ICYMI Highlights Wednesday 5 March: Best bits from the MWC25 Barcelona showfloor

Wednesday 5 March

“[AI] is the ability to put a cape on every human to make them a superhuman. And I think that's the real power... but at the moment, it's a very little cape on a very big human.”

Sachin Dev Duggal, Founder & Chief Wizard, Builder.ai during MWC25’s penultimate keynote

“Everybody, in a moment of weakness, can get scammed”

Scammers were top of the agenda at GSMA SEC CON this morning, with MD of Global Anti Scam Alliance Jorij Abraham’s warning also accompanied by the stark reveal that, globally, $1.03 trillion has been stolen by scammers in last 12 months. 

The expert panel collectively called for more cooperation, collaboration and trust across borders and sectors, with Toby Evans, Head of Economic Crime, APN, explaining, “The impact on victims, business and the global economy cannot be understated.”

Teresa Walsh, Chief Intelligence Officer at FS-ISAC warned, “We’re all still trying to figure out how to work together, while the bad guys are growing and extending”, while Tal Goldstein of the WEF said, “For two years now in Davos, we’ve had discussions about scams, fraud and phishing”, adding that “victims are not equipped any more to deal with these criminals. We need different stakeholders to take on more of the burden.”

And the ‘Best in Show’ GLOMO Award goes to…

There were smiles all round as John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA Ltd., approached the Xiaomi stand in Hall 3. This year’s GLOMO winner for Best in Show? Xiaomi’s newly launched 15 Ultra phone. Featuring a Leica Summilux optical lens and HyperAI technology, the phone’s sleek design and immersive micro-bezel display made it a clear winner in the Device category, which celebrates consumer-focused technology innovation, design excellence, outstanding performance and market leadership. See all the GLOMO Awards here.

Highlights from the exhibition floor

As the week draws to a close and the crowds begin to thin, now’s the perfect time to take a wander around the Exhibition Halls if you haven’t already. Here are our top picks:

• How’s your game? At the IBM stand in Hall 2, pick up a paddle or grab a handle – but beware, the table football and ping pong are hiding an AI twist. With a nifty sensor in the balls, IBM tracks your fußball tekkers and table tennis skills, matching your playing style to a Sevilla FC player or tennis pro. The table tennis tracker even gives you AI-powered recommendations on how to improve your game.
• Sky-high police tech: In Hall 6, the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalonia’s autonomous police force) were showcasing their latest Judge Dredd-style squad car, complete with a drone built into the vehicle’s roof. The drone is attachable and can be retracted and launched at speed, giving the officers an almost-instant bird’s eye view of their surroundings, often without the need for someone to manually operate it.
• The unbreakable phone: IIIF150 produces so-called ‘rugged’ phones – and after visiting their stand in Hall 1, we can’t help but agree. From devices fully submerged in sand and water, to one handset completely encased in ice, these phones are as tough as getting a ticket to the Spanish King’s royal dinner.
• Commuting in style: A popular stand in Hall 2, hop on the Ericsson tram to see (literally) how the newest range of AR glasses (specifically the XREAL Air 2 Ultra) could transform your commute. Pop the glasses on and watch a movie, catch a football match, or do some work – all while remaining aware of your immediate physical surroundings so you don’t miss your stop.
• Meals on wheels: KDDI’s autonomous vehicle is still in its pilot phase (rolling out in Japan soon), but has some cool potential use cases, including autonomous taxi services and moving convenience stores. Take a look in Hall 4.

Can dying languages be saved by AI?

According to UNESCO, a language is doomed to extinction every two weeks. That’s the impetus behind the development of KazLLM – a new AI model aiming to preserve the Kazakh language. Head to the GSMA Pavilion in Hall 4 to learn more about the project and see how KazLLM plays an important role in safeguarding Kazakhstani cultural heritage.

Pet spot

Pets at MWC? We must be barking mad, right? Believe us though, our pawed pals (both real and artificial) have actually made appearances at this year’s MWC. From robot dance dogs at the Samsung booth to smart litter trays at Xiaomi’s pet corner, and uCloudlink’s announcement of the world’s first ever pet smartphone to a real-life French Bulldog last spotted roaming with its owner in Hall 4 – even our furriest friends have a place at MWC.

