From foldable phones to rollable screens, the latest technological innovations in the mobile communication industry are on display at the 2023 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain.

The 2023 MWC, which runs from February 27 to March 2, features heavily with high-end smartphones and accessories like smartwatches, tablets and headsets, as well as other technologies such as 5G and 6G connectivity, virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence (AI) and even electric vehicles.

"Whether you're a mobile operator, a startup, a large traffic originator or a public sector body, there has never been a more exciting and rewarding time to be involved in this industry," Mats Granryd, director general of GSMA, which organizes the show, said in his opening speech on Monday.

5G, 6G connectivity

Connectivity is a key theme, and in particular the rollout of 5G technology. According to the GSMA, an industry group that represents the world's biggest mobile phone operators, 5G connections are expected to double over the next two years, reaching two billion by the end of 2025, with 6G connectivity already on the horizon.

Granryd also spoke about the usage gap as one of the biggest challenges facing the mobile industry today.

"We need to work across the whole ecosystem to eliminate the barriers, which are handset affordability and digital skills and literacy, and create relevant content in local languages to ensure everyone can safely access mobile internet."

GSMA estimates that 3.2 billion people worldwide are prevented from sharing in the benefits of access to digital services. This year's MWC also has a dedicated area to raising awareness of the usage gap and fostering digital inclusion.

Immersive entertainment

Immersive technology, whether virtual, augmented or mixed reality, is another area well-represented at the show, along with the potential of the metaverse in tandem with 5G, AI and wearables to not only provide immersive entertainment but also expand the possibilities in education, health and industry.

The show also features demonstrations from the industry-wide Open Gateway initiative, which has the support of 21 major mobile operators and aims to help developers and cloud providers enhance and deploy services more quickly via single points of access to operator networks.

Journey to the future

Industry City is also back after its launch at last year's MWC with the goal of achieving "digital everything." Industry City invites industry speakers to demonstrate how multiple sectors can adopt the latest technology to add value to businesses and enrich customer experience.

The MWC is also hosting a Manufacturing Summit, a FinTech Summit and a Smart Mobility Summit each day, where speakers discuss solutions for areas such as the digitization of global factory lines and assets, the industrial metaverse, automation or fighting financial crime.

This year's event also features the "Journey to the Future," an immersive storytelling space, a new zone to showcase the full potential of disruptive technologies in the health, sustainability, retail, sports, mobility, entertainment and robotics industries.

(With input from Xinhua)