Foldable and concept devices, 5G monetisation keep Europe’s biggest tech show abuzz

The four-day Mobile World Congress (MWC) is Europe’s biggest tech event

Foldable and concept devices

Foldable smartphones and concept devices were part of the showcase, with Chinese companies taking the lead in releasing foldable phones and introducing early concept devices in a bid to catch up with Samsung and Apple amid a lacklustre global smartphone market.

OnePlus’s concept phone

Foldable phones represent a small share in the overall smartphone market, with such devices costing over $1000 or more. But the market for foldable smartphones, where Samsung held 81 per cent in 2022, is on the rise.

The market for foldable smartphones, where Samsung held 81 per cent in 2022, is on the rise.

New ways to monetise 5G

Alongside the demonstration of use cases for 5G and upcoming 6G telecom majors also showed ways to make money out of 5G. With operators burdened by the upfront costs of building 5G and scaling it up, telcos have already begun finding new ways to sell 5G to both consumers and enterprises through subscriptions. Use cases include cloud gaming to 5G applications at various booths across MWC, in an effort to increase revenue by selling its services directly to businesses and consumers.

Alongside the demonstration of use cases for 5G and upcoming 6G telecom majors also showed ways to make money out of 5G.

Self-repair devices, satellite connectivity

The Finnish company behind Nokia-branded smartphones introduced the G22 phone that can be fixed right at home in a few minutes. As the “right to repair” trend gains steam, more phone companies including Apple are making it easy to repair smartphones, letting customers buy parts to fix their own devices.

Satellite connectivity and its applicability was another big theme, with many players expecting satellite-based revenues and network traffic to jump significantly in the coming years.

(The writer was in Barcelona at the invitation of OnePlus India)