Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024, the annual trade show for mobile devices held in Barcelona, saw the unveiling of some exciting gadgets and innovations, from AI-powered smartphones to mind-blowing display concepts to the premiere of the Samsung Galaxy Ring, Samsung Galaxy Ring for the first time, there was no shortage of announcements at this year's MWC

The Tom's Guide team was at MWC 2024 to bring you the biggest product news from brands like Lenovo, Samsung, Motorola, Xiaomi, and Honor There we got a glimpse of what to expect from mobile devices in the coming months But some devices stood out more than others, resulting in the "Best of MWC 2024" list below

Check out the editors' favorites for cell phones, wearables, software, and more on display at MWC 2024

Xiaomi introduced many more products at MWC than just cell phones, but the device maker's standard Xiaomi 14 made the biggest impression in the way it compressed the flagship phone experience into a smaller, more pocket-friendly frame

Sure, 636 inches is still quite large for a compact phone, but the Xiaomi 14 packs a top-of-the-line chipset with three 50MP cameras, 90W charging, and 12GB of RAM If you have the money to buy this €1,499 device, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra goes even further

It may lack trendy AI features, but there's not much more to ask of the Xiaomi 14 other than availability in the US market And Xiaomi could show Apple, Samsung, and Google some ways to properly spec a flagship smartphone without increasing its size any further - But ZTE surprised me this year with the Nubia Flip 5G It's a $600 flip foldable phone, while most foldable phones cost over $1,000 and even the cheapest foldable phone costs $700

Even at this bargain price, the Flip 5G has a 69-inch display, a 50MP dual rear camera, a fun circular outer display with lots of widgets that can be used while the phone is closed, and a surprisingly large battery for a flexible device ZTE ships phones all over the world, and hopefully the phone will be available in both Europe and the US so that users everywhere can join the foldable ranks at a lower cost - Richard Prydey

When the topic turned to Lenovo's ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop Concept in the press in Barcelona, I laughed at first I thought it must be a spectacular gimmick But once I saw the 173-inch mini LED transparent display, the geek in me exploded: in a sea of corporate announcements at MWC, this was just the sci-fi hotness I needed [Is the ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop Concept useful? Like the privacy issues that raise red flags for this prototype But there is no denying that when viewed through the lens of the concept, just using it feels like living in a sci-fi movie It is truly a first in the laptop industry and raises the first big question of what changes AI can bring to portable computer design - Jason England

After the failure of the original OnePlus Watch, we weren't sure when (or if) the company would try again But with the debut of the OnePlus Watch 2 at MWC and the opportunity to write a review of the OnePlus Watch 2 prior to its launch, I think this may be the best recovery story the smartwatch world has ever seen

The $299 device is virtually unmatched by its predecessor, and the OnePlus Watch 2 finally gives users of the company's smartphones the companion smartwatch they deserve The combination of elegant design and durability makes for a great-looking watch, and the Wear OS 4 software helps it rival popular flagship models like the Google Pixel Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 OnePlus Watch 2 lacks some of the latest smartwatch features, but in most ways it follows the best smartwatches, marking a new start in the OnePlus Watch story - Kate Kozuch

Android Tablets - We all have a love-hate relationship with these thin tablets there is no escaping the fact that the iPad has won the tablet war decisively the Honor Pad 9 is the most iPad-like I have ever used Android tablet I have ever used

Not only is it a content-consuming dream with its gorgeous 121" 25K display, impressive luxury design, and brilliant battery life, but Honor's proprietary MagicOS on Android 13 (with the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chipset ) provides a smooth, snappy user interface with multi-finger gestures for professional-grade browsing Combine all of this with an affordable price (£200 less than the iPad 10th generation) and you've hit the jackpot - Jason England

How will our interactions with gadgets change in the future? Honor is so confident in the power of the phone's eye tracking that it has added line-of-sight-only controls to actual cars

The feature is coming later this year and will allow users to interact with the phone's "Magic Capsule," a camera and notification pill similar to Apple's Dynamic Island By simply looking at the camera pill, users will be able to check notifications and related apps without using their hands; Honor's eye-tracking feature essentially turns your gaze into a mouse, eliminating the need to touch the phone or make gestures such as waving your arms around - Tom Pritchard

Of all the folding and rollable concept smartphones we've seen over the years, few have actually seemed practical That's what makes Motorola's adaptive display concept so exciting

Although a backward-bending smartphone was unveiled at Lenovo Tech World late last year, we got our first look at the device at MWC: Featuring a 69-inch FHD+ pOLED display, this as-yet-unnamed Android phone can bend backward from flat to bend backward into several different configurations The most notable of these is a magnetic bracelet accessory that turns it into a wrist-worn smartwatch A product that promises to integrate two of my everyday devices into one I'm keeping my eye on you - Kate Kozuch

I was able to see the Humane AI Pin in action, and to be honest, there is a lot about it that makes me a little nervous about the Rabbit R1 This is all due to the multimodal AI, which makes it one of the smartest devices you can pin to your shirt

Combining voice control with the visual UI of a truly futuristic Laser Ink display projected onto your hand, it seems supremely easy to operate the Humane AI Pin and focus on its functions

Let me be clear In my opinion, the Humane AI Pin is not a replacement for a smartphone I know that is the company's sales pitch, but I do not believe that this $700 device will replace a smartphone, but rather that the world will accept AI assistance as an accessory That said, the AI Assist available from the Humane AI Pin is simply dazzling - Jason England

Samsung's Galaxy Ring was shown to the public at MWC 2024, and while I didn't get a chance to try it on, I did get a full view of the ring's design While it does not appear to be significantly different from devices in its class, the major selling point of a smart ring is discretion, so a slim size and a sleek finish are a must, and the Galaxy Ring has both

Hong Pak, Samsung's vice president of digital health, has confirmed major partnership plans, and we know that Galaxy Ring has big ambitions in the health space But most of all, we want to see how much the device will cost; if the Galaxy Ring can undercut products like the Oura Ring, Samsung will have one of the most attractive products of the year Needless to say, this is one product to watch - Kate Kozuch

TCL made a big leap forward in AR glasses technology at MWC 2024 with the RayNeo X2 and X2 Lite, AI-powered microLED augmented reality glasses with full color images in both lenses

Even better, they weigh only 423 oz and 21 oz respectively While still bulkier than a standard frame, they are much more comfortable than a full-size AR headset The onboard AI assistant is also designed to be a true companion, with Chat GPT-based conversation, object recognition, real-time translation, and glasses-based navigation And it can do all of that without being linked to a smartphone If this is a preview of what is to come, we are all for it - Tom Pritchard