A word from the GSMA

“As you walk around MWC this week, there is no denying the incredible impact that connectivity has on our lives. It has truly transformed the way that we live and work and interact with each other.” - Lara Dewar, CMO, the GSMA

Remember, all keynote sessions from MWC Barcelona 2025 are available on-demand on the MWC25 Barcelona website, app, and Mobile World Live. News, updates, B-roll, and photography are available on the MWC25 Barcelona Press Zone.

Tuesday 4 March

Fireside chat with Apple Co-Founder, Steve Wozniak   

Steve Wozniak’s eagerly anticipated appearance at Talent Arena was standing room only. The crowd, already large from listening to Athina Kanioura of PepsiCo and Stephen Hood of Mozilla, filled the venue as they awaited Wozniak’s arrival. 

He covered various topics, from building tech as a child: “You cannot get a driver’s licence at 10 years old, but you can get a ‘ham’ radio licence!”, to Elon Musk’s politics: “When you run a business you look for consensus and sharing… I don’t like what’s going on in this regard”, to AI regulation: “You should have citations… you could see where on the internet it came from and that would help you judge better”. 

Tech game-changers converge on the mainstage 

The morning’s keynote opened with a wave and a wink from robot ‘Digit’, showing its utility on the factory floor as it obeyed live commands from Agility Robotics CEO Peggy Johnson. For her, the next evolution will be introducing robots into the home environment, but she was quick to stress that “safety is the number one challenge right now for humanoid robotics”. 

Also onstage was Lenovo’s CEO Yuanqing Yang, discussing the potential of personal AI twins that use your experiences to mirror your reasoning, and the rise of AI PCs (he predicted 80% of PCs will be AI PCs in the next three years). 

Arthur Mensch of Mistral AI called for greater European ambition (but also pragmatism) when reducing the continent’s reliability on US technology. He also drew attention to an overlooked opportunity for telcos to “invest in data centres and become hyperscalers”. 

Global AI rivalry intensifying? 

Geopolitics has been a prevailing topic across many of this week’s sessions. On the Johnson Stage, experts discussed AI development during Trump’s second term and its impact on European and global markets. 

The issue of regulation versus innovation was front and centre, with CEO and Co-Founder of Hyacinth AI Mark Somol stressing there’s “no question that this Trump administration is focused on money and power” and that benefits from AI investment will “initially go to the big tech companies”. 

 However, as José Ignacio Torreblanca of the European Council on Foreign Relations said, Europe and the rest of the world don’t necessarily need to lead on AI investment or innovation at this stage, they can catch up across other areas, such as application of AI. 

Meanwhile, Mallory Knodel, Executive Director of the Social Web Foundation, expressed her concern over a general lack of incentive for businesses to cooperate, pointing out AI is currently being developed in silos because of such high competition. 

Talent Arena  

The imposing entrance of Fira de Montjuïc, with its neo-classical columns, is in sharp contrast to the modern façade of Fira Gran Via. The inside, however, is 21st century – scattered with stylish street art and vivid neon. Talent Arena draws a more youthful crowd than MWC, here to show off their skills, find mentors, be inspired and improve their career chances in a competitive industry. Highlights include:  

• BIEL Smartgaze Glasses: BIEL Glasses use AI, robotics, and geolocation to help those with uncorrectable visual impairments navigate congested spaces. A beep in the ear signals impending collisions, demonstrating how someone with tunnel vision can detect obstacles like bollards and steps.
• scentXP: Olfactory sciences come to life in scentXP’s demo, run by Puig. One of the Arena’s most popular stands, visitors eagerly try the fragrance recommender, already in Sephora stores, and AirParfum technology. This tech prevents ‘nose blindness’ by wafting fresh air over fragrance bottles to keep smells from fading, making it useful for museums, cultural centres, distilleries, and perfumeries. 

Highlights from last night: Scott Galloway pulls no punches 

Scott Galloway put the 🔥 in his fireside chat, closing out day one of MWC25 with his characteristically provocative and divisive style.  

An interesting bookend to a day brimming with positive AI reflections, Galloway held nothing back as he urged the EU to “step up”, adding that if the EU got its “sh*t together and started acting like a Union… [it] could inspire a great new age of European leadership and economic growth”. 
 

MWC25 Doha announcement 

MWC is coming to Qatar later this year, as announced by GSMA Ltd. CEO John Hoffman in the Leaders Lounge today, alongside His Excellency Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammad Al Mannai. 

MWC25 Doha takes place on 25-26 November 2025 at the prestigious Doha Convention Centre in Qatar, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators to focus on advancing the next generation of digital societies in the Middle East and beyond. 

