MWC 2026: Robots, AI, and the Search for Something Useful

Andrew and I were proud to be there as part of the UK Trade Fair delegation, representing British mobile design and development on a global stage. It’s always a great opportunity to connect with brands, platform owners, and emerging hardware companies — particularly those building the next generation of connected devices, smart retail experiences, and customer engagement and loyalty platforms, which has very much been our focus over the past couple of years.

Walking the halls, one thing was unmistakable: AI was everywhere. In fact, it wasn’t just a theme — it was the theme. The event was framed around what’s being called “The IQ Era,” with artificial intelligence embedded into everything from smartphones to wearables and infrastructure.

But what stood out to me wasn’t just the presence of AI — it was the branding of AI.

Every platform, every product, every pitch seemed to have been reworked to include it. “AI-native,” “AI-powered,” and “AI-first” were everywhere. And yet, in many cases, it wasn’t obvious what the AI was actually doing, where it was adding value, or how it meaningfully improved the user experience. There’s a sense the industry is still figuring out how to move from AI as a label… to AI as a utility.

That said, there were some genuinely fascinating — and occasionally surreal — highlights.

Robotics had a huge presence this year. Across the show floor you had humanoid robots dancing, serving drinks, assisting in healthcare scenarios, and drawing crowds wherever they went. At times it felt like part tech conference, part sci-fi exhibition — and yes, at one point it genuinely looked like robots were fighting each other for attention.

We also saw the rise of “AI agents” positioned as digital employees — virtual concierges, assistants, and even AI CEOs. The idea of software not just supporting businesses but actively running parts of them is clearly gaining traction.

Although one of the more bizarre moments for me was seeing an AI CEO… wearing glasses.

Which does make you wonder — if you’re designing an artificial intelligence from scratch, why on earth would you make it short-sighted?

On the hardware side, AI is increasingly moving to the edge — embedded directly into devices. AI glasses were everywhere, from translation-focused wearables to always-on assistants you can wear all day, alongside experimental devices like phones with robotic camera systems that physically move and track users.

There’s clearly a shift happening where AI is no longer just software in the cloud, but something that lives in the device, shaping real-time experiences.

From our perspective as a mobile app design and development company, the opportunity is clear — but so is the challenge.

The industry is racing ahead with new capabilities, but the real winners will be the ones who can turn those capabilities into meaningful, intuitive, and engaging user experiences. Whether that’s in loyalty apps, retail, or connected devices, the focus has to be on clarity of value — not just novelty.

Looking back, the industry has been here before.

Roll back 10 years and the focus was voice, with Amazon, Google, Samsung and Microsoft pushing platforms like Alexa, Assistant, Bixby and Cortana into as many apps and devices as possible. After that came the wave of IoT — everything connected, everything generating data, whether it needed to or not.

We built plenty of those apps ourselves. But one thing has always held true for us: utility comes first. Without real utility, there is no meaningful engagement — and without engagement, there is no data.

Which is why you have to question some of the ideas that come along with each wave. The connected toothbrush. The smart pacifier. The companion app for the houseplant monitor that tells you it’s still alive. Concepts that sound interesting on a stand, but don’t survive contact with real users. The kind of ideas a Matchbox product design sprint would prototype and rule out pretty quickly.

MWC 2026 reinforced that we’re entering another major phase of the mobile ecosystem. The technology is evolving fast, the ideas are getting bigger, and the ambition is undeniable.

Now the question is: who’s going to turn all this “AI” into something people actually find useful?