BARCELONA—Mobile World Congress is brimming with new phones this year. While the trade show also features gadgets beyond handsets—like Batman-style smart glasses—innovative phone designs with the latest wireless technology remain its main attraction.
Some of the biggest names have skipped the show to host their own events, a trend that’s become common. Samsung held its annual Unpacked event in San Francisco mere days before MWC, unveiling the Galaxy S26 series and more. Apple just announced the iPhone 17e, the M5-powered iPad Air, and more. And Nothing plans to showcase the Nothing Phone 4a in London later this week.
But back in Barcelona, I’ve been able to get a firsthand look at the latest releases from Honor, Moto, Xiaomi, and more, and I’ve seen a mix of bold designs, impressive specs, and some surprising innovations that hint at the future of smartphones. From edge-to-edge displays and next-gen cameras to longer-lasting batteries and creative software tweaks, these phones showcase how quickly the market is evolving. I can’t wait to dive deeper into each one to see how they perform in real-world use.
Best Phone Overall
Moto Razr Fold (Credit: Eric Zeman)
The Moto Razr Fold is packed with impressive features. Its foldable, book-style design is remarkably slim and light, while the camera system stands out for its performance. According to Motorola, DXOMark ranked the Razr Fold as the top camera among foldable devices and the second-best across all phones in North America. It’s also durable, as it carries both IP68 and IP69 ratings, providing protection from dust and powerful water jets. And its 6.6-inch front screen is reinforced with Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3 for enhanced scratch and impact resistance. Creatives and note-takers will appreciate the support for the Moto Pen Ultra, which works seamlessly on the cover screen and the large 8.1-inch interior display.
Best Camera Phone
Xiaomi 17 Ultra (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Xiaomi 17 Ultra
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra feels more like a camera than a phone, but that’s what makes it so amazing. Xiaomi swung for the fences on this one, and it’s a near homerun. The 17 Ultra is the latest device to result from the partnership between Xiaomi and Leica, and it packs a Leica-designed Summilux lens and processing software. It has three 50MP cameras (main, ultrawide, and selfie) and a 200MP optical zoom telephoto camera. It captures video at up to 8K30 or 4K60 in Dolby Vision. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s 6.9-inch screen has 2,608 by 1,200 pixels, supports 68 billion colors, and delivers 3,500 nits of brightness (peak). It’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 8, has 16GB of RAM, and comes with 512GB or 1TB of storage. Inside, it has a 6,000mAh silicon-carbon battery and runs Android 16 with Xiaomi’s homegrown AI on board. It’s impressive all around and hits the street soon for €1,499 (approximately $1,743).
Best Phone Zoom
Vivo X300 (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
Vivo X300
If you’re into cameras, the Vivo X300 is the phone for you. Its defining feature is a 200MP camera sensor that can be paired with multiple lens accessories, including a huge 400mm lens called the Vivo Zeiss Telephoto Extender Gen 2 Ultra. It allows for 8x optical zoom, which can be combined with digital zoom to reach 30x. The company didn’t share too many details about the phone, but it has a good-sized screen, a decent build, and likely a top-shelf processor to handle 4K60 video capture. Vivo partnered with SmallRig, which made a pro-grade camera cage with cold shoe mounts for things like external flashes, microphones, and grips. Other features include dedicated physical buttons for the shutter, a zoom dial, and a piezo fan to keep things cool. Lastly, it supports ACES (Academy Color Encoding System) for videographers who need to perform color conversion in post-production.
Best Foldable Phone
Honor Magic V6 (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Honor Magic V6
If you weren’t paying close attention, you might have missed the fact that Honor announced a new foldable at MWC. After all, it brought a humanoid robot on stage and had it breakdance with a dozen other dancers. The Honor Magic V6 is incredibly slim, measuring 8.75mm when folded and 4.4mm when opened. It has an IP68/69 rating for protection against dust and water jets and a large 6,660mAh silicon-carbon battery with 80W wired charging. The outer screen runs a full-size 6.52 inches, and the inner screen stretches 7.95 inches. Both feature an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz and reach 6,000 nits (outer) and 5,000 nits (inner) brightness. The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and features 16GB of RAM and 512GB of ROM. Connectivity options include 5G (sub-6GHz), Bluetooth 6.0, GPS, NFC, and Wi-Fi 7, while the cameras include a 50MP main, a 64MP optical telephoto, and a 50MP ultrawide. It’s striking to hold in your hand and is one of the most powerful foldables we’ve seen.
Recommended by Our Editors
Most Interesting Phone
Oukitel WP63 (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Oukitel WP63
The Oukitel WP63‘s claim to fame? It can start fires. Not accidentally with a swollen or exploding battery, but intentionally with a miniature cigarette lighter built into the top. This phone is meant to help you survive out in the wild, and sometimes that means you need to start a fire to keep warm or cook food. The phone has a 6.7-inch, 720p display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and it is driven by a Unisoc T8200 (T765) chipset. Its utterly massive 20,000mAh battery can charge other devices at 18W thanks to a built-in USB-C cable. Safety features include a bright light, a large, loud alarm speaker, a durable design, and satellite emergency SOS functionality. Oukitel didn’t say much else about the phone other than that it can be a lifesaver thanks to its pop-out firestarter. That makes it the most interesting phone I saw at MWC.
Best Concept Phone
This Phone Adds Cameras, Battery Packs and More Magnetically
Tecno Atom Moda Edition
Phones are ripe for add-ons. We already slap cases on them, why not make the cases do interesting things? That’s the idea behind the Tecno Atom Moda Edition, a phone that embraces magnetic modularity. Tecno calls its system Modular Magnetic Interconnection Technology. The phone itself is a pretty neat, futuristic device that has a large screen, a raised camera bar, and exposed pogo pins for connecting to the mods. Tecno had a handful of mods on display, including batteries, earbuds, and more. The most significant mod is a camera attachment with an optical zoom lens. Tecno didn’t say how much zoom the lens provides, but there’s even an action camera mod for point-of-view video capture. Tecno didn’t say whether the Atom Moda Edition will live beyond the design stage, but the concept is a great one, and I’d like to see it developed further.
More of the Best From MWC
Our Experts’ Favorite Products at MWC 2026 | All Things Mobile
For a broader perspective on the most noteworthy innovations from the event, be sure to check out our full Best of MWC roundup, which highlights standout devices, game-changing features, and the trends shaping the year ahead.
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About Our Expert
Eric Zeman
Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics
Experience
I’m PCMag’s managing editor for consumer electronics content, overseeing an experienced team of reviewers and product testers. I’ve been covering technology for about 25 years. Prior to PCMag, I worked at outlets such as Android Authority, Fortune, InformationWeek, and Phonescoop.
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