(Credit: Zain bin Awais/PCMag Composite; Alibaba/RayNeo/TCL/Xiaomi)
BARCELONA—Mobile World Congress is a lot more than just phones. At this year’s show, some of the biggest breakthroughs weren't about what you hold in your hand—they were about what you wear and experience.
I saw—and in many cases tested—a wave of next-generation wearables designed for your face, wrist, ears, eyes, and clothing. Some of my favorites include an AI-powered pin that analyzes the emotions of people around you, smart glasses that translate conversations in real time, and contact lenses that can measure glucose levels using your tears.
So without further ado, these are the standout wearables that stole the spotlight in Spain.
Alibaba Qwen Glasses S1
Smart glasses were everywhere at MWC, but Alibaba's Qwen S1 really stood out. With a monochrome green waveguide display, they stand out for their exceptional usability. The glasses feel incredibly intuitive and responsive—instantly recognizing when you put them on and automatically bringing up a heads-up display right before your eyes.
Taps and swipes on the right temple let you navigate the menu, which offers several apps, including: AI Camera, Music, Recorder, Teleprompter, and Translate. The AI camera app scans your surroundings and describes the setting. When I tested the feature, the AI accurately said I was at an "outdoor event or exhibition, with people gathered around a booth…attendees are wearing lanyards, suggesting it might be a conference or tech showcase."
The Translate app is so good it's almost scary. While wearing the glasses, I happened to be standing next to two people having a conversation in a different language. The Qwen S1 automatically detected the language they were speaking, and began translating their back-and-forth in real time, right in front of my eyes. They were talking fast, so the words scrolled quickly on the screen, but I could still make out much of what they said, and felt like a spy from the future.
Alibaba showed off several frame styles; all are incredibly lightweight and way better looking than the chunky Meta Ray-Ban Display. The Qwen S1 glasses are already available in China for around $500, undercutting the Ray-Ban Display by $299.
RayNeo Air 4 Pro Limited Justice Edition
(Credit: Caroline Gilbert)RayNeo has earned our accolades for its AR glasses in the past, and its latest pair lets you watch movies or work on your own personal display while feeling like a superhero. The RayNeo Air 4 Pro Limited Justice Edition comes with a specially designed lens shade that doubles as a Batman mask. If you prefer mayhem over crime fighting, there's also a Chaos Edition themed after the Joker.
Besides the lens shade, the Justice and Chaos glasses feature the same hardware as the standard-edition Air 4 Pro. The augmented reality (AR) smart glasses put a virtual 201-inch Micro-OLED in front of your eyes, mirroring the screen of whatever device they're connected to via a USB-C cable—whether that's your phone, laptop, tablet, or a handheld console.
The Justice and Chaos models are available now for $319.
Xpaneco Smart Contact Lenses
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)The evolution of personal heads-up displays from bulky VR headsets to normal-looking glasses is fascinating to me. Imagine the same functionality in a device as tiny as a contact lens. That's exactly what Xpaneco is trying to develop.
Full disclosure: I didn't get to see this prototype in person. I heard about the Xpaneco Smart Contact Lenses ahead of MWC and was looking forward to seeing them more than any other product, but the company is based in Dubai, and the founders, unfortunately, couldn't travel to Barcelona with the prototype due to flight disruptions in the UAE. A company rep who made it to the show gave me a digital demonstration of the product, and I'm now even more intrigued.
They say the smart contact lens will project a virtual display for movies, gaming, and phone notifications directly into your line of sight. It can even apparently monitor your glucose levels via tear fluid. It will purportedly feature an integrated micro-battery and an antenna that allows it to wirelessly charge via a separate companion device.
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Xpaneco aims to debut an integrated prototype with AR functionality, health monitoring, and wireless charging in early 2027. As a wearer of contacts, I'll definitely be on the lookout.
TCL CrystalClip
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)I've never seen a pair of headphones as pretty as the TCL Crystal Clip. Adorned with Swarovski crystals, they look more like jewelry than earbuds.
Beyond their eye-catching aesthetics, they sound pretty good, too. They feature an open-ear design that doesn't block your ear canal like the AirPods Pro and many other earbuds, so you can listen to music while staying aware of your surroundings.
They offer 8 hours of battery life on a charge, or 36 hours with the charging case. A TCL spokesperson says the CrystalClip may come to the US in the future, but no timing or pricing has been set.
Xiaomi Watch 5
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)The Wear OS 6-powered Watch 5 is the first Xiaomi smartwatch to launch with Google Gemini, enabling useful AI assistance on your wrist. During a demo at MWC, a Google spokesperson asked Gemini on the watch for directions to the Gotic Quarter from the Fira Gran Via convention center, where MWC is held, and whether taking public transportation, a taxi, or walking would be quickest based on current traffic conditions. Gemini handled this multi-part query like a pro, consulting Google Maps and offering the estimated travel times for each, while noting that public transportation would be the quickest.
Battery life is another standout feature. With a 930mAh cell, the Xiaomi Watch 5 promises six days of power on a charge. For ease of use, it supports three custom gestures (Snap Fingers, Shake Wrist, and Rotate Wrist), enabling you to start a workout, open an app, control the camera, or access another feature of your choice, without having to tap any buttons or swipe on the screen.
The Xiaomi Watch 5 starts at €299.99 (roughly $349).
Scople
(Credit: Angela Moscaritolo)Do you ever wonder whether the people you meet actually like you? The AI-powered Scople aims to tell you the honest truth. It attaches to your clothing using magnets and features a camera that uses proprietary AI to analyze the emotions of people around you.
When I tried it at MWC, it accurately detected my facial expressions, reporting that I was happy when I smiled, sad when I frowned, and mad when I scowled. The device also promises to analyze your environment and food and drink consumption to help you stick to healthy habits. If, for instance, you've been indoors for too long, it might tell you it's time to go outside and touch grass. Or, if you've already had 10 glasses of wine at a party, it might tell you it's time to lay off the libations.
A Scople rep tells me the camera doesn't save any videos or photos. "It acts like an eyeball," he said. "It only sees, collects data, and that's it. We're very, very keen on data security."
Scople is expected to launch on Kickstarter in the US at the end of April for $100.
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