Noor mahnoor
The 2024 MWC Conference is a feast for the technology industry. In the bustle and excitement of the first day, we witnessed many eye-catching highlights. Tinydeal noticed that mobile phone manufacturers are still keen on seeking new business growth points. Whether it is the “human, car, and home ecology” that Xiaomi is focusing on promoting, or the high-end market, we have seen the innovation and vitality of the mobile phone industry. Notably, the integration of 5G and AI technology is taking center stage, as companies explore how these advancements can drive future growth. The future of 5G and AI technology will play a pivotal role in reshaping the mobile industry.
Under the AI craze, mobile phone manufacturers are even more ready to try to integrate AI technology into every corner of the mobile phone. From AI assistants to more complex AI applications, to platform-level AI empowerment, mobile phone manufacturers are colliding with AI to create unprecedented sparks. 5G and AI technology are at the forefront of this transformation, driving innovation across devices and platforms. The fusion of 5G and AI technology promises to revolutionize the mobile industry and open new doors for user experiences.
At the same time, what we cannot ignore is the current situation of the global notebook market. According to the latest report from TrendForce, global laptop shipments fell by 10.8% year-on-year to 166 million units in 2023. The notebook market seems to be in trouble under the double hit of tablets and smartphones. So, can AI PCs become a life-saving straw to save the notebook market? This will be an issue we are paying close attention to during MWC.
Tinydeal will discuss several new trends in the technology industry, starting with the latest products and innovations from MWC. The most noticeable trend is the integration of 5G and AI technology, a key focus at this year’s event.
Mobile phone manufacturers are exploring new business opportunities while AI technology continues to expand. These developments highlight crucial directions for the future of the tech industry. In response, Tinydeal launched the “MWC 2024” special series. This article focuses on key highlights from the first day of MWC.
MWC is not only the world’s largest mobile communications exhibition, but also a stage for major smartphone software and hardware manufacturers to compete to showcase new products. As an outpost, MWC brings together the world’s top operators and communications experts, where they showcase the latest products, technologies, and industry trends, including groundbreaking innovations in 5G and AI technology. With the comprehensive recovery of the global technology industry, MWC 2024 has many highlights, particularly in the realm of 5G and AI technology. Next, Tinydeal will take you to reveal the secrets one by one.
5G-A technology
Huawei
At MWC 2024, Huawei brought a full series of 5G-A products and solutions with the theme of “leading digital infrastructure and accelerating industry intelligence”.
According to information learned by Tinydeal, 5G-A is an important upgrade of the 5G network in terms of functions and coverage. Operating in parallel with 5G, 5G-A focuses on supporting application scenarios with high standards of demand. Its goal is not to replace 5G, but to supplement 5G in hot spots or specific situations, marking the next stage of development of 5G technology. 5G-A can provide downlink rates up to 10Gbps, which is a full 10 times higher than 5G’s original 1Gbps.
Huawei’s full series of 5G-A products and solutions will continue to innovate through five core capabilities: broadband, multi-frequency, multi-antenna, intelligence, and green. These advancements help operators efficiently build 5G-A networks. The new products cover six major fields: TDD, FDD, millimeter wave, DIS, antenna, and microwave MAGICSwave. All are adapted to 5.5G base station networks. Key innovations include the industry’s first dual-band 64T MetaAAU, the first FDD three-band M-MIMO, and the first 2000+ array millimeter wave AAU. Additionally, Huawei introduced the five-band LampSite X series and a new green antenna.
This series also features the first FDD three-band M-MIMO and triple-band 8T. It integrates the 1.8+2.1+2.6GHz three-band with GHz-level ultra-large bandwidth. With FDD Beamforming technology, it significantly enhances spectrum and energy efficiency. This upgrade drives the FDD series toward GigaGreen and improves business performance.
Huawei’s launch marks the first commercial year of 5G-A technology. This milestone reinforces Huawei’s leadership in communication technology. Moreover, it signals the transformative impact 5G-A will have on the future intelligent society.
ZTE
ZTE participated in MWC 2024 under the theme “Future Progress.” The company hosted a ZTE terminal series product launch and a 5G-A joint innovation conference. These events highlighted ICT advancements and their practical applications.
In response to operator needs, ZTE demonstrates a future-oriented, low-carbon basic network. It is built with the latest networks and computing power infrastructure.
In the wireless field, ZTE introduces UniSite minimalist sites. These sites combine seven frequencies into one. They achieve high spectrum efficiency with multi-frequency MIMO evolution. The new amplifier architecture supports energy savings, and the industry’s first power-pooled UBR helps reduce power consumption. ZTE also launches the first 800GE/400GE deterministic router and the largest capacity microwave IDU for efficient backhaul, aiding the smooth transition to 5G-A.
In the wired field, ZTE will launch an all-optical network. This network ensures 10 Gigabit coverage across homes, parks, and rural areas via FTTx. It also introduces the first Tbit all-optical access platform and ultra-high-speed OTN, supporting the deployment of 400G over long distances. Additionally, the first 800G pluggable solution will be released.
