The Mobile World Congress (MWC) is a key event for global mobile phone vendors, especially Chinese brands, to unveil new technologies and products. In the competitive AI landscape, major brands are introducing both innovative product forms and advanced AI and imaging applications.
MWC 2025, a crucial gathering for the global communications industry, showcases the latest mobile products and technologies, with AI as its central theme. AI technology permeates throughout the event, featured in everything from chips and hardware to telecommunications services.
The recent acceleration of AI technology development, notably marked by the rise of DeepSeek, has sparked debate over whether AI has entered a "low-cost, large-scale commercial" era. This conversation, which began at CES, has now made MWC a key arena for mobile operators to strategize within the AI ecosystem.
AI and imaging technologies
This year's MWC features high-profile discussions surrounding Xiaomi and Honor. Prior to MWC, Xiaomi held a global launch event, officially introducing its latest flagship smartphone, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra.
The new flagship device, Xiaomi 15 Ultra. Credit: DIGITIMES
However, it was not just the flagship phone that captured attendees' attention; Xiaomi's concept products became major exhibition highlights, including its modular optical system and the electric vehicle SU7 Ultra, drawing many visitors to experience them firsthand.
Xiaomi showcases its latest electric vehicle, SU7 Ultra. Credit: DIGITIMES
Xiaomi's modular optical system, although still in the conceptual stage, opens up a new market for mobile imaging technology through a modified version of the Xiaomi 15 combined with a detachable 35mm lens, demonstrating its forward-thinking approach in the imaging field.
Honor announced at MWC 2025 that it will transition from being a smartphone manufacturer to becoming a leading global AI device ecosystem company, planning to invest US$10 billion over the next five years to build an AI-centric device ecosystem.
Honor announces its transformation into an AI ecosystem provider. Credit: DIGITIMES
Additionally, Honor launched its AI imaging brand AIMAGE, which integrates edge-cloud collaborative technology to enhance image clarity, telephoto photography, and AI photo editing capabilities, further strengthening its technological barriers.
Sleek and foldable designs remain competitive core
Huawei introduced the world's first commercially available triple-folding smartphone, the Mate XT, which is currently the only model on the market capable of achieving inward and outward folding with its hinge system and screen technology while featuring ten levels of physical variable aperture imaging, making it a focal point of the exhibition.
Huawei unveils the world's first commercial triple-folding smartphone, Mate XT. Credit: DIGItIMES
Transsion also presented a triple-folding smartphone with a similar folding mechanism to Huawei's Mate XT; however, it is currently only a concept model and has not yet entered mass production. According to Transsion staff, this phone is thinner when folded compared to Huawei's triple-fold model.
Transsion showcases its triple-folding concept device. Credit: DIGITIMES
Besides the triple-folding device, Transsion also released the world's thinnest smartphone, Tecno Spark Slim, measuring only 5.75mm thick and equipped with an ultra-thin battery that is just 4.04mm thick. In terms of sleek design, Samsung's slimmest Galaxy S series device, the Galaxy S25 Edge, was also unveiled; although Oppo did not set up a booth at MWC, its recently launched foldable phone, Find N5, was included in market comparisons and discussions.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. Credit: DIGITIMES
DIGITIMES has increased its 2025 global smartphone shipment estimate to 1.1936 billion units, up by 7.5 million, primarily due to better-than-expected fourth-quarter of 2024 shipments from Xiaomi, Honor, and Transsion.
The mobile supply chain sees a maturing market, but significant advancements in AI integration with smartphones have occurred over the past year. AI is moving beyond functional assistance to more profound applications, with manufacturers aiming to embed AI more fully into users' daily lives. These ambitions were evident at MWC 2025, pointing to a future where AI is further intertwined with the mobile industry.
Article translated by Jingyue Hsiao and edited by Jerry Chen
