Mobile World Congress is one of the few global events a tech enthusiast simply can’t miss. This conference is a perfect showcase of not only what will be on everybody’s lips during the next year technology-wise but also more slow-burning global trends that will shape the world of innovation in the more distant future.
This year, Light IT Global’s VP of Sales and IT Services, Denis Kovalenko, represented our company in Barcelona for the fourth year in a row. So, we’ve had a chance to gather some of the most interesting insights from MWC 2025 and compile them all within this article. Now, even if you couldn’t make it to the Mobile World Congress, you won’t miss a thing!
AI Phones Are a Thing. Probably.
Several companies at MWC presented their versions of AI phones. Those aren’t really your standard version of a smartphone full of AI-powered apps that now can work smarter and deliver a higher level of personalization. No. We’re talking about smartphones that are more like “app-less” devices primarily controlled by voice and smartphones that train their AI models specifically on the owner’s information.
The idea behind such devices is to make not only simple tasks (like online shopping, making a restaurant reservation, or composing an email) instant and effortless but also automate more complex assignments. For example, Newnal’s AI phone creates a digital avatar of the device’s owner and, after collecting enough data, can complete things like choosing and buying the best car insurance for you completely on their own.
Obviously, controlled demos and working in real life are two different things. Sure there are a lot of privacy concerns when it comes to implementation and cybersecurity. But it’s concepts like these that push the boundaries of what is possible not only withing sci-fi realm but in real world as well.
Solar Energy Changes the Way We Charge Our Devices
Switching to more sustainable renewable energy sources has been on many people’s minds for a while now. And it’s great to see that some of the most influential tech giants have already made essential steps in this direction.
During MWC 2025, Lenovo presented the concept of a laptop that can be charged with solar energy. The device is called Yoga Solar PC, and it has a conversion rate of more than 24%.
A solar panel consisting of 84 solar cells is built into the laptop’s lid and can provide up to one hour of video playback from just 20 minutes of exposure to direct sunlight.
No doubt, the device produces the best charging results during a clear sunny day, but Lenovo rightfully claims that such a capability will be a nice alternative for those who’d like to have an opportunity to use a laptop when a power outlet isn’t available and to be more environmentally aware.
Infinix, a China-based company, presented an idea similar to Lenovo — a smartphone that can be charged with sunlight. The solar panel is placed on the back of the smartphone and ensures the device can be charged at up to 2W speeds if the lighting conditions are optimal (sunny and cloudless).
Both of these concepts look pretty promising, especially considering the fact that they can still be charged in a conventional way. Yet, neither Lenovo nor Infinix didn’t announce the dates for putting these devices into production. Guess we’ll have to wait a little longer.
5G Standalone Is the Not-so-new Hope
Multiple speakers at this year’s MWC touched the subject of 5G and 5G standalone (aka 5G SA) specifically.
Mats Granryd, Director General at GSMA, noted that among 300 existing 5G networks, only 61 have implemented 5G SA, significantly hindering the economic potential of this technology. According to him, if all 300 networks had 5G SA, it could enable enterprises to add $4.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030.
The two biggest drawbacks holding telcos back regarding 5G adoption are issues with investment monetization and combining networks’ cost-efficiency and security with optimal performance.
Vodaphone CEO, Margherita Della Valle also noticed that Europe is currently falling short when it comes to 5G SA implementation and availability. According to the recent survey data, 5G standalone is available to customers in Europe only 2% of the time, which is unacceptable considering the fact that digital connectivity is a major driver of economic growth.
During his speech Makoto Takahashi, the CEO of KDDI Corporation, showcased the actual benefits brought by the implementation of 5G SA. After launching 5G standalone with 39,000 Sub6 base stations all over Japan, KDDI Corporation has managed to get a significant boost in customer satisfaction rate and be named the best Japanese network (out of 40 existing) according to the Opensignal survey.
Open Gateway as a Benchmark for Global Industrial Ecosystem Collaboration
An initiative launched by GSMA promotes the transformation of telecom networks on open, programmable platforms. The utilization of standardized APIs not only helps the global community unlock new network capabilities but also cooperate in more transparent and collaborative ways.
According to Mats Granryd, open gateway currently unites operators covering almost 80% of the global mobile connections. In 2025, 52 commercial networks enable over 200 APIs, enhancing digital security, providing more opportunities for Agile development, and facilitating innovation and the exchange of ideas/experiences.
Wrapping it Up
Mobile World Congress was a blast. But how can you expect anything less from an event uniting 100K+ innovation proponents from around the globe? Unfortunately, we can’t include every single amazing speech and presentation that took place at MWC this year as will take forever for you to read. But if this year’s conference got your creative juices flowing and you have an idea you’d like to implement, you can always reach out! Light IT Global’s experts are always ready to apply their knowledge and skills to help innovative businesses establish themselves, grow, and succeed.
