MWC 2026 is set to kick off next week, and excitement is building! As one of the most significant events in the mobile phone industry, MWC traditionally showcases a vast array of new handsets, all vying for the title of best camera phone.
We already have insight into several new devices expected to be featured at this year's exhibition, held in the vibrant city of Barcelona (and a few that might be launched at competing events). However, we can anticipate some surprises as manufacturers offer sneak peeks of their latest innovations.
What is MWC 2026?
MWC stands for Mobile World Congress, and is the world's largest expo on the mobile industry. It's also where a lot of big-name phone brands debut their latest products, as well as teasing concept devices for the future.
MWC was first held in 1987 in Brussels, switching cities every year, before settling in Barcelona's Fira de Barcelona since 2008. The event is organized by the GSMA, the global industry association, first formed in 1995 to promote the first 2G GSM digital phones. In 2025, MWC attracted over 109,500 visitors to its exhibition halls from all around the globe. There have also been additional MWC spin-off shows in Shanghai, Kigali, and Las Vegas.
When is MWC 2026?
MWC 2026 takes place in Barcelona from Monday, March 2, to Thursday, March 5. The halls are open to visitors from 8.30am to 7pm on the first three days, and from 8.30am to 4pm on the final day.
But there will be lots of speeches from leading industry figures. Many of the sessions will be centered on the themes of the 5G and 6G, eSIM, mobile security, the Internet of Things, and, of course, Gen AI. As ever, the keynotes and industry sessions will discuss how cellular technology can be used in much, much more than just our phones.
And we will be bringing you all the news, as and if it happens…
What we expect at MWC 2026
Thanks to the ever-churning rumor mill and the inevitable teasers from the key manufacturers, we already had a pretty good idea what some of the highlights will be at this year's expo.
Most of the biggest names in the industry will be there, although Apple and Samsung are the two notable handset manufacturers who do not reveal new products at MWC – but this year, both have their own rival events to steal the MWC spotlight.
Below are some of the things we know are coming at MWC 2026, alongside a fair bit of speculation. We will be regularly updating this as we hear and see more of what is being announced.
Apple at MWC 2026
Like every other year, Apple has no plans to directly take part in MWC 2026 – but – that doesn't mean they don't have plans to hijack the entire event with their own product launch on March 4 at Apple HQ in California.
Practically nothing is known about what exactly Apple has up its sleeve, but there are rumors abound that it has been gestating its first foldable iPhone for some time now, and might finally be ready to show the world. It's been a long time coming, and Apple's entry into the foldable market would be monumental for the industry and surely catapult the foldable category into the mainstream.
However, conflicting rumors suggest that Apple is not quite happy with its folding device just yet. Which makes Apple's announcement more likely to be new, cheaper MacBooks, MacBooks or iPads powered by a new M5 processor, or, with the curious timing around MWC, perhaps a sequel to last year's budget iPhone 16e.
Honor at MWC 2026
Fresh off becoming the fastest-growing smartphone brand in 2025, Honor will surely have some big announcements at MWC to keep the momentum going.
So far, rumors are pointing to Honor replacing its flagship folding phone a little earlier than expected. The Honor Magic V6 looks set to take over from the Honor Magic V5, which was only launched around six months ago. Honor clearly sees foldables as a category it can stake a claim in, but how much Honor can improve the device in such a short amount of time remains to be seen – but rumors suggest a new 200MP camera, 7,000mAh+ battery, and the latest Qualcomm chip.
Honor has also been teasing its Honor Robot concept gimbal camera device for the last few months, and I'd expect to see even more of it at MWC. With Insta360 and Vivo set to enter the gimbal camera market that is currently dominated by DJI's Osmo Pocket 3, MWC 2026 could see Honor's concept device become a mass-market reality.
Nothing at MWC 2026
Nothing has its press conference booked in for March 5 at 10.30am GMT (05.30am EST / 02.30am PST) – although it is skipping the halls of MWC and heading to Nothing's home city of London for the announcement.
Nothing has already teased the Phone (4a) on X with Nothing's unique signature transparent design. This will be the sequel to Nothing's budget-friendly Phone (3a), and from the early teases, it looks like it will include three cameras and Nothing's hallmark glyph lighting. The (4a) full announcement will be on March 5.
Last year, Nothing also announced a (3a) Pro version alongside the more vanilla option. While we don't have any official teasers yet, rumors point to Nothing launching sequels to both devices again this year, so watch this space!
Built different.Phone (4a). 5 March, 10:30 GMT. pic.twitter.com/n3ZtbTmYIvFebruary 23, 2026
Oppo at MWC 2026
Oppo is coming off one of its strongest years yet, with the Find X9 Pro being DCW's top phone of 2025.
Oppo has not yet teased anything for MWC, but it was around MWC last year that Oppo released the Oppo Find N5 – at the time, the thinnest book-style foldable. We haven't yet got any conclusive leaks, but could MWC 2026 bring the next generation of Oppo's foldable phone – and will it finally be available in more markets?
We are also expecting Oppo's next generation of Ultra phone soon, following in the footsteps of last year's sensationally good, but Chinese exclusive, Oppo Find X8 Ultra. While an announcement at MWC is unlikely, as these devices tend to come out a little later in spring, perhaps we might see our first official teaser.
Samsung at MWC 2026
Like most years, Samsung is forgoing any large-scale announcements at MWC and is instead grabbing its own spotlight a little earlier. Samsung will host its own Galaxy Unpacked event scheduled for February 25, where we can expect the debut of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, Pro, and regular versions of its 2026 flagships.
With the exception of a very cool-looking privacy screen mode for hiding sensitive information, we don't know a huge amount about the devices yet, although I'd expect improved cameras, and if industry trends are anything to go by – lots and lots of AI.
Xiaomi at MWC 2026
Xiaomi has already unveiled both its Xiaomi 17 Series and Xiaomi 17 Ultra phones in its Chinese home market, so we already have a very good idea what to expect from the devices, although there are always some tweaks to the international versions.
The pertinent question is exactly which devices will be going global. With a total of five devices in Xiaomi's 17 range – including the 17 Pro Max, 17 Pro, 17, 17 Ultra, and 17 Ultra Leica Edition – it's unclear how big Xiaomi is going to go. If last year offers any precedent, we'll likely only see global versions of both the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and vanilla 17 models.
At MWC 2025, Xiaomi also showed off a new Micro Four Thirds camera concept, which has recently been rumored to be going into production. But with Xiaomi being one of the most innovative companies around, expect maybe a surprise or two from its stand this year too.
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