Best of MWC 2025: The top 25 futuristic mobile and AI winners at Mobile World Congress
The Shortcut's Best of MWC 2025 Awards shows the future of mobile technology
Traveling to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona means shifting six hours into the future – but, this year, it felt like being transported to 2030.
MWC 2025 had state-of-the-art and just-plain-strange gadgets. Max Buondonno and I got a sneak peek at solar-powered phones and laptops, an 18-inch foldable laptop and an oddly satisfying Nintendo Switch 2-like handheld that folded in half.
More than ever, MWC has become the venue to preview the distant future of mobile technology, including, of course, how every company is approaching AI. It’s time to put down the delicious patatas bravas 🥔, and celebrate this tech with The Shortcut’s curated MWC 2025 Awards. ⤵️
Note: This is for new brand tech at MWC. It’s not a year-long evaluation of mobile products. I’m saying this before anyone of our 145,000 subscribers replies asking why last year’s stellar Google Pixel 9 Pro XL or iPhone 16 Pro Max and this year’s Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra or OnePlus 13 weren’t considered.
Here’s what’s new in mobile technology:
⭐ 1. Best in Show
Lenovo ThinkPad Flip
At first, the ThinkBook Flip AI PC seems like a normal laptop with a 13-inch screen, but take a look at the lid and you’ll see another display outside. That’s because this is one huge folding display. It can unfold upwards to reveal a huge 18.1-inch screen. This instantly gives you a lot more real estate when you need it, and it’s a lot faster than relying on a rollable screen (which Lenovo showed us at CES). Whether this design comes to market is unclear, but as a concept, it’s very neat.
Why it’s a winner: Want to ditch the external display in your backpack but still have the productivity chops of a dual-screen setup when traveling? That’s the idea behind the Flip. Lenovo’s laptop concept of tomorrow solves a real-world problem today. It’s the coolest thing we’ve seen in a long time.
💻 2. Best Laptop
Honor MagicBook Pro 14
The next laptop from Honor sounds like it’s going to play nice with every other gadget thanks to the company’s budding AI ecosystem, and that’s what’s needed to take on Apple’s seamless “it just works” integration. Combine that with powerful Intel-backed specs, excellent battery life and a lightweight design, and you’ve got a winner.
Why it’s a winner: Honor’s MagicBook Pro 14 can rival the new MacBook Air M4 in many areas of the world. When this Windows laptop launches outside of the US, it’ll be about $200 cheaper, have an OLED screen and boast more ports than Apple’s best.
📱 3. Best Phone
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra pushes the boundaries of smartphone camera technology. We were impressed with the 200MP 4.3x periscope lens that takes impressive optically zoomed-in photos. And it has three 50MP cameras, including the main camera with a huge 1-inch sensor. Xiaomi’s partnership with Leica and camera grip in a slick red finish make this the hottest flagships of the year (at least internationally).
Why it’s a winner: The Xiaomi 15 Ultra gives us wild camera phone envy. It offers further optical zoom ranges and clearer big-sensor photos than anything you and I could easily get our hands on. As noted in our Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review, the US doesn’t get crazy camera setups, but we can dream.
📱 4. Best Tablet
Honor Pad V9
This iPad rival at MWC is an affordable way to get a big 11.5-inch LCD on a tablet with solid specs: a MediaTek Dimensity 8350 chip, up to 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. It’s powerful enough for multitasking, and, with a huge 10,100mAh battery, it acts as the perfect way to watch your favorite Netflix shows on the go. It’ll be a steal for €260 (roughly $274) when it officially launches this year.
Why it’s a winner: The Honor Pad V9 has been designed to undercut the basic iPad by offering more than the core specs at an even cheaper starting price. We haven’t tested the new core iPad A16 yet, but Honor is knocking at Apple’s door.
💻 5. Best Laptop Concept
Lenovo Solar PC concept
The lid of Lenovo’s concept laptop contains a sleek solar panel that converts light at today’s highest industry standard, 24%. What does that mean for you? It translates into one hour of video playback for 20 minutes of direct light exposure. Importantly, this laptop does charge with indirect light, too.
