The TechCrunch team is in Barcelona this week to bring you all the action as it happens Mobile World Congress 2024. You already know what to expect, so sit back, relax, and stay tuned all week as we bring you the products, announcements, and startup news from MWC that you need to know.
So far, we’ve seen some big announcements from companies, including new Android features from Google, Lenovo’s new laptop concept, and Xiaomi’s robotic dog. As MWC unfolds, see how you can follow along with our team’s coverage.
Doublepoint’s updated WowMouse gesture touch
DoublePoint Wowmouse app
Android smartwatch users can now have their own version of Doublepoint’s WowMouse touch gesture control app. Pinch away!
Microsoft AI Access Principles
Image Credits: Nikolas Oikonomou/NurPhoto/Getty Images
Brad Smith, president and vice president of Microsoft, today announced a framework called the “AI Access Principles,” which is an eleven-point plan that Smith said “will govern how our AI data center infrastructure and other important elements of artificial intelligence around the world.” While the takeaway here is that Microsoft is open to dialogue and conversation with stakeholders, ironically, Smith delivered the news in a keynote speech, with no room for further questions.
Xiaomi’s first electric car
Image Credits: Brian Heater
Xiaomi’s first EV — the much-anticipated Xiaomi SU7 — is light on details. We know it’s a “high-performance full-size eco-tech sedan” with plans to arrive in China sometime next year. In addition to design, Xiaomi has developed the five core EV technologies: E-Motor, CTB Integrated Battery, Xiaomi Die-Casting, Xiaomi Pilot Autonomous Driving and Smart Cabin. And, as mentioned earlier, it will have the ‘HyperOS’ operating system.
Samsung’s first smart ring
Image Credits: Brian Heater
Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but if you’re a girl who can’t sleep, Samsung’s new Galaxy Ring might become your new favorite. Some of the features include onboard sensors to measure heart rate, movement and breathing to create a cross-section of the user’s health and sleep. Questions about pricing and battery life remain unanswered for now.
Extended battery life for OnePlus
Image Credits: OnePlus
OnePlus’ upcoming Watch 2 promises a whopping 100 hours “in full Smart mode.” This claim comes after the company spent three years on its battery technology. Brian Heater spoke to Tuomas Lampen, chief strategy officer of OnePlus Europe, about why the company took so long and how it was able to squeeze 100 hours out of the new watch.
Last week, Brian mentioned that “Battery is exactly what OnePlus needs to lean into,” given that its first-generation product only had about 25 hours of battery life. And this was done with GPS turned off.
CyberDog by Xiaomi
Image Credits: Brian Heater
After years of reporting on Xiaomi’s CyberDog, Brian Heater finally got to see the robotic dog up close at MWC. He got to see the little dog shuffle and do a little dance, which he wrote reminded him of “a scaled-down version of the famous Boston Dynamics robot.” Since Brian’s story in 2021, Xiaomi has made some changes to its dog, including a more realistic version of a head to replace the previous flatter one. The CyberDog 2 can currently be purchased online for $3,000 – that’s nearly double the $1,600 price of its predecessor.
Lenovo’s laptop concept
Image Credits: Brian Heater
If you’ve always wanted to look at the back of your desk while you work, Lenovo’s new transparent laptop will surely give you that pleasure. That is, if it ever makes it to production. It looks like your standard laptop, with a few exceptions — the display has a transparent window, and that and the keyboard portion remind us of an augmented reality experience. This means that the graphics are superimposed on whatever is behind it. For now, Lenovo enjoys showing off its creativity.
Google is bringing AI to new possibilities
Today, Google introduced artificial intelligence to more of its services, including a new set of features for phones, cars and mobile devices. These use Gemini to create messages, AI-generated image captions, AI text summarization for Android Auto, as well as pass access on Wear OS. Additionally, Google Messages will get a feature that lets you access Gemini in the app. The feature is currently in beta and only supports English. The mobile giant is also rolling out some accessibility-related features. One is the Lookout app, which helps the visually impaired with things like food labels and documents, which will now create AI captions for images that are missing or have inaccurate captions or alt text.
Also at MWC, DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis spoke on a panel with Wired’s Steven Levy to talk about Google being able to “block” the ability of its multimodal AI production tool, Gemini, to image humans . The ability to respond to prompts for images of people should be back online in the “next few weeks,” he said. Natasha Lomas reports that “Google suspended the Gemini feature last week after users pointed out that the tool produced historically inappropriate images, such as portraying the founding fathers of the US as a diverse group of people and not just white men.”
A table lamp to improve your mood
Image Credits: Brian Heater
Seaborough, a Dutch company, has introduced small devices designed to replace large light therapy lamps that mimic the sun’s effect on serotonin production in the brain. One sits next to the computer and the other clips over the screen, much like an external webcam. Plug both into the USB port for power. You’ll have to wait a bit, though, as the lamp is still in proof-of-concept mode.
Infinix wants to put the back of your phone to work
Image Credits: Brian Heater
Infinix E-Color Shift improves on the e-ink screen work that was started by Yota Phone years ago. What’s new here is the addition of color, and what Brian Heater describes as “a fun aesthetic addition to the part of your device that’s almost always covered by a case, your hand, or otherwise facing down.”
