Several smartphones were presented during MWC 2024. This is the case with the Honor Magic6 Pro, the brand's most premium conventional model (apart from the folding models). It highlights impressive specifications. In fact, it is equipped with a 6.8-inch LTPO OLED screen that offers very high brightness and benefits from extremely solid protection thanks to NanoCrystal Shield technology, making it ten times more resistant to drops than standard glass. It runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor accompanied by 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The operating system is MagicOS 8.0, based on Android 14.
When it comes to photography, the Magic6 Pro features a triple camera setup on the back, including a 50-megapixel primary sensor with OIS (optical stabilization), a 180-megapixel periscope telephoto lens with 2.5x optical Zoom and a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto lens -megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor. It also has a 50-megapixel front camera and a 3D ToF sensor with eye tracking. The smartphone is powered by a 5600 mAh battery that supports 80W wired fast charging and 66W wireless charging, with the possibility of 5W reverse wired charging. The Honor Magic6 Pro smartphone was priced at 1,299 euros announced and benefits from an attractive introductory offer.
The price of the Honor Magic V2 RSR Porsche Design smartphone, whose technical characteristics were known, was announced during MWC 2024. It stands out for its elegant, automotive-inspired design, particularly its resemblance to the hood of a Porsche 911. This book-sized folding model is the result of a collaboration between Honor and the German studio Porsche Design and offers a first-class user experience. Like its “classic” version, the Magic V2, it is the thinnest book-style folding phone on the market and features the signature Porsche Agate Gray color. It features a foldable LTPO OLED screen that offers an exceptional visual experience, with increased protection thanks to the scratch-resistant NanoCrystal Shield technology on the back. Its 5000mAh silicon-carbon battery supports 66W fast charging.
Otherwise, it is equipped with a triple rear camera system that offers particularly good image quality for various shooting modes, including night photography, zoom and time-lapse. The Honor Magic V2 RSR Porsche Design is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and features 16GB of RAM and 1TB of internal storage, promising smooth performance for all applications.
The Honor Magic V2 RSR Porsche Design can be pre-ordered for 2,699 euros.
The two “new products” from Xiaomi
Xiaomi has unveiled its entire Xiaomi 14 series. Presented on the Chinese market a few months ago, the Xiaomi 14 is finally a reality here. It features a compact design with a glossy glass shell. Inside, it's powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and offers cutting-edge connectivity, including Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. The Xiaomi 14 stands out for its set of three cameras, developed in collaboration with Leica and covering a focal length range of 14mm to 75mm. It comes with a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 50-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor. It is capable of filming in HDR Dolby Vision format. It has 12GB of RAM with 256 or 512GB of storage and is powered by a 4610mAh battery that supports 90W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. The screen is a 6.36-inch CrystalRes AMOLED model with a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz. The Xiaomi 14 is available for 999 euros in the 12+256 GB version and 1099 euros for the 12+512 GB version. Configuration available.
A real novelty this time was the announcement of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, a model consistently oriented towards photography. Note that it can be combined with a photography kit consisting of a textured handle with a built-in battery, a shutter button for better grip, as well as round blocks for attaching filters.
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra features a set of four rear cameras, all customized by Leica, offering exceptional image quality. It includes a 50-megapixel Sony LYT 900 main camera with variable aperture f/1.63 to f/4.0 and optically stabilized, a 50-megapixel Sony IMX858 telephoto lens with OIS, a 50-megapixel Sony IMX858 periscope camera with OIS and a 50 megapixel Sony IMX 858 ultra wide angle camera with autofocus. This setup offers unparalleled flexibility for any type of photography, from portrait to landscape, with Leica image quality and exclusive software filters. Inside, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor with 16GB of RAM. It features a very large 6.73-inch AMOLED screen curved on all 4 sides and, according to the brand, can reach a record brightness of 3000 nits. Like the Xiaomi 14, it is IP68 certified. It has a 5300mAh capacity battery and supports 90W wired and 80W wireless charging. The Xiaomi 14 costs 1,499 euros.
Nubia Flip 5G, the affordable folding clamshell
In addition to the high-end models, one of the most interesting innovations at the trade fair was the presentation of the foldable flip smartphone from the Nubia brand, the Nubia Flip 5G. In addition to its format, which is similar to that of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 and Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, for example, it has the advantage of being offered for less than 500 euros. However, this does not prevent it from having a large 6.9-inch foldable OLED screen with a resolution of 1188 x 2790 pixels and a refresh rate of 120 Hz, complemented by a 1.43-inch circular secondary screen on the top Cover is added, which allows quick access to notifications and basic functions without having to open the phone.
The Nubia Flip 5G is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage, ensuring solid performance for everyday tasks and multitasking. The smartphone runs Android 13 and has a camera system consisting of a 50-megapixel main sensor, supported by a 2-megapixel depth sensor for portraits, and a 16-megapixel front camera for video calls and selfies. It has a 4310mAh capacity battery that supports 33W charging. It is available in purple with highlights or gold and will soon be available in France.
Energizer Ultimate U660S, the other foldable phone for less than €500
The Energizer Ultimate U660S foldable smartphone was officially launched at MWC 2024, positioning itself as an affordable option in the foldable phone category. The clamshell-sized device is equipped with a 6.67-inch vertically foldable OLED screen with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. It also has an external screen for viewing notifications and other quick controls. The U660S is powered by the MediaTek Helio G99 chipset accompanied by 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
On the camera side, it offers a 64-megapixel main sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensor and a 25-megapixel front camera. Although the Energizer brand is known for its large capacity batteries, the U660S only has a 3,400mAh battery. It runs Android 14, is 4G compatible and will be available from November at a price of 499 euros.
The TCL 50 series, from €59 to €149
The TCL brand took advantage of MWC 2024 in Barcelona to present its new entry-level smartphones. The TCL 50 series therefore consists of the models TCL 501, TCL 505, TCL 50 SE and TCL 50 5G. Prices range between 59 and 149 euros. Depending on the model, it has large LCD screens with different chipsets, the most powerful of which is the MediaTek Dimensity 6000+. They have a battery of at least 5000 mAh, except for the TCL 501 which is limited to 3100 mAh. The TCL Series 50 smartphones benefit from an all-round modern design.
Motorola Rizr, a concept that meets all desires
Finally, Motorola presented its concept to the MWC 2024 audience, unveiled at Lenovo Tech World in late October 2023. It's called Motorola Rizr and it's unlikely to be commercialized one day, but it shows that the know-how is making an impression on innovation in the mobility segment.
The device is a rollable smartphone that can be worn on the wrist and features a 5-inch screen that can be expanded to 6.5 inches. This advanced prototype, still in the experimental stage and running Android, can also follow other shapes, such as an easel to play a game together, for example, or be ideally positioned for video calls.