It’s that time of the year again. CES 2026 is behind us, and now our attention turns to Europe as MWC 2026 Barcelona is just a couple of weeks away. For those unfamiliar, MWC, or Mobile World Congress, is one of the biggest annual events in the mobile industry. It is a trade show similar to CES, where brands from around the world showcase their latest gadgets and innovations.
Like in previous years, the Android Central team will be on the show floor bringing you hands-on coverage and highlighting what truly matters. Several brands, including Honor, Meta, and Tecno, have already confirmed their presence at MWC, and we expect plenty of new product announcements.
MWC 2026: Cheat Sheet
- What is it? Mobile World Congress, or MWC, is the world’s largest consumer and business trade show where brands showcase their latest innovations. Expect new smartphones, wearables, consumer tech, and of course, plenty of AI-focused products on display.
- Who is it for? Tech enthusiasts, industry professionals, telecom experts, analysts, and members of the media who want to see what is next in communications and consumer technology.
- Where is it? MWC 2026 will take place at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, Spain.
- When is it? MWC typically runs in late February or early March. This year, it will take place from March 2 to March 5, 2026.
- What does it cost? Standard exhibition passes start at €989 and can be purchased directly from the official MWC website.
What companies will be there at MWC 2026?
Given the scale of MWC 2026, you can expect just about every major player in mobile tech to have a presence in Barcelona. That said, in recent years, some brands have chosen to host their own standalone events around the same time to grab headlines.
Samsung, for instance, is holding its Galaxy Unpacked event on February 25 to launch the Galaxy S26 series, while Nothing has the Phone 4a series event scheduled for March 5. Even so, many brands are expected to be on the show floor. Here are some notable ones we expect to see:
- TECNO
- Honor
- Nothing
- Xiaomi
- Samsung
- Dell
- RedMagic
- Vivo
- Lenovo and Motorola
- Qualcomm
- MediaTek
- Microsoft
- Arm
- Meta
- TCL
- ZTE
- Adobe
- Huawei
What to expect from MWC 2026?
Unlike the past few years, not many brands have officially confirmed their presence at MWC 2026 just yet. That could change soon, though, since the main show is still a couple of weeks away and announcements typically ramp up closer to the event.
Even so, we already have confirmation from a few companies. Here are the brands that have confirmed so far, along with those we expect to see at MWC 2026, although this is by no means an exhaustive list.
Google typically has a big presence at MWC with a sizeable booth on the show floor, but it usually reserves its biggest software announcements for Google I/O, which is now confirmed for May 19, 2026. So if you’re hoping for major Android 17 news, this probably isn’t the event for it.
The Pixel 10a launched recently, so we could see it showcased on the show floor. That said, you can still expect some AI and Android-related updates from Google during MWC. It’s also worth noting that Android 16 QPR3 is scheduled for March, so the company could officially roll it out around the event with a few new features.
Honor
Honor is one of the brands riding high right now. The company has posted strong growth recently and also impressed us with the Magic 8 Pro. It’s also one of the few major names that has officially confirmed its presence at MWC 2026. While Honor hasn’t revealed the exact date and time of its keynote yet, we’re expecting at least two big hardware launches from the brand.
There’s a good chance we’ll see a new foldable as a follow-up to last year’s Magic V5. In addition, Honor’s microsite hints that its anticipated Robot Phone will be on the show floor. We still don’t know exactly what the Robot Phone will offer, but it appears to be a smartphone paired with a gimbal-style camera setup and AI features on top.
Samsung
Samsung usually has a big presence at MWC, but this year it’s hosting its Galaxy Unpacked event just days before the show, on February 25 in San Francisco. That means the Galaxy S26 series will already be official by the time MWC kicks off.
Even so, MWC could be the first opportunity for both media and the public to go hands-on with the new Galaxy S26 series.
Last year, Samsung also showcased the Galaxy S25 Edge again at MWC after unveiling it at Unpacked, so we are hoping to see a few surprises from the Korean brand this time as well.
Tecno
Alongside Xiaomi and Honor, Tecno has also become a regular at MWC, and the company is hosting another showcase this year. Last year, Tecno grabbed attention with its Spark concept phone, which managed to pack high-end specs and a bigger battery than the Galaxy S25 Edge in a ‘slim’ form factor.
This year, we’re expecting something equally fun. Tecno has already confirmed that it’ll unveil the CAMON 50 Series and the POVA 8 Series at the show. And if past years are anything to go by, we won’t be surprised to see another bold concept device or a few ecosystem products make an appearance alongside the new phones.
Nothing
Nothing has confirmed that it will host the Phone 4a series launch event in London on March 5, just after MWC 2026 wraps up. That said, the company is known for building hype ahead of its launches, and MWC would be the perfect stage to tease what’s coming.
Rumors suggest Nothing will launch two devices as part of the lineup, the Phone 4a and Phone 4a Pro, with updated cameras, a slightly refreshed design, and a new chipset. Nothing has already confirmed that there will be no flagship release from the brand this year, so these could be the only smartphones we see from the company in 2026.
HMD
HMD usually has something interesting to unveil at MWC. Last year, the company showcased earbuds that doubled as a MagSafe power bank, and this year we’re once again expecting something creative from the brand.
Xiaomi
For the past few years, Xiaomi has used MWC as its global launchpad for flagship phones, and 2026 should be no different. We’re expecting to see the Xiaomi 17 and Xiaomi 17 Ultra make their international debut in Barcelona. The global variant of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is rumored to feature top-tier specs, including the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and a sizeable 6,000+ mAh battery.
As usual, the real highlight will likely be Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s Leica-tuned camera system. Beyond the phones, Xiaomi typically brings along a few ecosystem products as well, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see new wearables, tablets, or smart home devices share the stage.
Qualcomm
Qualcomm typically has a large presence at MWC. While we do not expect the company to launch any new consumer hardware on the show floor, it usually showcases a range of demos highlighting its latest SoCs and chip capabilities. This year, however, could be slightly different.
Qualcomm’s SVP of Engineering, John Smee, recently revealed in an interview that the company will showcase 6G technologies at MWC 2026 and “not just theoretical innovation but live applications.”
MediaTek
MediaTek has confirmed that it will host its ‘AI for Life’ keynote on March 4 at 10:30 AM CET, which is 4:30 AM ET. The company says the keynote will highlight its newest products and innovations, along with insights into its latest partnerships, so this is one event we will be watching closely.
Beyond the big phone launches, expect plenty of AI gadgets across categories. Smart glasses had a major moment at CES, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see even more brands push into that space at MWC. We’ll be on the show floor all week, so make sure to check back for all the latest updates from the show floor.
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