The future of iPhone and mobile tech

Every year we get to sneak a preview of just where mobile technology may be headed at Mobile World Congress. iPhone 14 rumours are gathering speed…

- CHARLOTTE HENRY

The world of mobile communications continues to change rapidly as 5G networks become more readily available, and our smartphones replace everything from car keys to bank cards. There’s always more to come, though, and between 28 February and 3 March 2022, key players from the industry descended on Barcelona to see the latest developments at the Mobile World Congress (MWC).

This was the first time the trade show had been held in person since 2019. The Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), the industry body that runs MWC, said that 61,000 people attended in person and that there were 1,900 exhibitors, sponsors and partners; indicating that MWC has not lost its significance during the hiatus in in-person events. It also racked up 500,000 unique virtual and daily viewers from people who could not make it.

Despite its crucial role in the world of smartphones, technology and communications, Apple does not attend MWC in any official capacity. However, looking at what emerges from the megaevent can sometimes give an indication of what a company might do next, and how the iPhone and other Apple devices stack up against their rivals. Furthermore, some of the key topics covered over the four days – 5G, AI and the way processes, data and objects come together in the so-called Internet of Everything, plus financial technology (‘Fintech’) – are of obvious interest to anyone with a smartphone.