MWC mobile tech fair to show off new phones, AI, metaverse

By KELVIN CHAN
AP Business Writer

LONDON (AP) — The latest folding-screen smartphones, immersive metaverse experiences, AI-powered chatbot avatars and other eye-catching technology are set to wow visitors at the annual MWC wireless trade fair. The four-day show, also known as Mobile World Congress, kicks off Monday in a vast Barcelona conference center. It’s the world’s biggest and most influential meeting for the mobile tech industry. Organizers are expecting as many as 80,000 visitors as the event resumes at full strength after several years of pandemic disruptions. Companies are planning to show off their metaverse experiences that will allow users to enter fantastical new online worlds and show how they’re using AI as new tools like ChatGPT have caught the world’s attention.