MWC 2022: Live updates from Barcelona

MWC 2022 is here! The Android Authority team is live on the ground in Barcelona and delighted to be covering the latest devices, gadgets, technology, events, and industry trends as they happen. Follow Android Authority live for updates over the next four days.

MWC 2022 runs Monday, February 28, through Thursday, March 3, located at the Fira Gran Via, though events can be found across the city, as well as some virtual events too.

MWC Day 3

6:00PM CET: That’s a wrap! Android Authority is signing off from MWC 2022. Please do check our coverage across all the major new devices, tech, and more, below.

…and while you do, you can help figure out exactly what this means:

5:30PM CET: A little glimpse at what’s going on with OPPO and OnePlus. The shared booth was pretty much OPPO, with OnePlus showing off just a few OnePlus 10 Pro models, and an array of its previous phones. Hmm.

How does OnePlus thrive as the BBK enterprise moves forward?

5:00PM CET: The first Nothing phone might be around the corner: Nothing founder Carl Pei has reportedly been showing off a prototype device to executives at MWC 2022.

Pei didn’t show it off during our interview, but either an accidental or coordinated leak has revealed early details about Nothing’s possible Android smartphone from the meetings here at MWC, including “elements of transparency.”

4:00PM CET: HTC Vive let Eric Zeman drive a car remotely over 5G. A Porsche, too!

3:00PM CET: Let’s talk future technology. At the STMicroelectronics booth, Fabrice Gendreau, Business Development Manager EMEA, showed me some chips that could be coming to wearables or smartphones soon. The latest is USB without the cable, via 60 GHz RF millimeter-wave band communications.

Gendreau explained that due to the frequency bands and low-power usage, the “transmission distance is only a few centimeters.” The imagined design is for a smartphone or wearable placed onto a dock, which also offers wireless charging. So, imagine placing your next smartwatch on a wireless charger, while at the same time, utilizing connectivity with transfer speeds up to 6.25 Gbps. STMicroelectronics imagines portless devices in the near future, with the same USB protocol connectivity we enjoy with a cable.

2:00PM CET: Anyone up for a 4D Metaverse VR rollercoaster robot? Anyone? Despite how it sounds, there have been long lines at the SK Telecom booth to give the 4D Metaverse a try…

1:00PM CET: Some good news from a good samaritan earlier today. C. Scott Brown got his S21 Ultra back after it slipped out of a pocket and was left in a taxi. A passenger found it, and after some efforts with Samsung Find My Mobile and Android Find My Device, it was tracked down, and messages were exchanged about how to get it back. See C. Scott below, one happy chap!

12:00PM CET: Now here’s a use we didn’t think of for 5G: a 5G-connected robot bartender. Eric Zeman spotted the robot making drinks ordered via tablet, though he lamented, “it is quite slow.”

11:00AM CET: We’ve posted some more hands-on coverage — this one is the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro 2022, which fixes the awkward placement of previous HUAWEI laptops, for one. It’s a premium device at a premium price.

9:00AM CET:  The Best of MWC 2022 Awards are decided, featuring phones, laptops, tablets/hybrids, and more. Click the link to find out all the winners, including an honorable mention to one company for not doing something.

And check the video wrap of the devices, too.

8:00AM CET: The Spanish tourism board may have forgotten to arrange for the sun to be up this morning, but it’s there somewhere…

Highlights of today include handing out our Best of MWC 2022 awards, and taking a chance to soak up the full show offerings.

MWC Day 2

7:00PM CET:  Our HONOR Magic 4 Pro and HONOR Magic V hands-on videos are live, if you want to take a look at something coming soon, and something you can’t get, in that order.

And don’t miss our initial thoughts on the HONOR Magic 4 Pro’s camera, playfully called the Eye of Muse, which is fun and strange!

6:00PM CET:  Eric Zeman found a tough new 5G hotspot. The Cat Q10 is built for mishandling, with an shock and waterproof ratings, and it can be dropped from 1.8m or just under 6 feet, with 10 hours battery. Plus, there’s a magnetic bottom panel so you can stick it onto something to keep it in one place.

5:00PM CET: Here’s the show floor from above as the second day winds down. The Android Authority team will be heading back a little earlier to deliberate over the all-important Best of MWC 2022 awards, following the major announcements all taking place.

4:45PM CET: Our HONOR Magic V hands-on is live, with handy comparisons to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the OPPO Find N.

4:30PM CET: C. Scott Brown grabbed a meeting with Nothing founder Carl Pei, who didn’t announce anything, sadly. However, Pei talked up Nothing’s brand strategy with Qualcomm in attendance as well.

• Other Nothing representatives mentioned multiple product launches will happen in 2022, which is encouraging for the new brand. There are, of course, plenty of hints that something might be coming with Android, one day.

One more thing: Pei was using an iPhone, despite this “Back on Android” tweet two weeks ago. Didn’t last long on Android 12, we guess?