On the eve of the exhibition, Honor and Xiaomi led the way in releasing new products. Honor introduced its Magic V2 RSR Porsche design, focusing on AI throughout. Xiaomi showcased its “human-car-home” strategy and launched the Xiaomi 14 series globally.
The Xiaomi 14 series has been available in the domestic market for a while. For international markets, only two models are available: the Xiaomi 14 and 14 Ultra. The Pro version has not launched internationally. Notably, the international versions are priced higher. The Xiaomi 14 International Edition starts at 999 euros (7,780 yuan), while the national version is priced at 3,999 yuan. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra starts at 1,499 euros (11,670 yuan), compared to the national version’s 6,499 yuan price tag.
I won’t introduce the specific configuration of the Xiaomi 14 series international version since it is the same as the national version.
Honor Magic V2 RSR Porsche Design
The Honor Magic V2 RSR Porsche Design is priced significantly higher overseas than in the domestic market. In the overseas market, the price is 2,699 euros (16GB+1TB), which is around 21,000 yuan. In comparison, its domestic price is only 15,999 yuan.
The appearance of the Honor Magic V2 RSR Porsche Design follows the “designed for functions” concept from Porsche. The back integrates classic elements of Porsche’s flying line, adding dynamic racing genes. The lens module features a square or round design, creating a sloping back similar to Porsche’s rear windows. It also has a 5D feather fiber body with a natural sports car-grade sculptural texture.
The official trailer video was released, announcing the Honor Magic V2 RSR Porsche Design will launch in March.
Computer/Tablet
The second-generation Nubian Pad 3D tablet
Nubia unveiled its first-generation Pad 3D at MWC 2023, equipped with the Snapdragon 888 platform. The tablet features 2D-3D real-time conversion, which instantly converts massive 2D content, such as streaming media, games, and movies. The 8GB+128GB version is priced at 10,999 yuan, with domestic pre-sales launching in June last year.
The second-generation Nubian Pad 3D tablet maintains the previous design style. The rear lens module has changed, while the front remains similar. It is expected to feature 3D light field display technology with an exclusive DLB layer under the LCD for a naked-eye 3D experience.
Honor’s first AI PC, the MagicBook Pro 16, was also unveiled. AI is a hot topic at this MWC event. This new laptop, developed with Microsoft, Intel, and Nvidia, ushers in a new era of AI PCs.
The Honor MagicBook Pro 16 features a high-performance Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 155H and a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series GPU. This setup ensures strong computing power and enables the device to handle complex tasks with ease. Additionally, AI-based OS Turbo technology improves operating efficiency and response speed.
The Honor MagicBook Pro 16 comes in two colors: Cloud and Condensing Night. It will launch first in China and is expected to roll out globally in the second quarter.
At MWC 2024, Lenovo introduced its first transparent screen concept notebook, the ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop. Users can see objects behind the screen through it.
It is reported that this concept laptop is equipped with a 17.3-inch Micro-LED transparent display. Although the resolution is only 720P, its clarity is enough to meet daily needs. In addition, the screen has a brightness of up to 1000 units, comparable to the top OLED display, ensuring excellent performance in a variety of light conditions, without any pressure when used indoors or outdoors.
Although others may see the display from the back of the screen at the moment, Lenovo made it clear at the press conference that they will continue to work on optimizing and adjusting the transmittance of the display to improve transparency while ensuring privacy. It is worth mentioning that this concept notebook also uses a touchscreen keyboard to replace the traditional physical keyboard.
Transparent screen digital products are not uncommon, but due to their high cost and technical difficulty, this design has not been widely used in the market.
Other highlights
In addition to the above, the first day of MWC 2024 featured many impressive products and new technologies. Several important alliances were also formed. Among them, Qualcomm announced its new Wi-Fi 7 solution, the Qualcomm FastConnect 7900 system.
The FastConnect 7900 is the world’s first AI-enhanced Wi-Fi system, integrating proximity perception. This is also the first time Qualcomm has combined Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and ultra-wideband functions into a single 6-nanometer process chip. Using one chip, users can achieve what typically requires three separate chips.
Qualcomm claims that with AI enhancements, users can reduce terminal power consumption by up to 30% when using popular apps. Additionally, all processes run on the terminal side, ensuring no user data is collected or monitored, which protects personal privacy.
In addition, the AI-RAN Alliance was officially established at MWC 2024. The organization aims to combine artificial intelligence and wireless communication technologies and lead technological innovation through cooperation with related companies.
The organization has 11 initial members, including semiconductor, telecom, and software giants such as Samsung, ARM, Ericsson, Microsoft, Nokia, Nvidia, and SoftBank. This new alliance will collaborate on the development of innovative new technologies and apply them to commercial products to prepare for the upcoming 6G era. The AI-RAN Alliance has set up three working groups for technical research: AI for RAN, AI and RAN, and AI on RAN (RAN refers to wireless access networks).
AI for RAN aims to leverage AI/ML technologies to improve spectrum, cost, and energy efficiency. Meanwhile, AI and RAN focus on the convergence of AI and wireless network technologies to enable efficient resource management and maximize infrastructure utilization. Additionally, AI on RAN explores new AI applications and services within wireless networks.
Login with Google