All keynote sessions from MWC Barcelona 2025 are available on-demand on the MWC25 Barcelona website, app, and Mobile World Live. News, updates, B-roll, and photography are available on the MWC25 Barcelona Press Zone. 

Monday 3 March

The King is in the building 

There was a buzz among the tightly packed crowd as King Felipe VI of Spain took his seat for the opening keynote of MWC25 Barcelona. Looking effortlessly smart, his 1.97m tall figure was clad in a clean-cut grey suit and blue tie. He paused briefly so the cameras jostling on stage could take their pictures, then proceeded to his seat.  

On stage, we heard from Marc Murtra of Telefónica; Sunil Mittal Bharti, Chairperson of Bharti Enterprises; Vicki Brady of Telstra; Biao He, CEO, China Mobile; and Benedicte Fasmer, President and CEO of Telenor Group. The GSMA’s Mats Granryd celebrated his final year of MWC as Director General, passing the baton to Vivek Badrinath who takes over 1 April 2025. 

Across the day's keynotes, security was a hot topic, with industry leaders debating the importance of ensuring customers are protected and have a good experience. 

4YFN: Come for the epic sci-fi vibes, stay to witness the next tech revolution 

As you step into the iconic 4YFN at MWC25, there’s a tangible sense you’re crossing into the future. Guided through its door by purple neon-drenched corridors, it’s more Blade Runner meets Tron Legacy, than MWC meets 4YFN. 

It’s fitting. At 4YFN, you witness first-hand some of the world’s most exciting breakthroughs from startups dabbling in truly mind-boggling AI across green tech, digital health, deep space technology, and much, much more. 

Take control of a medical robot designed to aid rehabilitation in patients with brain injuries. Or learn about early detection of diseases from startups that use technology to count cells at an individual level to diagnose infections earlier, such as meningitis in newborns. 

Don’t forget to check out the Award Zone’s Top 20 startups and five 4YFN Awards finalists. Judged by a panel of leading investors, the five finalists will compete in an intense pitching competition live on the Banco Sabadell stage this Wednesday at 17:00.   

Test your driving skills with Elmo and Nokia 

Ever fancied remotely driving a car in Finland? Luckily for you, Elmo integrated Nokia’s Quality on Demand (QoD) capability from the Network as Code platform, meaning you can take the wheel at MWC, and safely maneuver a car sitting 2,500 miles away in a Finnish car park, at speeds of up to 42km per hour. Nokia’s Liron Golan notes there have been zero collisions so far! Check out their stand in the Open Gateway demo section of Hall 4, next to the MWC Main Stage. 

Gaudi-inspired F1 car launches Fira Circuit partnership 

In the GSMA Pavilion, you’ll witness the perfect marriage of art and machine. An F1 car on the MWC showfloor, lovingly encased in a Gaudi-style wrap, formed the centrepiece for a new partnership announced today between the GSMA and Fira Circuit. 

Meanwhile, in the packed exhibition halls, some of the world’s biggest brands were making some big announcements: 

• Huawei wowed MWC25 with the world's first commercial triple foldable phone (the HUAWEI Mate XT | ULTIMATE DESIGN), plus a slew of other tech-savvy and stylish gadgets.
• Vodafone and IBM joined forces to future-proof your phone with quantum-safe cryptography, unveiling a cutting-edge prototype at MWC to protect against tomorrow's quantum threats.
• Lenovo announced it will jazz up old PCs with its AI Display and AI Stick, transforming any non-AI PC into an AI powerhouse with a sleek curved screen and dedicated NPU.
• Xiaomi launched its new Modular Optical System, featuring a 35mm full aspherical glass lens and a MagSafe-like magnetic ring for custom camera modules on the Xiaomi 15. 

Battle of the bags 

Look out for RealMe’s acid yellow, see-through tote bag, a modern and practical (it’s waterproof) classic usurping last year’s It Bag, the iridescent Whale Cloud tote. RealMe also announced their ‘Ultra’ phone concept with interchangeable camera lens at MWC today.  

A final note from the GSMA 

“The best news is that we're still innovating. We are not done yet. Quite the opposite.” Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA 

MWC25 keynotes will be live streamed on the MWC25 website and app, as well as from Mobile World Live. All this content, plus select conference sessions, will also be available on demand via the MWC website. MWC25 continues through 6 March 2025. Get the latest news and information live from the MWC25 Press Zone.