MWC 2025 has come and gone, and whereas we might solely select a choose few merchandise in our Better of MWC 2025, that does not imply there was a scarcity of fascinating and even straight-up bizarre units. That is the place this record is available in, as Android Central’s Derrek Lee and Harish Jonnalagadda record out a few of the coolest (and weirdest) units at MWC 2025.
TECNO’s very skinny telephone
The Spark Slim is without doubt one of the most spectacular units on the present. Not solely does it have an extremely smooth design, however the telephone measures simply 5.75mm in thickness. What’s superb about that is that TECNO managed to squeeze a reasonably large 5,200mAh battery into the telephone, which is bigger than the battery powering the quite large Galaxy S25 Extremely.
The design seems like a futuristic Nexus, with a digicam bar spanning the highest of the telephone and LEDs and unibody ceramic or stainless-steel rear panels, each of which look higher than most telephones in the marketplace right this moment. For now, the telephone is only a idea, however with the renewed curiosity in skinny telephones this 12 months, we hope it arrives sooner quite than later.
Samsung Show’s claw-like foldable
So-called “tri-fold” telephones are slowly changing into a factor, however this system does issues a little bit in a different way. As an alternative of a giant telephone opening to a tablet-sized system, this Samsung Show idea takes the flip type issue and flips the script… once more. As an alternative of folding two halves collectively, this telephone folds in two separate sections, which closes the telephone such as you would shut your fist.
Much more distinctive is the truth that it leaves a bit of the show seen when the telephone is closed, permitting the person to view notifications or the like from the small sliver of the display. It is by far one of many weirdest designs we have seen.
This Realme telephone permits you to use digicam lenses
Realme showcased the Extremely at MWC 2025, and the primary spotlight of the system is that it has a 1-inch sensor — very like the Xiaomi 15 Extremely and different Chinese language rivals. Nonetheless, not like all of these telephones, Realme managed so as to add a mount to the again of the Extremely, permitting you to connect commonplace digicam lenses to the telephone. It’s a neat concept, and Realme had a 10x lens that allowed the system to take lossless pictures at that zoom issue. As you’d think about, the digicam lens is totally large, however it’s usable — extra so than I initially imagined.
Clearly, this is not a retail product but, however Realme has indicated that it’s going to begin promoting a variant of the telephone to shoppers sooner or later. The lens that Realme showcased had a customized mount, but when the model is ready to ship a retail system that works with commonplace Sony, Canon, or Nikon lens mounts, it could make the telephone a lot extra versatile as a digicam package deal.
Xiaomi additionally has an interchangeable lens on a telephone
Xiaomi additionally tried its hand at attaching a lens to the again of its telephone — on this case, a customized Xiaomi 15 — and in contrast to Realme, it bolted on magnetic ring with pogo pins to the again of the system to facilitate the lens. The result’s a cleaner look, and you need to use the primary cameras along with the lens attachment. The lens itself is significantly shorter than most conventional DSLR lenses, and the 35mm focal size is right for capturing in day-to-day situations.
Xiaomi says the pogo pins make it near-instantaneous to switch imagery knowledge to the system, and I like the concept of having the ability to connect lenses to the again of an current telephone. Xiaomi did not say if it could put this concept into manufacturing, however it’s doable we might even see one thing alongside these traces on the subsequent Extremely system.
Your subsequent handheld console may very well be a foldable
Samsung is aware of the right way to make standout foldable OLED panels, and at MWC, Samsung Show showcased what’s on the horizon. The star attraction is a handheld console with a foldable panel; it bends within the center just like the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and it’s an undoubtedly cool concept. The demo unit was simply to focus on the panel, so it wasn’t a full-fledged console as such, however I am excited to see one of many many handheld manufacturers attempt to leverage this design — I might love to make use of a foldable Steam Deck.
Samsung additionally highlighted its Flex G and Flex S designs; these are foldable panels geared toward tri-folding and multi-folding units, and whereas it’s unlikely we’ll see Samsung launch telephones that use these OLED panels anytime quickly, it is nice to see that the tech itself is on the market.
Tecno has a tri-fold to tackle the Huawei Mate XT
I am completely having fun with utilizing my Huawei Mate XT, and the tri-folding system is holding up a lot better than I imagined. Tecno demoed its personal tri-folding system at MWC, and it’s fairly nice in its personal proper. Whereas it is not as smooth because the Mate XT, it has a usable tri-folding design, and it additionally extends to a tablet-sized panel.
Tecno did not element a lot concerning the system, however the one benefit it has over the Mate XT is that it has Google’s Play Retailer and related cell providers put in out of the field. Just like the Tecno Spark Slim, the model does not have any plans to introduce this system as a retail providing at this second in time, however I need that to alter.