4:00PM CET: An update on Oppo’s 240W charging, after we asked the company about concerns over rapid battery degradation.

Here’s the news:

• “For now, 240W SuperVOOC is capable of having a battery lifespan that meets the industrial standards, which is to maintain 80% of its original capacity after as many as 800 charge cycles,” the manufacturer told Android Authority in an emailed response.

2:15PM CET: Always time for a round of (AI) golf. This SmartGolf AI Club ties to an Android app to give you insight into your form and swing. The kind person at the booth showed me the data and said I was one of the better ones that day… I suspect they were being kind?

1:30PM CET: We had a quick look at OPPO’s 240W charging it announced yesterday, right after it launched 150W charging, too. We say a quick look because that’s all it needed: it charges from 0-100% in nine minutes, and adds about 1% every 5.5 seconds.

By the way, the 150W charging tech is also coming to OnePlus (possibly in a Nord 3) and realme (in the GT Neo 3), which are both co-companies of OPPO.

• realme admitted that faster charging does mean less battery capacity, but didn’t elaborate on exact details.
• My colleague Rob Triggs, our technical writer told me: “The impact on space happens because larger C rate batteries (ones that can handle more current) are not as dense. In other words, you need a larger battery to achieve the same capacity with a higher C rate.”

You’ll have to decide for yourself if rapid charging beats a bigger battery in the near future, it would seem…

8:30AM CET: MediaTek has announced the Dimensity 8000 and Dimensity 8100 this morning, new 5nm TSMC-built chipsets taking aim at the Snapdragon 888 and Snapdragon 870, in the affordable flagship-level space. Our man Hadlee Simons had a chat with MediaTek for the launch.

8AM CET: Good morning from Barcelona again! The sun is up and the team is moving:

On today’s agenda: More, more, more. We’ll be on the show floor to see a bunch of the press conferences including realme’s “Future of Humanity” presser, along with the usual browsing of booths, and picking up on the trends and talking points of the week.

Earlier: MWC Day 1 Recap

OnePlus/OPPO reveals

6PM CET: Some big news out of OnePlus first: the OnePlus 10 Pro global launch has been confirmed in North America, Europe, and India for the end of March, and a new OnePlus phone will have 150W wired charging. And CEO Pete Lau confirmed OxygenOS won’t be replaced for a new “unified” OS, and that OxygenOS 13 is in the works.

Speaking of 150W charging, OPPO and OnePlus will be sharing new 150W Super VOOC charging, with a charger in the box.

Here’s a look at how that’ll work on both OPPO and OnePlus devices:

Think that’s super-fast? Well, OPPO is upping the ante even more by demonstrating 240W charging capabilities. The company noted on Twitter that this results in a 4,500mAh battery hitting a 100% charge in just nine minutes. There’s no word on battery degradation and we’re also wary of brands differentiating between “100%” and an actual full charge. Nevertheless, you can check out the video below.

ZTE launch

4:30PM CET: ZTE President Xiao Ming hosted a launch of ZTE’s new Blade V40 range, including four new models. ZTE’s announcement had a few gaps, with no pricing, but as Eric Zeman said: these Blades won’t cut deep, with modest pricing expected. The ZTE Blade V40 Pro has the highest ambitions of the four new models, with a 6.67-inch OLED screen and 65W fast charging. That’s about all the information: no details on cameras, processor, availability. It’ll come in time.

The best worst slide at MWC?

“This is a real slide from a real presentation at MWC,” C Scott Brown mentioned in the Android Authority Slack group upon sharing this picture. We figured it was too awfully amazing or amazingly awful not to share here.

Snapdragon X70 modem launch

2:30PM CET: Qualcomm has revealed the Snapdragon X70 modem, which is expected to appear inside 2023’s flagship phones. You’re still getting the same 10Gbps peak downlink speed and 3.5Gbps peak uplink speed as the X65 modem inside the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, but the new modem now supports every commercial 5G band — should the smartphone brand include all the antennas and RF hardware. A big step forward for truly global 5G support, potentially.

HONOR Magic 4 Launch

2PM CET: The HONOR Magic 4 Pro and vanilla HONOR Magic 4 have now been launched, with HONOR boasting a flagship spec sheet including the Snapderagon 8 Gen 1 through the series, and some surprises like 100W charging both wired and wirelessly. Yup. Wirelessly, 100W. The Pro has it all for €1,099 (~$1,231) and the vanilla model preserves the base performance, while missing a camera lens and dropping the IP rating for €899 (~$1,007).

1PM CET: Earlier, we heard word on the HONOR Magic 4 series it’s been teasing… C Scott Brown is in attendance with the MWC press:

POCO X4 Pro, M4 Pro

Earlier: POCO has announced its latest smartphones in the POCO X4 Pro 5G and POCO M4 Pro 4G, starting at €299/€219. It’s a refreshed Redmi Note 11 Pro with new design and the POCO launcher.

