At Mobile World Congress this year, we've seen Honor's Robot Phone in action, fallen in love with the adorable iMoochi and been wowed by the astonishing Leica-branded Leitzphone.
In the years CNET has been attending MWC, we've seen some amazing devices from companies like Samsung, Xiaomi, Lenovo and Honor. 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.
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