Why it’s a winner: Imagine never having to charge your laptop? We’re not quite there yet, but this concept does work (we tested it), and like Lenovo’s ThinkBook Transparent laptop from our MWC 2024 Awards, it’s super neat to test out.
⌚ 6. Best Smartwatch
Honor Watch 5 Ultra
Honor’s 15-day battery life on its new WearOS smartwatch made us do a double-take at MWC, as it may top what we experienced in our OnePlus Watch 3 review. This is due to Honor Watch 5 Ultra’s special dual-chip technology, which runs some tasks on a powerful chip and others on an efficient chip. It can certainly sip power better than any Apple Watch or Pixel Watch 3. Plus, it has a gorgeous OLED screen and design.
Why it’s a winner: Smartwatch battery life is always hard to get right, but Wear OS device makers have been getting better at it, and Honor has reached the point where it can achieve 15 days on a full charge. That’s exciting news for the future of wearables and will help push the industry forward.
💻 7. Best Slim Laptop
Lenovo ThinkPad X13
Lenovo is redefining ultra-portable laptops with a new ThinkPad X 13 that’s under 1kg. At just 0.933kg (2.05 lbs), it feels like there’s nothing inside the Gen 6 version of this laptop. “Is this just a reference device?” was my first thought.
Why it’s a winner: It’s so light, it feels like holding a feather. Even with its thin-and-light design, the ThinkPad X 13 Gen 6 is still a well-built premium laptop, and it’s no slouch in performance. It balances AI performance and power efficiency and, as always, adds in the security we all expect from the ThinkPad line.
☀️ 8. Best Phone Concept
Infinix Solar Powered phone
At ShowStoppers, we got a chance to see Infinix’s solar-powered smartphone, and it’s an awesome work-in-progress idea that deserves a shout out. SolarEnergy-Reserving Technology “allows for efficient energy storage of up to 2W,” according to Infinix. It’s the definition of a little goes a long way, with room for big advancements.
Why it’s a winner: Like Lenovo’s solar-powered laptop, this is just the start for a solar-powered smartphone, which is good news because 2W of power isn’t a lot. Infinix teases “potential for future advancements,” so we’ll no doubt see this demo improve yearly at MWC. Can’t wait.
📸 9. Best Phone Accessory
Realme Ultra Phone Concept
What if you forgot your DSLR or mirrorless camera body, but still packed your phone and DSLR lenses? What if they worked together? That’s the idea behind this phone concept. Realme’s slim phone replaces your bulky DSLR camera body.
Why it’s a winner: At MWC, we tested 3x and 10x lenses attached to a Realme smartphone equipped with a DSLR-worthy CMOS sensor. The results were crisp photos that captured far-off subjects in detail. The entire shooting experience felt intuitive and powerful, like no other standard camera phone on the market.
💰 10. Best Affordable Phone
Nothing Phone 3a
Nothing made an appearance at MWC, and it wasn’t for – well – nothing: it introduced the new Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro, and as it turns out, these were the best smartphones here. They share Nothing’s signature transparent design language with unique colors and camera setups, large 6.7-inch screens, and solid performance with the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3.
Why it’s a winner: The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro stood out for being a sub-$500 phone with a periscope telephoto camera. You don’t see that every day. Nothing is a young company, but it’s been churning out the best mid-range phones you can buy. Their phones are interesting and different – and the value is there.
📂 11. Best Foldable Phone
Oppo Find N5
OK, technically the Oppo Find N5 wasn’t at MWC because there wasn’t an Oppo booth. But the new phone was everywhere in reviewers’ hands. It’s the hot, new ultra-thin foldable that we got to try for the first time in Barcelona, and it blew us away from both a design and quality perspective. Everyone was using the phone to navigate the show floor, check their schedules, and more.
Why it’s a winner: Oppo is setting the tone for how folding phones should be designed moving forward. With its ultra-thin form factor, light weight, and ability to maintain top-notch specs, this phone proves that there’s still plenty of work companies like Samsung need to do to keep up. We just wish the OnePlus Open 2 from Oppo’s US subbrand wasn't canceled for 2025.