Unlock your internal Jedi with the Mudra Hyperlink
Mudra Hyperlink is a singular gesture management wristband that leverages neural alerts to drive interactions. It connects through Bluetooth, and within the MWC 2025 demo, it was paired to a Mac Mini and was in a position to management the amount and play a digital violin instrument. There’s additionally a Mudra Band that can be utilized with the Apple Watch, providing you with the power to regulate the Apple TV out of your wrist. Mudra says it is working with XR system producers to combine the Hyperlink with their units, and that sounds fascinating to say the least.
Infinix’s telephone with color-changing again
Infinix had one of many coolest demos at MWC 2025, with its E-Shade Shift 2.0 telephone that includes a coloration E Ink panel on the again that modifications colours dynamically. There’s the choice to alter colours to customized patterns or designs, and you may also tweak the again colours to mirror the climate, your temper, and even an emoji. It did an ideal job altering colours on the fly, and using E Ink on the again to take action is a novel concept.
Infinix says it’s mulling debuting a telephone with related tech, however there are not any plans to convey this specific system to market. Even then, I am optimistic one other model will see what Infinix did right here and can attempt to leverage the identical concept in its personal system.
Honor’s magic hand
As an honoree for greatest AI innovation at MWC, Honor is doing a really fascinating factor with its AI. The corporate had a robotic hand on show that onlookers might work together with. Paxini features a digicam that may view your hand after which replicate your actions. A pc was set as much as stream the feed from Paxini so you may see the way it’s analyzing your hand’s actions. It wasn’t instantly clear what Honor deliberate to do with the hand, however there isn’t any doubt there may very well be loads of makes use of for one thing like this.
The Z in ZTE stands for Zoom
With the adoption of telephoto lenses on smartphones, we’re lastly graduating from the period of digital-only zoom. ZTE is taking issues a step additional with the Nubia Focus 2 Extremely, which incorporates a ring across the digicam housing that may be bodily rotated to regulate the zoom. ZTE says the Focus 2 Extremely has a 108MP main digicam and 5 focal lengths. With the zoom ring, customers can shut in on a topic as much as 10x, and also you even get a digicam button to finish the package deal, making this the final word digicam telephone.
Biking with type (and a digicam)
We love sensible glasses right here, and when you’re a bicycle owner, then these glasses are for you. Not solely do they appear cool, however there is a 16MP digicam within the center that’s able to capturing easy 1080p video for as much as 4 hours. What’s cool is that they use AI to create computerized highlights throughout the app, after which you may sew the clips collectively for an final spotlight video, full together with your route and stats like pace, distance, and length. Plus, there’s an ideal set of open-ear surround-sound audio system to maintain you each entertained and conscious of your environment.
FaceID for Android
Android has had a number of goes at a real FaceID competitor, however nothing has actually caught. Metalenz is attempting to alter that with Polar ID, which makes use of the corporate’s expertise to not solely make conventional digicam stacks smaller and smarter but in addition convey FaceID-levels of biometric safety to Android telephones. It seems to be rather more safe than what’s accessible on telephones just like the Google Pixel and is even sensible sufficient to not be fooled by masks or perhaps a 3D printout of somebody’s face.
Polar ID is supported on flagship Snapdragon chips, and the corporate is speaking to OEMs now, so hopefully, we’ll be seeing this tech on our subsequent smartphones.
RayNeo demoes futuristic XR glasses
RayNeo is doing all the suitable issues within the XR class, and the X3 Professional is unquestionably fascinating. The AR glasses use a micro-LED mild engine and go as much as 2500 nits, and there is a digicam on the entrance that allows you to report pictures and movies. The very best function is the built-in AI translation; it interprets conversations in real-time, and it did an efficient job within the demo that RayNeo arrange on the conference flooring. The glasses are popping out within the latter half of the 12 months, and I am unable to wait to get my fingers on the product.
Lenovo bends its best-selling pocket book
Foldables telephones have grow to be mainstream today, however that is not the case with notebooks. Properly, Lenovo is aiming to alter that with the ThinkBook Flip, a tool that has an absurd 18.1-inch panel that folds outwards. Apart from the truth that the panel folding outwards means there’s at all times a bit that is susceptible to break ought to it take a tumble, I do not actually see how the extra-tall width is sensible on a pocket book. That is only a demo at this level, and it is unlikely Lenovo will introduce a shopper mannequin anytime quickly.
Etisalat’s humanoid robotic freaked us out
Etisalat is the UAE’s greatest service, and it now goes by the identify e&. Anyway, it had a humanoid robotic at its sales space made by the U.Ok.’s Engineering Arts, and it was fairly convincing. Referred to as Amira, the robotic mimics facial cues simply, and it makes use of AI to converse. Engineering Arts famous that the robotic on the present flooring was managed by a human to reply queries — we have been informed that’s the solely dependable technique to make any sense of dozens of attendings shouting questions without delay — so we do not have to be too fearful concerning the robotic apocalypse.