Xiaomi CyberDog spotted

12:30PM CET: The Xiaomi booth at MWC has plenty to show off, from its previously announced transparent TV, to its threatening CyberDog:

realme GT 2 series

11:30AM CET: The realme GT 2 Pro and GT 2 have now launched! The 6.7-inch realme GT 2 Pro comes with host of top-specs, including a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, 120Hz display, and fast charging, starting at €649 (~$725). realme also has committed to further Android updates (three years of major OS updates and four years of security patches) and its focus on sustainability is intriguing to see.

10:00AM CET: The realme GT 2 series launch is underway, with a live launch in the halls of MWC 2022. One unique angle is the “biopolymer” base on the back of the device.

OnePlus 10 Pro

9:30AM CET: We’re hands on with the OnePlus 10 Pro, set for a global launch soon. Spenser Blank from OnePlus showed C. Scott Brown and Harley Maranan around the booth, with some hands on time with the device.

Here’s a video of our hands-on time with the global edition of the OnePlus 10 Pro:

Lenovo has laptops

9AM CET: Lenovo isn’t physically at MWC this year but it did launch some devices on Day 1, including a long list of laptops ranging from Windows ThinkPad and IdeaPad gaming fare to Chromebooks and tablets. The Duet 3 Chromebook will get an updated 2K display and the company announced the first ThinkPad with a Snapdragon chip, claiming 28 hours of battery life.

8:30AM CET: Greetings from Android Ave, live on site at MWC:

7:30AM CET: Sunrise in Barcelona! The team are assembling and heading towards the Fira Gran Via to check in. The buzz is building ahead of the Day 1 events…

Earlier: Day Zero wrap from the rooftop

That’s us signing off for the evening ahead of a big first day of MWC proper tomorrow.

And here’s our very own Eric Zeman watching the Samsung virtual event from his Galaxy Z Fold 3 at a rooftop bar, as you do when on site. The video is on the top half, and YouTube live chat on the bottom:

Catch all the earlier happenings down below from Samsung, TCL, HUAWEI, and more.

Samsung MWC Event 2022

Samsung launched its new Galaxy Book 2 series laptops during its virtual MWC event — four new Windows-based laptops headlined by the Galaxy Book 2 360 and Pro 360, running Intel’s 12th generation processors, Windows 11, and a hint of Samsung’s tweaks and touches. Prices range from $1,250 for the Book 2 Pro 360 to $900 for the non-Pro 360.

Samsung is claiming the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 gets 21 hours of battery life, which is getting into M1 Mac territory — we can’t wait to see if that holds up.

…it’s a book, get it?

New from TCL

TCL held a “Inspire Greatness” stream of its latest devices, stepping up to the plate with five new TCL smartphones from its TCL 30 series. What most impressed us was that TCL now has the cheapest 5G tablet you can get. The TCL Tab 10S 5G will be available for €349 (~$393), which isn’t a bad feat at all. There’s also the TCL 30V and TCL 30XE, two new phones available in the US on Verizon and T-Mobile

Annnnd TCL also rolled out (folded out?) its prototyped designs for future phones, including this foldable rollable number you see below. It’s always good to see prototypes and R&D from inside smartphone companies, but the only problem is TCL never quite releases its bleeding-edge stuff.

Physical keyboard devices and light-up shoes

One of the traditional MWC pre-events, ShowStoppers, had the usual eclectic mix of new tech ideas, startups, and bigger companies with new products.

Among the highlights out of the show: the new/old ASTRO Slide from Planet Computers.

We had hands-on time with the prototype you see above, which is now running Ubuntu with a physical keyboard. There’s also an option to buy one with Android 11, or dual-boot with Linux as well. Price? $975. Sales start in a “few weeks.”

We’ve covered what’s coming out of Planet Computers for a few years and there’s always interest from the tech world around physical keyboard devices. It’s overdue, but getting closer…

Light-up smart shoes from Japanese startup Orphe possibly stole the show: shoes that track your gait, with RGB lights! Razer, your move?

HUAWEI Smart Office launch

HUAWEI had plenty of non-smartphone devices to show off at its pre-MWC event in Barcelona. This includes the MatePad Paper e-ink reader/tablet (seen above), the MateBook X Pro 2022, the MateStation X (an iMac rival), and the MateBook E. You can check out our full rundown here.

Earlier:

Pre-event:

We’ve also seen a phones from brands that are attending MWC but launched early to beat the rush.

• OPPO Find X5 series — which we also reviewed and gave a solid 4.5-star rating.
• The nubia REDMAGIC 7 also landed before the main event.
• Arguably, the Galaxy S22 was also an MWC-related launch, with reviews out sales starting just before the MWC newscycle started.

Stay tuned for more updates across the early part of MWC 2022.