🎮 12. Best Gaming Phone
RedMagic 10 Pro Golden Saga
This is the best-looking gaming phone of 2025, and you can’t change our minds. On display at MWC, the RedMagic 10 Pro Golden Saga fetches a high $1,500 price tag, $500 more than the standard RedMagic 10 Pro. But it’s equipped with real gold, silver and carbon fiber, according to RedMagic. Inside is Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and gold-plated VC fins for heat dissipation.
Why it’s a winner: This gaming phone caught our eye because it exudes luxury, down to using real gold. Not everyone needs a smartphone that looks this good, but RedMagic says it’s crafted for gamers who demand the best.
📐 13. Best New Phone Design
Tecno Spark Slim
We got a closer look at the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge at MWC and keep hearing iPhone 17 Air rumors, but we were actually able to hold another super slim phone in our hands at the Tecno booth. This phone is a remarkable balance of a slim design (5.75mm thin, 146g) and powerful specs (5,200mAh battery, 45W charging and with a big 6.7-inch 144Hz display).
Here’s another photo of just how thin it is:
Why it’s a winner: The coming era of super-slim smartphones doesn’t have to mean dumb-downed specs, and while Tecno says that the Spark Slim isn’t likely to make it into consumers’ hands, the ideas here will make their way to near-future Tecno phones, Tecno reps told The Shortcut.
🤖 14. Best AI device
Bleequp AI Cycling Glasses
What if the camera, the audio, and the AI found in the Meta Ray-Ban Glasses made its way to cycling glasses? That’s basically the premise behind the Bleequp AI Cycling Glasses. With 5 hours of battery time when recording, IP54 protection, and a 16MP camera with a 120º ultra-wide field, these stylish glasses show promise.
Why it’s a winner: It’s like a dash cam for your face. You can record high quality video, listen to voice coach prompts and tap into AI hands-free. That’s a great experience for anyone who wants to put a sci-fi spin on their cycling routine.
📶 15. Best Wireless Advancement
Qualcomm X85 5G Modem-RF
Qualcomm’s cellular modem probably powers your current Android or iPhone (though our iPhone 16e review notes that may be changing for Apple devices in the future). That’s why we were excited to learn more about Qualcomm’s X85 G5 Modem-RF at MWC, with 12.5Gbps peak download and 3.7Gbps peak upload speeds.
Why it’s a winner: Your next Android phone will be faster thanks to Qualcomm. Its cellular modem offers 25% faster peak download speeds, meaning you’ll be able to access the internet faster in your next-generation Android device.
💻 16. Best Mobile Workstation
Lenovo Magic Bay
What if your laptop grew wings and your extra workstation displays could come with you? That’s the idea behind the Magic Bay ecosystem Lenovo showed off at MWC. It’s a range, from the “Dual Display Concept” (which adds two screens to either side of a laptop), to the “2nd Display Concept” that adds a small 8-inch screen to the side, to the cute “Tiko Cocnept” offering real-time widgets and notifications at the top in two different display formats (circular and rectangular).
Why it’s a winner: Lenovo’s ThinkBook attachments do feel like magic, because we want optional dual- and triple-screen travel with us. External displays on sale right now can be clunky and feel disconnected from the main laptop screen. MagicBay offers a more uniform look and a snap-and-go magnetic fit.
📺 17. Best Display Technology
Samsung Foldable Handheld
This isn’t the Nintendo Switch 2, but Samsung Display could supply an innovation foldable screen to future PC gaming handhelds.
Why it’s a winner: It solves a problem – we always want bigger gaming screens, but it’s increasingly challenging to fit newer handhelds into our bags. As tech like this becomes more practical, we will be able to get the best of both worlds. A concept right now? Sure. The compact future of handheld gaming? Hopefully.
🎧 18. Best Audio Gadget
Honor Earbuds Open
Our Honor Earbuds Open hands-on review launched at the same time that MWC 2025 started and they were a delight to test on the way here. They’re comfortable to wear (even with glasses) and soft to the touch. They hook around your ears so you don’t lose them, and the drivers sit right at the opening to your ears so you can hear your music. Speaking of which, sound quality was surprisingly great with a lot of bass and clarity. We’re still testing them for a full review, but so far, they seem great.
