Mobile World Congress is where the tech world's biggest players gather to show off their latest pieces of mobile tech. From Samsung and Xiaomi to Lenovo and Honor, almost all of the world's tech goliaths come to Barcelona to get in on the action. MWC 2026 runs March 2 to 5 and we expect to see some major product launches, some wild concepts and a lot of tapas. And indeed Xiaomi has already taken the wraps off its astonishing Leica-branded Leitzphone. But what about products we saw in prior years?
From Samsung's flagship Galaxy S phones to incredible hardware from Xiaomi, we've seen some amazing devices in the years CNET has been attending the show. But we've also seen a lot of unusual products that have promised more than they've delivered.
From concept devices that are quickly forgotten to new gadgets that boast revolutionary functions, these are the MWC tech launches that arrived with a fanfare… but aren't necessarily where you'd expect them to be today.
Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Humane AI pin
AI might still be the biggest buzzword in tech, thanks to every phone company cramming their devices with all kinds of bizarre AI functions. But at MWC 2024, one company wanted to take that further. The Humane AI pin was a wearable badge that you could talk to and ask questions about your schedule, the weather or things like sports results. It could read answers out and even project them onto your hand with a laser. Because everyone loves lasers.
Sounds fun, right? And the company's rhetoric around how AI-based devices like this will replace phones sounded compelling. However, the product, well, sucked (just ask CNET's Scott Stein, who spent extended time with it) and the company was eventually swallowed by HP, with the Pin itself ceasing to function in February last year. If you were one of the early adopters, do let us know what you've done with that $699(!) paperweight now.
Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Motorola Rizr
MWC is a great place to show off concepts that will excite technology nerds like us. Motorola has a good history of this at the show and the Rizr is one of my favorites. This phone didn't just have a flexible display like we've seen on many of today's foldable phones, its display could actually mechanically unroll at the push of a button, extending the top of the screen to give a more immersive display for watching videos or playing games.
... continue reading