supplies more smartphone and tablet screens to OEMs than you probably realize, and the technology it showed off is a glimpse of what you can expect from the future of your devices. That’s a win!
📃 9. Best Tablet
TCL NXTPAPER 14 Tablet
The TCL NXTPAPER 14 is the $399 tablet that does something your iPad cannot. It delivers bright and punchy colors with none of the glare or harmful blue light of other tablets, making it a pleasure to use in any lighting condition. Yes, the TCL NXTPAPER 14 Pro is our top choice for a glare-free tablet with top-end specs, but the new 14 has many of its features at an affordable price. It’ll open the tech up to even more people.
Why it’s a winner: TCL’s NXTPAPER 14 is the perfect match for tablet seekers who want a paper-like display and don’t want to pay over $400.
🚗 10. Best Automotive
Xiaomi SU7 electric car
MWC 2024 isn’t usually home to automotive announcements, but that wasn’t the only reason the Xiaomi SU7 electric car drew such a large crowd. Xiaomi says this is a “full-size high-performance eco-technology sedan” that pushes the boundaries in performance, ecosystem integration, and the mobile smart space. It’s due out in China next year.
Why it’s a winner: The same week that Apple reportedly canceled its decade-in the-making car project, the Xiaomi SU7 is causing a stir among EV enthusiasts with an electric vehicle has potential.
🤖 11. Best AI tool
Qualcomm AI hub
We keep seeing groundbreaking AI tools in demos at every convention, but no one has created an extensive library for AI models – until now. Qualcomm’s AI Hub allows developers to tap into more than 75 optimized AI models for the Snapdragon and Qualcomm platforms via Qualcomm AI Hub as well as GitHub and Hugging Face.
Why it’s a winner: Qualcomm is aiming to spread the AI love to developers who want to harness the power of AI and generative AI without having the burden of pieces all of the AI models together from scratch.
Related: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 phones list and fresh Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 news
📱 12. Best Phone
Xiaomi 14 Ultra
Xiaomi’s flagship smartphone is a photographer's dream with a quad-lens camera that’s got Leica’s esteemed approval. It’s also packed with the latest cutting-edge specs, such as an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate display capable of reaching a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.
Why it’s a winner: The Xiaomi 14 Ultra combines powerful specs and a striking design with a best-in-class camera that rivals the very best on the market. It’s just a shame it isn’t available in the US.
🙌 13. Best Foldable Device
Honor Magic V2 Porshe Design
Foldable smartphones haven’t captured the hearts of most consumers just yet, but the Honor Magic V2 Porsche Design makes a strong case for why the technology can’t be ignored. Impossibly thin and with a barely perceptible hinge crease, it brings all the benefits of a foldable phone with almost none of the drawbacks.
Why it’s a winner: With a gorgeous form factor whether open or closed, this foldable phone is the best we’ve seen so far, and exactly the type of stern competition the likes of Samsung and Google need.
💻 14. Best 2-in-1 Laptop
Dell Latitude 7350 Detachable
The Latitude 7350 Detachable is Dell’s first new detachable business laptop since 2021. This machine upgrades its predecessor’s 11th-generation chipset with the latest Core Ultra vPro CPUs. It features a keyboard with an integrated active pen for inking and video call controls built into the touchpad to toggle things like mute and screen sharing.
Why it’s a winner: The Dell Latitude 7350 Detachable feels like a fully modern detachable laptop made for office work with an incredibly convenient pen that stows and charges in the keyboard – which also features a handy set of call commands too. More than anything the video call controls – hide/show chat, turn on/off your camera, mute/unmute the mic, etc – on the touchpad won us over.
🤖 15. Best use of AI in a mobile device
Honor Magic 6 Pro
The Honor Magic 6 Pro leans into the power of AI with a self-adjusting main camera that automatically defines depth of field and blurring effects with ease. AI motion sensing capture intelligence also means you’ll never miss a shot, and a 5,600mAh silicon carbon battery offers exceptional battery life.
Why it’s a winner: Flagship specs and clever innovation for less than $1,000., the Honor Magic6 Pro lives up to its name.
🎮 16. Best Gaming PC
Tecno MEGAmini gaming PC
Looking for a pint-sized water-cooled gaming PC that’s comparable in size to a smart speaker? Say hello to the Tecno MEGAmini, a small but mighty alternative to a micro ATX build. Armed with a full-sized RTX 4060 and an Intel Core 9-13900H, the Tecno MEGAmini is proof that good things come in small packages.
Why it’s a winner: A ludicrously small but incredibly capable gaming PC, the Tecno MEGAmini is a miniature marvel that would take pride of place in any gamer’s setup.
