[Report] MWC Recovers Pre-COVID-19 Atmosphere... Experience Future Technologies

"Feels Like Returning to 2019"
Top Topic 'AI'... Waiting 2 Hours to Board UAM
Chinese Companies Taking Deliberate Steps

[Barcelona=Asia Economy Reporter Oh Su-yeon] On the 27th (local time), the plaza in front of Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, Spain, was bustling with numerous people from early morning. Spectators from around the world gathered to participate in Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023, creating a spectacular scene of long queues waiting to enter even before the opening. The MWC organizers said that this year they introduced QR codes and facial recognition features to enable faster entry, but due to the large crowds, avoiding congestion was difficult. A representative from a domestic telecom company said, "It feels like we have returned to 2019, before COVID-19." The organizers expect more than 100,000 visitors this year, which is over 30% more compared to last year.

MWC 2023 held at Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain

AI Shakes Up the Exhibition Halls

The keyword running through this event was undoubtedly artificial intelligence (AI). Domestic telecom companies such as SK Telecom and KT, as well as global telecom companies and startups, showcased technologies and services centered around AI.

In particular, SK Telecom’s life-sized urban air mobility (UAM) aircraft model and virtual experience simulator, integrated with AI in Hall 3, attracted great popularity. Visitors had to wait up to two hours to board. It was arguably the most popular exhibition corner of the event. Clara Canals Domenech, who experienced the UAM, said, "It was an incredibly good experience. The movements and visuals were realistic and vivid, and I would recommend it as a futuristic experience." An overseas company representative attending MWC said, "I visited several halls today, and SKT’s UAM seems to be the most popular at this MWC." The reporter also boarded the UAM on a journey from Gimpo Airport to Walkerhill Hotel. The feeling of flying over congested roads was refreshing. The movements were so lifelike that it felt like actually riding a UAM. The AI agent ‘Aidot’’s upcoming long-term memory and multimodal functions, to be introduced next month, were also intriguing.

The Samsung Electronics exhibition hall, which showcased a premium mobile experience based on the ‘Galaxy ecosystem,’ was also packed. Visitors were satisfied as they directly experienced the powerful cameras and mobile gaming performance within the Galaxy ecosystem, composed of the ‘Galaxy S23 series’ and the laptop ‘Galaxy Book3.’ The reporter took photos in a studio themed around the night of Seoul. The vivid and rich colors expressed even in the dark were impressive.

KT set up an exhibition hall in Hall 4 to introduce its new digital platform company (Digico) business. Upon entering the booth, the first thing that catches the eye is the corner introducing the super-large AI ‘Mideum’ and the open AI research and development portal ‘Genie Labs.’ The cloud federation service was impressive. Scheduled for commercialization by the end of this year, it will connect 20 global telecom companies based on the cloud, allowing Korean telecom users to authenticate themselves via text messages even in Spain. Group affiliates such as BC Card and Studio Genie also participated. Posters of Studio Genie and ENA channel works were displayed on one side of the booth. A KT representative in charge of the booth tour said, "Foreigners also know KT content very well." The power of K-content was truly felt.

Yu Young-sang, CEO of SKT, is taking a commemorative photo after experiencing UAM at the SKT exhibition hall at MWC2023 on the 27th (local time).
[Photo by Oh Su-yeon]

Samsung Electronics allowed visitors to experience the Galaxy ecosystem with the latest products such as the ‘Galaxy S23 series’ and the laptop ‘Galaxy Book3.’ Visitors were able to experience the powerful camera and mobile gaming performance. The reporter took photos in a studio themed around the night of Seoul, which showed vivid and rich colors even in darkness.

China Sharpens Its Blades

MWC 2023 Huawei Exhibition Hall View
Photo by Oh Su-yeon

At MWC23, Chinese companies’ exhibition halls also stood out. As the conflict between the U.S. and China has prolonged, Chinese companies that could not participate in CES 2023 held in the U.S. last month have turned their sights to the European market.

In particular, Huawei rented the entire Hall 1, one of the seven main exhibition halls. It is the largest scale among the participating companies this year. Huawei exhibited a variety of products from devices to business-to-business (B2B) equipment under the theme ‘Guide.’ Chinese smartphone companies such as Xiaomi, Honor, and Oppo also brought their latest smartphones to MWC. Xiaomi unveiled the ‘Xiaomi 13 series’ on the 26th, the day before the exhibition opened. Priced at about 1.8 million won, this product features enhanced camera performance in collaboration with the German luxury camera company Leica. Xiaomi is advertising extensively on all digital billboards at the subway station platforms near the exhibition hall. Oppo showcased the global version of its foldable phone ‘Find N2 Flip.’