MWC 2023 wrap-up

MWC 2023 is now in the history books, and it’s the busiest the show has been in years, possibly stretching back to the few editions just before the COVID pandemic. We’ve compiled a roundup of all the key announcements from the past week, along with hands-on coverage with some of the more interesting devices we saw in person.

HMD Global

Nokia started with its announcement of Nokia G22, Nokia C32 and Nokia C22 smartphones. The trio offers entry-level specifications with large batteries and in the case of the G22 – a focus on easy repairability. Nokia partnered with iFixit to provide tools, parts, and repair guides to help users hold on to their devices for longer.

A battery change should take about 5 minutes, provided you have the right tools and instructions. Nokia also announced that it will be manufacturing some of its phones in Europe from Q3 2023. Feel free to check out our hands-on coverage of the new Nokia phones here.

Xiaomi

Xiaomi brought the Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Pro to global markets and introduced the all-new Xiaomi 13 Lite model. The smaller Xiaomi 13 comes in at a cool €1,000 here in Europe. The 13 Pro comes in at €1,300/₹80,000, while the 13 Lite will set buyers back €500. All three phones are on open sale from March 8. We have our full written reviews of the three phones, which you can check out from the links below.

Xiaomi also demonstrated its wireless AR glasses at MWC with completely wireless design, Micro OLED displays and equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 1 platform.

OnePlus

OnePlus showed off a cool new concept phone with liquid cooling called the OnePlus 11 Concept. Just like a true gaming PC, the device brings a closed-loop liquid cooling system that OnePlus called Active CryoFlux.

OnePlus claims the new cooling system can reduce temperatures up to 2.1°C during gaming and 1.6°C during charging sessions.

TCL

TCL announced a bunch of new budget phones for the US market and two new 11-inch Android tablets. The most exclusive new phone is the TCL 40 X, which brings a Dimensity 700 chip, 6.5-inch 90Hz LCD and a 50MP main camera to $200. The TCL 40 XE is the cheapest 5G phone in the manufacturer’s portfolio at just $170, while the TCL 40 XL brings a Helio G37 and 50MP main camera to $150. TCL also announced the $120 TCL 406 — an Android 13 device with a 6.6-inch HD+ display and a 5,000mAh battery.

We also have practical coverage of the TCL 40 X, TCL 40 XE and TCL 40 XL phones.

Honour

Honor announced its €900 Magic5 and €1,200 Magic5 Pro flagships alongside global availability for the €1,600 Magic Vs foldable. The Magic5 series brings the latest flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, 54MP main cameras and 120Hz LTPO OLED displays. You can see our hands-on impressions of all three phones from the links below.

Realm

The Realme GT3 was announced with lightning-fast 240W fast charging and a price tag of $650. The device is a rebrand of the Realme GT Neo 5, which was launched in China earlier this year. The phone also packs a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, 50MP main camera and a 4,600mAh battery that should be topped up in just 10 minutes thanks to the included fast charger.

Tecno

Tecno’s ambitions are growing at an unprecedented rate, the company announced its first foldable phone at MWC. The Phantom V Fold is expected to debut in India soon with a whopping INR 80,000 (under $1,000) early bird price. You get a large 7.85-inch LTPO AMOLED folding screen with 120Hz refresh rate, as well as a 6.42-inch AMOLED cover screen, 50MP main and telephoto cameras and a Dimensity 9000+ chipset. We got to spend some time with the device so you can see our first impressions below.

Tecno also showed off a concept phone with a color-changing Chameleon Coloring Technology, which allows the user to change the colors of the phone’s back in seconds.

ZTE

ZTE made a splash with its nubia Pad 3D – a glasses-free 3D Android tablet developed together with Leia Inc. The slate brings a 12.4-inch IPS LCD with 2560x1600px resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate and a proprietary DLB layer developed with Leia’s 3D Light Field mode. It can transform standard 2D content into 3D in real-time with the built-in conversion software, and its dual front and rear cameras allow you to capture photos, videos and scan real-world objects in brilliant 3D.

Oppo

Oppo focused on its smart wearables at this year’s MWC conference, demonstrating its Air Glass 2 assisted reality glasses, Zero-power tag and Wi-Fi 6 router. You can head over to our hands-on coverage of the trio here.

Motorola

Lenovo’s MWC booth showcased Motorola’s rollable smartphone concept phone aka Moto Rizr. The device has a rollable pOLED screen that expands vertically from a 5-inch diagonal and 15:9 aspect ratio to a 6.5-inch diagonal with a 22:9 aspect ratio.

Motorola rollable concept

The idea behind this phone is that you can have a compact phone and expand the screen when you need more screen area on the go with a double tap of a button on the side.

Cat

Rugged phone maker Cat announced its Cat S75 phone, which has built-in two-way satellite messaging via Bullitt Satellite Messenger Essentials. This service allows you to send messages to any phone number when you do not have a mobile connection. The Cat S75 is priced at €600/£550. You can head over to our practical coverage for more details.

He called

The Ulefone Armor 23 is the latest in a long line of rugged phones from the manufacturer. It brings a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset backed by 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, a 6.67” AMOLED FHD+ display and a 120Hz refresh rate.

True to its name and nature, the Armor 23 packs a 7,000mAh battery and is IP68-certified MIL-STD-810H rated, meaning it can handle a drop or submersion under water just fine.