What to expect at MWC 2025: Best phones I'm anticipating from Xiaomi, Honor, Samsung, more

Mobile World Congress (MWC) is shaping up to be an exciting one this year. Off the heels of Samsung and OnePlus‘ recent smartphone launches, the Barcelona trade show will shine a brighter spotlight on the trends and innovations we’ll see in 2025. 

As always, leading global brands, including Xiaomi, Honor, and Huawei, will be present — and they’ll likely occupy a large part of the show floor. Google and Samsung are also expected to have a presence, but the chances of any major announcements are slim. And there’s almost always a showstopper that no one sees coming. 

Also: This 5-year tech industry forecast predicts some surprising winners – and losers

At MWC 2025, expect to see all of that, both in market-ready products and concepts that, while unconventional, may be just buzz-worthy enough to influence future business decisions. Here’s a run-down of what’s coming at this year’s trade show.

When is MWC 2025?

This year’s MWC will occur from March 3 to March 6, but manufacturers typically make announcements as early as the weekend before, so you’ll likely hear more about the event starting tomorrow. While the trade show was built around members of the press, analysts, business partners, and brands, anyone can access the show floor by purchasing a ticket, which costs about $1,028.

Google

The Android maker typically doesn’t launch any new hardware at MWC. Instead, it often reserves the alleyways between show floors to demonstrate its latest software tools and partners — you could say it’s one big metaphor for how intertwined Google’s services are with everything else at MWC. 

Also: The best Android phones to buy in 2025

This year’s demos will likely center around AI, cloud computing, and other productivity tools. With the Formula 1 season kicking off soon, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a McLaren F1 car, which bears Chrome branding, parked at the lot.

Samsung

Samsung made the biggest flex at MWC last year when it showcased the then-unreleased Galaxy Ring to the public. This year, the company has the opportunity to pull off something even bigger with the Galaxy S25 Edge, which was only teased during the January Unpacked event. 

While recent rumors point to an April launch date for Samsung’s slimmest phone yet, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of it making an early appearance. The mobile enthusiasts will be ready.

Nothing

London-based tech company Nothing hasn’t made much effort to keep its upcoming phone release, the 3a series, under wraps; it’s essentially unveiled the full design, camera capabilities, new AI features, and unboxing experience on social media ahead of the March 4 launch, leaving little to the imagination. 

Also: I’d ditch my Pixel 9 Pro for the next Nothing phone, so long as it prioritizes these features

That said, if our experiences testing Nothing products are any indication, the devil is in the details with the new Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro, especially when it comes to the software experience. We’ll learn more about the new phones very soon.

Xiaomi

At a time when the US smartphone market has seemingly settled into safe play and iterative changes targeted toward the every-four-to-five-year upgrader, manufacturers overseas — like Xiaomi — are continuing to push the envelope, whether it’s through 200-megapixel periscopic lenses or AI capabilities centered around on-device computing versus hybrid or full-on, cloud-based processes.

At MWC 2025, Xiaomi is expected to launch the 15 Ultra, the successor to one of the most capable camera phones we tested last year, alongside other products in its mobile portfolio. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra has technically launched in China already, but the global release may see some changes to its specifications, as often happens with these cycles, making the new phone just as noteworthy. 

Honor

Going into MWC, Honor has been teasing what it calls the Alpha Plan, an initiative that leverages AI to create useful features like deepfake detection, AI upscaling for images, and supposedly seamless connectivity with Apple products. 

Also: Oppo’s new foldable phone is one of the thinnest I’ve seen – I hope OnePlus and Samsung follow suit

We’ve seen a recent push for better interoperability across Android and iOS/MacOS devices, like with the Oppo Find N5, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Honor is working on something similar. That’s to say, I’m very excited to see exactly how reliable these new software features are, knowing how difficult it can be to dial into Apple’s operating systems.

Motorola

When I was at MWC a year ago, I had the chance to wear Motorola’s ambitiously clumsy bendable smartphone. It was the most advanced slap bracelet that everyone in the room knew would never hit the market. But the experience of testing it — and the boldness of the company — made the concept device a memorable one. Here’s hoping Motorola has another trick up its sleeves for Barcelona this week.

TCL

While TCL has been a longstanding contender in the budget smartphone space, I’d argue that its Nxtpaper technology, which emphasizes vision health and reducing eye strain, is the best value proposition of the mobile lineup. The company unveiled the TCL 60 XE Nxtpaper and Tab 11 Nxtpaper at CES in January, and it’ll likely showcase similar models at MWC.

Stay tuned

While MWC doesn’t start until Monday, March 3, expect a rollout of news and products as early as this weekend, as companies like Honor and Xiaomi are slated to deliver keynotes on Sunday. ZDNET’s team of mobile experts will be on the ground, going hands-on with everything new and reporting on the innovations and concepts that will likely shape the smartphones we use in the future.