Best of MWC 2023 Awards: The best products from the show

Thousands of companies and many more visitors have once again descended upon Barcelona for Mobile World Congress 2023. We’re here to separate the noise from the signal with the very best announcements made at the show. This is Android Authority’s Best of MWC 2023 awards.

Lenovo rollable laptop concept

Lenovo is no stranger to interesting form factors, but its rollable laptop concept is one of the coolest yet. At a touch of a button, the screen expands with a smooth motion, giving you double the workspace. It’s an interesting new direction for flexible display tech, and we can’t wait to see it hit the market. It probably won’t be cheap, but innovative new tech rarely is.

Motorola rizr rollable phone concept

Although Motorola’s rizr rollable phone is still a concept, it’s one of the coolest things we saw at MWC 2023. It’s a 5-inch compact phone with a foldable display that rolls up and extends to reveal a full 6.5-inch panel for more immersive video and more comfortable typing. Plus, when it’s rolled away, the extra panel on the back acts like a secondary display for notifications and a viewfinder for photos.

Nokia G22 & iFixit repair kits

The Nokia G22 budget smartphone seems like any other low-end handset when looking at the spec sheet. However, the device stands out from the pack thanks to its focus on repairability, as HMD teamed up with iFixit to offer repair kits or “Fix Kits” and replacement parts. Using the kit allows users to replace the phone’s battery, display, back cover, or charging port in roughly five minutes, giving power back to customers (literally).

HONOR Magic 5 Pro

Eye-catching design? Check. Robust camera setup? Check. Powerhouse specs? Check. The HONOR Magic 5 Pro pulls out all the stops to compete against the industry’s best, and does it with style. With a curved glass back inspired by Antoni Gaudí and a triple 50MP rear camera setup, this flagship won’t be outshone by HONOR’s equally impressive foldable, the Magic Vs. Perhaps the only drawback: You won’t be able to buy this phone in the US.

OnePlus 45W Liquid Cooler

What do you do when you’re in a heavy gaming session on your phone and your framerates start suffering due to an overheating CPU? Normally, your only solution would be to take a break, but not with the OnePlus 45W Liquid Cooler. Just snap the clamp on the back of your phone and watch as your temps start to drop by up to 20 degrees Celsius. Unfortunately, OnePlus had no information about pricing or availability for this device, but we thought it was (wait for it) cool.

PanzerGlass Matrix Hybrid Glass screen protector

PanzerGlass has made a name for itself by creating ultra-durable glass screen protectors. However, in February 2023, it launched its first 100% recycled plastic screen protector. While this is great news for the environment, most people might think that plastic screen protectors just aren’t worth it. Having tried it ourselves, though, the PanzerGlass Matrix Hybrid Glass screen protector feels surprisingly good and not at all like the sticky TPU protectors you’re likely thinking of when you think of plastic protectors. The Matrix model is only currently available for the Galaxy S23 series.

Qualcomm’s on-device Stable Diffusion

Qualcomm has managed to run an AI text-to-image generator offline, on-device, without the need for a server or a connection, and it only takes 15 seconds. The Stable Diffusion model is running on an Android phone with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which is why it can render images this quickly. Although the resulting image is only 512×512 in size, we appreciate its privacy, speed, and immediacy.

Motorola Defy Satellite Link

More and more phone makers are announcing plans to bring satellite connectivity to their future products, but you don’t have to wait to get in on the action. The Motorola Defy Satellite Link is a compact, durable Bluetooth device that allows any Android or iOS device to send and receive text messages, share location, or contact emergency services via satellite. The service is run by Bullitt Group and costs $4.99/month, while the gear itself is $99. Not bad for something that could potentially save lives.

NuraLogix health assessment technology

Smartwatches and other wearable devices have revolutionized consumer health tech, but you don’t need a dedicated device to get an assessment of your health. NuraLogix’s tech can analyze over 30 vitals with just a selfie video. It works on any smartphone by analyzing the user’s facial blood flow and using AI to compare it against a database of thousands of patients. The software then provides assessments for cardiovascular health, diabetes risk, and more, with a claimed 95% accuracy rate.

Xiaomi 13 Pro

Xiaomi is serious about taking on Samsung. Its latest flagship, the Xiaomi 13 Pro, is more expensive than the S23 Ultra, but it has the hardware to back it up. You get everything you’d expect, but of course, the focus is on the camera system, which is co-branded with Leica. The triple-50MP camera setup is headlined by the 1-inch Sony IMX989 sensor and features deep involvement from Leica on things like color science and lens tuning.

Xiaomi Electric Scooter 4 Ultra

Xiaomi’s popular electric scooter lineup expanded with the powerful Electric Scooter 4 Ultra at MWC 2023. The new scooter provides better range than Xiaomi’s previous flagship model and it can go up steeper inclines thanks to the motor’s 940W peak power. The Electric Scooter 4 Ultra is also the first scooter from Xiaomi with double suspension, ensuring extra comfort. The machine will be available around the world for €1,000 (~$1,055).

Realme GT3

Realme’s latest upper mid-range smartphone is all about speed, and in more ways than one. The $649 Realme GT 3 serves up blazing-fast 240W wired charging speeds, with a claimed zero-to-100% charging time of just under 10 minutes. A still-beefy Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor and smooth 144Hz OLED screen round out the trifecta of speediness. The GT 3 also brings a slick, fingerprint-free design as well as an RGB light on the back for notifications and other effects.

TCL NXTPAPER 11

TCL’s NXTPAPER 11 seems like any other unspectacular, low-end Android tablet when looking at the spec sheet. But the company’s big selling point here is the use of so-called NXTPAPER 2.0 technology, effectively being a fancy term for a matte display. The end result is a glare-free screen, making for a viewing experience that’s easy on the eyes. The addition of a $249 price tag only sweetens the deal for those who value a great screen above all else.

HONOR Magic Vs

Shopping for a large foldable phone? Now you have more choice with the arrival of the HONOR Magic Vs. The new foldable looks impressive and feels even better in the hand. It packs a folding screen with a minimal crease and a snappy hinge, a flexible triple rear camera system, and a thin profile that remains usable with one hand even when the display is folded.

Ossia wireless power transmission

After many years of teasing, we’re finally on the cusp of commercially available wireless power transmission. Ossia, a long-time developer of wireless power tech, partnered with ARCHOS to release what’s claimed to be the first wirelessly powered product that customers can actually buy. The selling point is clear: no longer are you limited by access to outlets and ugly cables; instead, power is delivered to the security cameras wirelessly, much like Wi-Fi works for data.

TECNO Megabook S1

Chinese manufacturer TECNO is beginning to make a name for itself in more markets around the world. Its catalog now includes a range of sleek laptops, and the pinnacle of that range is the Megabook S1. This laptop definitely punches above its weight when it comes to looks, and its spec sheet is just as impressive. You get a beautiful 3.2K screen, a 12th gen Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of SSD storage, and a beefy 70W battery.

Prophesee Metavision

Blurry pictures are the curse of every smartphone photographer, but not for long. Prophesee has partnered with Qualcomm to bring its “event-based” Metavision technology to future smartphones. In a nutshell, Prophesee’s sensor exclusively tracks motion, which is paired with a traditional image sensor to turn smudged images into crisp masterpieces. No phones yet, but watch this space.