It’s a wrap for Mobile World Congress (MWC Barcelona) - the largest and arguably the most important mobile industry event, which took place in Barcelona, Spain, from Feb 28 to Mar 3, exhibiting plethora of new devices and setting the hottest trends in 2022.

As usual, Strategy Analytics was there.

On Day One we looked at the most notable devices unveiled then and over the weekend.

On Day Two, we took a deeper dive into smartphones with interesting technical specifications, and at Bluetooth device offerings on show.

On Day Three wearables took center stage.

Day Four is not a day for device introductions. Rather it is for getting in last minute meetings and taking stock.

MWC 2022 returned to form this year. High attendance and a full roster of exhibitors showed that the mobile industry was ready to spring back. 

Several trends stood out, from the launch of many affordable smartphones to conversations about increased connectivity across device platforms. One overarching theme was the strength of Chinese device brands, which made up the bulk of devices announced.

The devastating war in Ukraine was an unanticipated but unavoidable topic of conversation at the show. While it’s tragic impact on the people of Ukraine is of course the most concerning issue, from a mobile industry standpoint, there will also be impacts, not least due to shortages of crucial material needed by the industry.

In the weeks leading up to MWC 2022 there was intense speculation about the number of companies and people that would show up. Chinese vendors’ booths, heavily represented at the show, were mostly staffed by their European workers, as long quarantine times post-show made it unrealistic for China-based executives to attend. 

The number of attendees was encouraging. Approximately 60,000 people attended MWC 2022. Though down from the 110K that attended in 2019, the return of attendees highlights how important in-person events like this are to the industry. Barring a global catastrophe, we predict MWC 2023 will again top 100K attendees. There is nothing like meeting face-to-face with clients and colleagues at MWC.

Strategy Analytics will be at MWC 2023 and look forward to seeing you there!

Additional coverage and analysis of MWC 2022 smartphones can be found here and wearables here, available to clients of our Device Technologies and Wearable Devices services.