🔋 17. Best Rugged Phone
Energizer Hard Case P28K
If you want a phone that lasts up to a week on a single charge and can survive the elements, the Hard Case P28K is hard to beat. You don’t need to worry about this phone dying thanks to the 28,000 mAh battery, and its rugged frame will keep it protected from any accidental drops.
Why it’s a winner: A massive battery ensures the Hard Case P28K outlasts the competition with ease and it won’t leave you rushing for a charger anytime soon.
📐 18. Best Mobile Design
Nothing Phone 2a
The Phone 2a is Nothing’s budget phone but it looks anything like that. It features a unique design over most phones with a top-center camera and the Nothing’s trademark transparent black and white colorways. We’re even more excited to get our hands on this smartphone soon.
Why it’s a winner: Nothing’s design DNA elevates the look of budget phones with a centered camera, transparent back, and a light-up glyph.
⌚ 19. Best Smartwatch
OnePlus Watch 2
OnePlus has been on a roll lately, delivering exceptional products at extremely competitive price points. The OnePlus Watch 2 is no different, offering best-in-class battery life, all the features we’ve come to expect, and a beautiful design.
Why it’s a winner: The OnePlus Watch 2 has 100 hours of battery life puts other smartwatches to shame, and its elegant, eye-catching design and the $299 price point mean it will be a popular alternative to the Apple Watch.
💬 20. Best Communication Tool
Holobox by Holoconnect
Holoconnects’ futuristic Holobox lets you experience a life-like, real-time video call experience that’s suitable for entertainment, education, hospitality, or communication purposes. Video calls have never felt so personal and engaging.
Why it’s a winner: Next-gen Holographic technology helps bring people together in a more human way.
💻 21. Best Business Laptop
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s features a heavy redesign with a new mono-hinge, thinner screen bezels, and a reverse notch that contains a 5MP web camera. More importantly, Lenovo partnered with iFixit to make the ThinkPad T14s more reparable with fully socketed DIMM slots and cable-free batteries.
Why it’s a winner: In an age of laptops stuck together with glue and solder, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s feels refreshingly easy to upgrade thanks to its new thin and lightweight design.
📶 22. Best Wireless Advancement
TCL Linkkey IK51
The TCL Linkkey IK511 is no bigger than two thumbsticks but it’s designed to add 5G connectivity to any USB-C device you connect it to. It’s a great solution for giving any device internet access without having to buy individual cellular plans.
Why it’s a winner: Why buy a cellular data plan for your laptop or tablet when you could plug in this 5G dongle to any USB-C device?
👀 23. Best 3D technology
ZTE Nubia Pad 3D II
3D technology may have failed when television manufacturers shoehorned it into every set, but that was largely due to the need to wear glasses and the correct viewing environment. Remove those barriers, however, and 3D still wows, as proven by the Nubia Pad 3D II. Its glasses-free 3D worked perfectly in the brightly lit halls of MWC and the images really popped.
Why it’s a winner: Glasses-free 3D is the only way the technology can thrive, and the Nubia Pad 3D II proves there’s still something undoubtedly cool about seeing things jump out from the screen.
🎮 24. Best Gaming Phone Innovation
Infinix CoolMax
Infinix CoolMax is a revolutionary AI-powered cooling system for its future gaming phones. Paired with a cooling fan and thermoelectric cooling, Infinix has shown it can drop temperatures on MediaTek’s latest Dimensity 9300 processor by 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit).
Why it’s a winner: Gaming phones up until now have needed external cooling fans, but CoolMax technology could replace them and ensure you’re gaming handset is always pocketable without any extra cooling accessories.
📱 25. Best Affordable Phone
ZTE Nubia Flip 5G
Foldable phones are still pretty expensive, but the Nubia Flip 5G is the most affordable flip phone we’ve seen at $599. This clamshell-style phone doesn’t skimp on quality either, it features a stylish circular cover screen with a 6.9-inch inner screen and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor.
Why it’s a winner: A foldable phone that’s more affordable than the standard iPhone 15 and Galaxy S24? What more do we have to say?
Like we said, we pivoted to add the Humane Ai Pin after an impressive demo, so there’s technically 26 winners this year, so last but not least, we have…
🧑⚕️ 26. Best Health Device
Samsung Galaxy Ring
Samsung’s new smart ring was shimmer at MWC 2024 – our first time seeing it in person. Yes, we had to travel to Barcelona to get our first glimpse. It’ll come in three colors: platinum silver, ceramic black and gold.
Why it’s a winner: Samsung’s health and sleep tracker is significant because of its minimalistic design. You won’t have to wear a smartwatch (which is getting bigger these days) to bed for accurate sleep tracking.