Screens that fold or protrude in the hand and other MWC 2024 curiosities | Technologies

At any Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, ​​there are small technological oddities that surprise visitors. 2024 is no exception; It’s easy to find a small autonomous car gliding through crowded hallways and a robot dog stomping across an exhibitor floor, although this year MWC’s most striking eccentricities come in screen form.

Cameras and flashing They clustered on the Lenovo display, around the transparent laptop, and also, very close, around the prototype smartphone flexible from Motorola. But if there’s a panel that grabs attention, it’s the one that projects the AI ​​output.

Smart device in your fist with AI contact

Founded by former Apple executives in 2018, the company launch Humane only introduced its first product late last year. This is the output of AI, and at MWC we were able to see firsthand how this technology works. It consists of an electronic device that hangs on clothing at chest level and performs the functions of a smartphone.

The pin integrates artificial intelligence, specifically the OpenAI GPT-4 model, to enhance the user experience. So you can ask the device to play music, translate a conversation, take a photo, or just give us ChatGPT-style answers. As an additional mode, it allows you to project a green phosphorescent screen onto your hand or other surface. There you can read texts or access a gesture-controlled interface. By moving your hand in one direction or another, you navigate through the menu and, clenching your fist, enter the selected option.

A Humane spokesperson notes that the AI ​​pin is not intended to be a replacement smartphones completely, but do so under certain circumstances. If the user goes on an excursion and does not want to carry smartphone, a new device may be an alternative. It has a 4G connection, although AI task processing is done locally and so has some latency. It’s currently only available online outside the US for $699.

Laptop with transparent screen

Lenovo brought to the fair a working prototype that is unique to date. This is the ThinkBook Transparent Laptop concept – a 17.3-inch laptop. Each of its surfaces is transparent. There were only five units of this product produced and they are almost handmade as they are assembled by hand.

Aiguo Zheng, Lenovo CEO and project leader, explains that the transparent screen has a real purpose. For those professionals who design objects, this laptop allows you to see how 3D digital models look in a real-life scenario. You just need to point the computer at the place where the designed objects will be placed, such as a bookshelf or living room at home. In addition, the panel provides a more immersive digital entertainment experience.

If a company wants to enter the market, it still needs to finalize some aspects. The device should have stronger glass to avoid damage. Also, thanks to the transparent screen material, you won’t get much resolution, only 720p. But here Zheng runs into a problem: the more pixels he crams into a panel to increase resolution, the less transparent it becomes. And there is still a big barrier: today it is too expensive.

Electric car produced by mobile brand

It’s not one of the most impressive devices – if you can call it that – but the Xiaomi SU7 fully fits the bill Mobile curiosity. This is the first time a company widely known for selling smartphones has ventured into a complex sector such as the automotive industry. And this, of course, with all the power of brand image that mobile phones provide.

Xiaomi SU7 is an electric car with an ambitious design. It’s reminiscent of a Tesla, and probably just like the Apple imitations in smartphones, Elon Musk’s company served as the benchmark for this car. It is promised a range of 800 kilometers, and its power reaches 664 horsepower with a top speed of 265 km/h. Inside, it has a 16-inch screen and 3K resolution.

Motorola Flexible Mobile Phone

Motorola’s new adaptive screen prototype is also part of Mobile’s extravagance. Is not smartphone folding. To do this, it must have a hinge that allows it to be opened and closed like a book. Instead, this device folds so that it can be attached to your wrist and become a wearable devices. The terminal with a 6.9-inch pOLED screen is currently intended for display only. A commercial product using this technology has not yet been developed. This is just a glimpse of what may happen in the future.

Coffee machine in an autonomous car

Italian coffee vending machine company Rhea has developed a prototype that radically changes its typical product. The company calls it an “on-demand barista,” and it is an autonomous vehicle equipped with all the equipment needed to prepare and serve coffee. The idea, as the company explains, is to make the most of people flows. A static machine may have a high flow and dispense a lot of coffee at certain times of the day, but very little at other times. Rhea’s car moves in search of caffeine-hungry customers.

The self-driving system is developed by Chinese company Neolix, while the rest is Rhea’s work. The Italian company notes that its machine will begin operating at Shenzhen airport (China), probably in the next two months. It’s in these people-moving environments that this particular truck will perform best. University campuses or parks are another favorable scenario for off-grid coffee distribution.

Electronics descend on the rings

Another Mobile curiosity was the ring demonstrated by Samsung. While it’s not yet a final product, the Galaxy Ring was given a tour of the show—or rather, its display case—to give some insight into its capabilities. Using a finger, it allows you to measure various physiological parameters such as heart rate, breathing rate or sleep onset time.

The received data is sent to smartphone and are primarily analyzed at the local level, conclusions can be drawn about personal health and well-being. They are an incentive to change habits and behavior if necessary. The Samsung ring, which invited Barcelona to EL PAÍS at MWC, aims to attract new users who have not yet purchased others wearable devicesfor example smart watches or bracelets.

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