The tech world is abuzz as the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026 prepares to kick off from March 2 to March 5. Companies are already unveiling exciting new products, with high anticipation for the latest smartphones, laptops, and tablets, including updates on AI technology. MWC is a crucial opportunity for enthusiasts to get hands-on experience with newly launched devices, such as the Xiaomi 17 Ultra smartphone.
Xiaomi and Leica Team Up
Xiaomi has officially launched its 17 Ultra smartphone at MWC, initially revealed in China last December. It is currently being released across Europe, with uncertain US availability. This model emphasizes photography, incorporating a 1-inch 50-megapixel sensor with a f/1.67 lens, a 200MP telephoto camera, and a 50MP ultrawide lens, complemented by a manual zoom ring for photography enthusiasts.
Beyond the camera features, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra features a 6.9-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 3,500 nits. It is equipped with a 6000mAh silicon-carbon battery and priced at £1,299 (approximately $1,750).
Leica also showcased a phone in collaboration with Xiaomi, which appears similar to the 17 Ultra but includes distinct features.
The Leica Leitzphone features a similar 1-inch camera sensor with physical controls, including a zoom ring. Its camera interface, designed by Leica, can be customized to show only essential shooting information, with unique modes such as monochrome and various filters.
This model is priced at €1,999 (approximately $2,362) and is supported by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip along with a 6.9-inch 120Hz display.
Xiaomi also introduced two new tablets: the Xiaomi Pad 8 and Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro. The tablets are sleek at 5.75mm thickness, weighing just 485g, with a 9200mAh battery. The Pro variant features a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, while the standard Pad 8 uses the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4.
Xiaomi rolled out a new 5000mAh power bank, UltraThin Magnetic Power Bank 5000 15W, featuring a 6mm thickness and an aluminum exterior. Additionally, Xiaomi announced the Xiaomi Tag, a Bluetooth item tracker compatible with Apple’s Find My and Google’s Find Hub.
Innovations from Honor
Honor announced the 4.8mm thick MagicPad 4, claiming it to be the slimmest Android tablet. It features a 12.3-inch OLED display at 165Hz and weighs around 450g. The device can be outfitted with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, relying on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor. Notably, the thickness measurement excludes the camera protrusion, with a battery capacity of 10,100mAh supporting 66W fast charging.
Tecno Presents New Concepts
Tecno revealed a concept smartphone that can reach an astonishing thinness of 4.9mm, depending on customization choices. This modular phone comes with 10 different modules and utilizes Modular Magnetic Interconnection Technology to securely attach parts.