This year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona was dominated by devices integrating advanced robotics with a new generation of artificial intelligence. Manufacturers like Honor and TCL showcased phones with autonomous assistant features, while Motorola focused on radical privacy through the GrapheneOS system. Concurrently, AMD and Qualcomm declared 2026 as a pivotal year for the widespread deployment of AI agents, changing how we interact with consumer electronics.

Robotic smartphones are the new trend

Honor and TCL showcased mobile devices with physical moving elements that imitate living behaviors thanks to AI.

Privacy through GrapheneOS

Motorola announced a collaboration with the creators of the most privacy-restrictive operating system for Android.

Expansion of Ryzen AI processors

AMD is introducing new NPU units for laptops and desktops, but is limiting their distribution to ready-made computer systems.

Innovations in ergonomics and form

Lenovo showed laptops with 3D screens without glasses and modular constructions that facilitate repairs and upgrades.

The MWC 2026 in the capital of Catalonia became a manifesto for a new era, where the smartphone ceases to be a static tool and becomes an interactive companion. The biggest surprise was the direction taken by Honor, which presented the "Robot Phone". This device, thanks to mechanical elements and advanced artificial intelligence, can make eye contact with the user and respond to their emotions in a way previously reserved for autonomous assistant robots. This concept is complemented by TCL with its Tbot robot, which serves as an intelligent bridge between a child's smartwatch and a home care center. The beginnings of mobile telephony in the 1980s focused on voice communication alone; after four decades, these devices are becoming multifunctional sensory nodes, integrating sight, hearing, and precise motor skills.Parallel to experiments with form, manufacturers are placing enormous emphasis on security and hardware innovations. An extremely important signal for the market is Motorola's alliance with the creators of GrapheneOS. This collaboration aims to result in the creation of the most secure Android phones on the market, which is a direct response to growing surveillance concerns. Meanwhile, Lenovo continues developing the concept of modular laptops and presented the innovative Yoga Book Pro 3D Concept, offering three-dimensional imagery without the need for glasses. In the mobile segment, Honor impressed with the Magic V6 model, which features the world's thinnest battery in a foldable smartphone. 2026 — will be the year of AI Agents according to Qualcomm's CEOIn the component sphere, AMD played a key role, presenting new Ryzen processors with powerful NPU units. The new chips are intended to enable advanced Copilot+ features to run directly on the device, without the need to connect to the cloud. However, AMD's strategy sparked controversy, as the new AI processors will not be available for retail sale to enthusiasts building their own computers, but will only be supplied to ready-made OEM systems. Cristiano Amon, CEO of Qualcomm, confirmed this trend, predicting that 2026 will be a breakthrough moment for "AI Agents", software capable of autonomously performing complex tasks on behalf of the user. „I predict 2026 will be the year of the AI agent, where these digital entities start to truly manage our daily tasks.” — Cristiano Amon

Perspektywy mediów: Liberal media emphasize the ecological aspect of modularity and the inclusivity of eye-protection technology. Business media focus on AI dominance, new AMD processors, and the market potential of digital agents.

Mentioned People

  • Cristiano Amon — CEO of Qualcomm, predicting the dominance of AI agents in 2026.