MWC 2025: The coolest laptops & phones we saw

MWC is an extravaganza of new smartphones and other tech. This year, the offerings were truly impressive. Check out the coolest laptops and smartphones we saw!

Buzz-worthy laptops & phones

The Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 wrapped up yesterday. Like every year, brands showcased a flurry of innovations and off-the-wall concept designs. While I could wax poetic about the AI rings and foldable projectors, today I want to focus on the laptops and phones from the event. It is the Mobile World Congress, after all. From a solar-powered laptop and a color-changing smartphone, there was a lot to be impressed by. Want to know more? Check out my roundup of the coolest laptops & phones from MWC 2025.

Yes, this year companies like Lenovo and Infinix unveiled some of the coolest—and most useful—mobile devices I’ve seen in some time. I’ve already mentioned Lenovo’s solar-powered laptop, but Infinix also showcased an action camera-like clip-on trifold smartphone that would be great for fitness and outdoor enthusiasts who want to capture their greatest moves—with the phone they carry every day.

Later in the week, Newnal, a South Korean-based startup teased mobile software that reportedly uses your past and present data to create an AI assistant that looks and acts like you. It’s only slightly creepy…

Without further ado, here are some of the coolest laptops and phones from MWC 2025.

1. Lenovo’s solar-powered Yoga laptop

There aren’t too many laptops that can get their power from the sun. However, the Lenovo Solar-Powered Yoga Concept Laptop could set a new trend. Love working outdoors? This laptop makes it easier—and supports many consumers’ vision of a future based on renewable energy

So how does the laptop work? It has a built-in solar panel with a solar energy conversion rate of over 24%—one of the highest in the industry. Meanwhile, the Dynamic Solar Tracking system continually measures the solar panel’s current and voltage, making sure that the laptop keeps a charge. Basically, it’s always monitoring its own battery and adjusting to get more power.

My personal take: I love me some solar gadgets! And one that checks its own battery and adapts for more power sounds like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. It’s an innovation I’m ready for. Lenovo, you know where to find me when you launch this one.

2. Xiaomi 15 Ultra & its stunning camera

Following the success of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, expectations were high for the Xiaomi 15 Ultra—and Xiaomi delivered. By all accounts, the new 200-megapixel periscope sensor captures portraits, faraway subjects, and details like a pro. It even has a more durable, glare reducing cover.

My personal take: The Xiaomi 15 Ultra takes the cake as a new flagship phone. The 6.7-inch AMOLED display offers plenty of room for messaging and scrolling. And, with up to 3,200 nits of brightness, the visuals are clear and vivid. I’m loving the 200-megapixel camera—amazing performance. The overall design is a little weird, though.

3. Infinix’s action camera-like trifold smartphone

I’ve not seen a smartphone quite like the Infinix Zero Mini Tri-Fold. A concept, it has dual vertical hinges that allow it to fold in 3 different arrangements. This lets the phone switch from a typical smartphone into a wearable fitness device or a gadget you can mount on bicycles.

My personal take: I’m thrilled that this smartphone offers wearable and clip-on options. So often, I find smartphones’ brick shape incompatible with a busy, active life. One that can fold and clip to things is not only cool but incredibly useful. I also love the real-time translation and pro-level camera.

4. Lenovo’s tall & foldable laptop concept

Have you ever wanted to extend your laptop screen while working away from your typical office? I know I have. And, yes, I could buy a screen extender. But the Lenovo ThinkBook “codename Flip” AI PC Concept would be so much cooler. It has an 18.1″ outward folding OLED display that can transform into a 13-inch laptop or a 12.9-inch tablet.

My personal take: With 5 modes, this laptop can shape-change to fit your needs—large workspace, compact laptop, tablet…and they’re all in one computing gadget. Outfitted with the same display as the Lenovo ThinkBook Rollable Display laptop, and packed with AI, I hope the ThinkBook Flip becomes reality!

5. RealMe’s Interchangeable Lens Concept

Sure, smartphone brands say their camera lenses are similar to those of digital cameras. But we all know they fall a little short. Challenge accepted, says RealMe. The brand introduced its Interchangeable Lens Concept smartphone at MWC, and it features a 1-inch type sensor with a lens mount that mimics a mirrorless camera. This means it can support lenses of different focal lengths.

My personal take: I’ve seen cameras with 1-inch sensors before, but none with a detachable lens system. The RealMe concept smartphone comes with a 73mm f/1.4 lens and a 234mm f/1.5 telephoto lens. These would allow users to capture a variety of detailed photos and videos—all in stunning clarity.

I would rather carry a phone + a few lenses instead of a full photography kit. This phone is an interesting step in that direction. But the setup becomes very front-heavy when a lens is attached. Let’s see what happens with this.

6. Infinix’s Solar-Powered and Color-Changing E-Ink smartphones

Infinix is making waves at MWC 2025 with 2 additional concept devices: a solar-powered smartphone and a color-changing E-Ink phone. Both are just prototypes at the moment, but the brand’s enthusiasm for experimental technology is clear.

The solar-charging phone has a built-in back solar panel that relies on a more affordable—and thinner—set of solar cells than silicon-based panels. Currently, the system can extend battery life but doesn’t serve as the main charging source.

The new color-changing E-Ink phones are an update of the previous generation. This time, however, users can tailor the back panel’s patterns and colors. There’s even an AI system that can match colors to the weather.

My Personal Take: These prototypes are creative iterations of where smartphones can go in the next 5 years. I’m all for smartphones with solar-power capabilities—a literal lifesaver in an emergency. And while I don’t need my phone to change colors, I can see where younger generations would find it fun.

7. Newnal’s AI avatar smartphone

It’s not an actual phone yet, but Newnal showed off mobile software that uses a person’s past and current data to build an AI assistant that looks and acts like them. It can even learn from and age like its users.

I can’t see any situation where this could go wrong (note the sarcasm). Moreover, the blockchain-based OS can access your apps, social accounts, and gmail to learn more about you. The idea is to create an AI avatar that can respond and act just as you would.

My Personal Take: There’s no way I’d want an AI avatar that looks like me, acting on my behalf. What happens if my avatar goes haywire or someone takes control of it? While the concept is cool, these are issues Newnal would have to address to get me on board.

8. Tecno’s ultra-thin Spark Slim smartphone

Slim was in for smartphones at MWC 2025. The narrowest of them all was by the Chinese phone maker, Tecno. Its Spark Slim smarphone is just 5.75 mm wide. To put that into perspective, a typical pencil is about 7mm wide.

Reviewers have highlighted the phone’s comfortable-to-hold curved screen and ceramic back panel. And, despite it’s thinness, the phone still packs a 5,200 mAh battery—and it can be charged to 45W.

My Personal Take: One of my first smartphones was quite thin, and while it looked “very cool,” its svelte figure slipped from my hands far too easily. As a lady who learns from experience, I don’t think I’ll be jumping on this trend, unless the phone is nearly unbreakable. Tecno, the ball’s in your court.

Last thoughts

MWC is one of my favorite tech events of the year—I love getting a peek at how tech companies envision the future of mobile devices. In 2025, I saw a lot that made me optimistic. Solar-powered laptops and smartphones? One hundred percent, we need those. Laptops that can morph depending on how you want to use them? Heck yeah!

Concepts and prototypes like these show how companies are responding to consumer demand for products that support flexible work, renewable energy, and enhanced productivity. I hope to see more products like these throughout 2025!

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