Why it’s a winner: We’ve tested all of the “open” earbuds out there, and few companies have aced this open-styler design. It’s hard to balance design with audio quality. Honor seems to be on the right track with the Earbuds Open, especially since they cost just €149 (about $161).
🎧 19. Best Mobile Accessory
HMD Amped Buds
HDM premiered the world’s first wireless earbuds incorporating a 1,600mAh reserve wireless charging case. This can help boost the battery life of your phone, and the fact that it’s Qi2-compatible means it sticks to the back of iPhones magnetically – as long as it has MagSafe.
Why it’s a winner: We love when two things become one. This is an idea that we’re surprised no one else has thought of yet. We also love the fact that there are three earbud+case colors at launch: Black, Cyan and Pink.
🤖 20. Best AI news
‘Alpha Plan’ – Honor’s $10B investment in AI
Honor’s MWC 2025 keynote focused on AI, and the company threw out a really big number: it’s pledging $10 billion toward AI investments over the next five years. It’s transitioning into an “AI-Device Ecosystem Company.”
Why it’s a winner: What exactly does that mean for you, the consumer? Our read is that it’s a sign that Honor won’t be left behind, when Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon, and others pour so much money into AI. Competition is a good thing.
📶 21. Best tracker
SatellAI Tracker and SatellAI Collar
Every other MWC winner on this list is meant for humans, but this one is for the dogs. Present at Qualcomm’s booth, the SatellAI Tracker and SatellAI Collar go beyond normal GPS tracking with a “dual antenna and a multi-constellation satellite positioning system to deliver precise tracking,” according to the company. It supports virtual fencing for areas up to 100,000 acres and an AI Pet Health Monitor.
Why it’s a winner: The $249 Satellai Tracker has 7-day battery life and solar recharging, while the state-of-the-art $699 Satellai Collar 7 days and offers IP68 dust, water and slobber resistance. These items are meant for adventurous pups of all ages and owners who buy luxury tech without paws.
💡 22. Best Mobile Concept
Infinix tri-fold concept
Infinix just unveiled what may be the next big innovation in foldable phones: a tri-fold flip phone. The company’s Zero Series Mini Tri-Fold Concept Device is a candy-bar-style smartphone that folds and folds again.
Why it’s a winner: We’ve seen a few larger tri-fold book-style phones, but never a flip phone. We still haven’t seen and held this concept, but Infinix’s MWC 2025 announcement gives us hope that it’ll be at MWC 2026 in exactly 12 months.
👁️ 23. Best Wearable Concept
Xpanceo Smart Contact Lens concept
Xpanceo wants to manufacture a smart contact lens with an early prototype, which was shown off at MWC 2025. The bold concept calls for an unlimited field of view in a smartphone-free world and the clever tag line “the best device is no device.”
Why it’s a winner: We’re a long way from smart contact lenses becoming a reality, but companies like Xpanceo are already laying the groundwork for both health and augmented reality vision.
🙏 24. Best Foldable Concept
Tecno Phantom Ultimate 2 Concept
We wanted to pick this Tecno phone as our favorite foldable phone of MWC 2025, but it isn’t out yet. So we added a category for the best foldable concept because this is a marvel – a tri-fold phone that we saw powered on at Tecno’s MWC booth.
Why it’s a winner: There aren’t many working tri-fold phones out there in 2025 (Huawei has one available in China), so this emerging phone, with a dual-folding hinge, deserves recognition. Imagine owning a normal-sized phone that unfolds into what’s basically an iPad mini? That’s the bold idea behind tri-fold phones.
🥽 25. Best XR device
RayNeo Air 3s XR glasses
The RayNeo Air 3s XR glasses make us feel like we’re living in a sci-fi future. Wearing the latest glasses from this TCL sub-brand allowed us to see a floating display while still being able to see and interact with the people around us. Our demos allowed us to pull up information, see notifications and even translate languages in real-time when someone spoke to us in Mandarin (which, surprise, we don’t know).
Why it’s a winner: The tech here is more powerful than the popular display-lacking Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses and more comfortable than the over-the-top Apple Vision Pro. It feels like a cross between the two, and both Meta and Apple will eventually get to this exact middle, where RayNeo is already playing.
