The 2024 edition of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) has wrapped up its first day, revealing some surprising revelations to kick off the annual event for mobile device makers So far, we've seen everything from an up-close look at Samsung's highly anticipated Galaxy Ring to prototypes of new foldable phones And that's not even including Lenovo's see-through laptop display [You won't want to miss a single moment of MWC 2024 So here's a roundup of the first day of news, product announcements, and hands-on sessions on upcoming cell phones, wearables, and other mobile devices

Motorola, along with parent company Lenovo, has a new Windows 11 app that promises to make mobile multitasking easier called Smart Connect, the app allows Windows 11 laptops to connect to Motorola smartphones and Lenovo tablets, turning it into a connectivity hub that can connect to Lenovo tablets

Smart Connect works by syncing the computer with select Motorola phones, including Motorola Razr foldables, Motorola Edge midrange and flagship devices, and the budget Motorola G series

Motorola Edge

Motorola and Lenovo showed off a variety of multitasking options in their Smart Connect demo at MWC 2024, the most interesting of which was the Smart Connect feature, which detects when the phone leaves the notebook and The most interesting of these was the Smart Connect feature, which detects when the phone leaves the laptop and automatically launches a small smartphone window mirrored on the laptop's display Such a feature would allow the user to keep an eye on incoming messages without having to look away from the laptop

Lenovo offered more at MWC 2024 in the form of a new laptop concept with a very impressive display: the Lenovo ThinkBook Transparent Display Concept, a 173-inch mini LED display is completely see-through and seems to come straight from the future

According to Lenovo, the LEDs offer 1,000 nits of brightness to combat difficult lighting while also providing the ability to see through the back of the screen This allows for many AI-powered functions, such as location recognition and the ability to recognize objects placed behind the transparent display

At the very least, this is still a concept design And while there are some definite concerns about the privacy of see-through screens, Lenovo's proposal is definitely a great piece of technology that offers a glimpse into the future of mobile computing (still struggling to think of practical applications for such a feature as well)

Motorola has revived the bendable smartphone it first showed off last fall with its own concept design, and at MWC 2024, we had the opportunity to try out the smartphone ourselves by bending the screen so that the smartphone transforms into a smartwatch that can be wrapped around the wrist opportunity to try out the phone

Featuring a 69-inch FHD+ pOLEd screen, the phone can transition into several different configurations Besides being an oversized watch, it can be folded into a stand or folded like a tent and placed top and bottom on the surface In this form, both sides of the phone can be used separately

The idea of an easily foldable cell phone that can adjust its shape as needed is an attractive one, although its durability is questionable However, it is clear that the market for foldable cell phones continues to search for new designs

Recall the Galaxy Unpacked event last month At this event, a teaser of a new wearable, the Galaxy Ring, was introduced later this year Rumor had it that the ring would make its debut at MWC 2024, and it did

Still, it is good to see the Galaxy Ring properly This is because we can gauge how this smart ring will look when we have the chance to put it on our finger The ring will be available in black, gold, and silver The gold and silver, in particular, have a sleek finish and look, as one would expect from a new ring In terms of width, the Galaxy Ring does not appear to be particularly narrower or thicker than the Oura Ring Gen 3

Samsung also has yet to answer how the Galaxy Ring will be sized and whether it will ship dummy rings to users to help them find the perfect size, as the Oura Ring does However, we do know that the Galaxy Ring can track sleep and other health metrics related to Samsung Health features

Xiaomi showed off the Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Ultra at MWC 2024 These new models have amazing additional features that allow them to compete with the best camera phones, at least where new Xiaomi models are available However, European smartphone buyers should be able to purchase one of the Xiaomi 14 models

The most notable feature of the Ultra is its quad-lens Leica camera system, represented by a 50MP main camera This camera features what Xiaomi calls a "Steepless Variable Aperture," a motorized system that adjusts the aperture in 001-stop increments to precisely control the amount of light hitting the 1-inch sensor It also has a pair of 50MP ultra-wide-angle cameras and a 50MP telephoto lens, and a 32MP selfie camera on the front (the standard Xiaomi 14 loses one of its telephoto lenses and has no variable aperture feature)

Xiaomi is also pushing AI features on the phone with regard to the camera, including a new portrait AI This feature allows users to create realistic AI models of themselves and others based on 20 photos, which can then be included in a scene or photo of their choice Xiaomi is adamant that there are protections against people creating offensive images using other people's likenesses

Xiaomi is not the only company to announce a new model at MWC 2024; Honor also used the trade show to show off the Honor Magic6 Pro, which promises significant improvements in photography and battery life, although it lacks the AI features that are the centerpiece of other 2024 releases

Pre-orders for this €1,299 phone (which unfortunately will not be available in the US) are now open In our review of the Honor Magic6 Pro, we found that Honor can handle hardware just as well as the big-name brands, with photographic performance that is competitive with its competitors

Xiaomi has launched a new smartwatch, the Xiaomi Watch S3, to match its latest phone, and this model features interchangeable bezels The concept is quite simple: the Xiaomi Watch S3 allows users to freely replace the bezel on the device, twisting off the physical bezel and fitting a new bezel with very little effort

Changing the bezel does not change how the device functions However, for those who want to change the look of their watch depending on where they are going, such as working out or going for a night out, this may be enough

Xiaomi has not confirmed when the Xiaomi Watch S3 will actually arrive or how much it will cost However, the concept alone may be worth keeping an eye on