The telecoms industry has hit an inflection point, with a newfound focus on computing-centric applications. This marks the era where communications alone is no longer enough for telcos to drive the revenue growth they seek. At Mobile World Congress 2025 (MWC25), ABI Research analysts observed this transformation unfolding across the exhibition floor. As the event highlighted Artificial Intelligence (AI), edge computing, and data-driven solutions over conventional hardware, the telco value chain emerged as a key area of change. Here are five compelling examples from MWC25, each revealing a piece of this industry-wide pivot.

As we inch closer to Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025, network Application Programmable Interfaces (APIs) are a hot ticket item within the telecoms industry. They are a way for telco operators to provide developers with access to network capabilities, enhancing user experience and offering more efficient services, while unlocking new features otherwise not possible. APIs have unlocked opportunities across supply chains, with notable successes including app stores like Apple's and Google's, cloud services like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Azure, and various consumer and enterprise services.

Technological advancements in cellular standards have been the hallmark of MWC for 2 decades, dating back to the 2G and 3G eras. This year, that will change for many reasons:

Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 is fast approaching, and ABI Research will be there once again to witness the latest innovations shaping the future of mobile technology. Based on numerous pre-briefings ahead of Barcelona, our analysts are calling the most dramatic shift in MWC's history: watch the telecoms industry finally shed its old skin. Computing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are not just joining the party, they are taking over the entire show.

The technology landscape is evolving rapidly, with new innovations shaping industries and driving global digital transformation. In 2025, businesses and solution providers will need to adapt to new technology trends if they want to stay one step ahead.

The year 2024 provided numerous technology trends shaping the future of nearly every industry. ABI Research analysts have been covering these developments for some time, and now it’s time to reflect upon our studies in our annual trends whitepaper. Before we dive into the list, here’s a statement from Stuart Carlaw, Chief Research Officer:

Several new mobile trends have emerged recently, such as the advent of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI), foldable devices, satellite connectivity, Embedded Subscriber Identity Module (eSIM), and Ultra-Wideband (UWB). Will these innovations find success in the mobile device markets? ABI Research’s Emergent Mobile Device Technology Tracker Market Data Overview: 3Q 2024 reviewed these five market-defining mobile trends in 2024 and beyond. This post will summarize our findings from the report, providing a data-supported outlook for these promising mobile technologies.

Working in a competitive industry demands that you become a data-driven organization. As a technology solution provider, effectively leveraging data can unlock significant advantages, such as driving market expansion and fostering innovation. Unfortunately, all too many companies lack an analytical approach to decision-making.

ABI Research just published its most recent version of the 5G Mobile Device Vendor Market Shares (released in 1Q 2024) market data product, which reveals worldwide smartphone market shares and sales volumes through 3Q 2023. Like last year’s vendor shares, a key trend is that Apple and Samsung dominate the market as the largest phone manufacturers.

The year 2024 will mark the fourth one since 5G networks launched commercially, now well deployed in both developed and developing countries and representing a major advancement in user experience, energy efficiency, and network functionality, setting the stage for future technologies. Its introduction, particularly through Massive Multiple Input, Multiple Output (mMIMO), has greatly enhanced consumer applications, providing most users with high-speed, quality mobile broadband.