Apple loomed over Mobile World Congress despite not attending

Mobile World Congress in Barcelona is one of the world’s largest trade shows for mobile technology. Apple did not attend, but its presence was felt across the show floor. A camera crew filming for Mobile World Live had an iPhone 17 Pro Max at the heart of its rig, surrounded by a harness, lights, a USB hub, a microphone and other accessories.

It was the first time I'd seen a professional production rig built around Apple hardware. Honor used the event to launch the Magic V6 and highlight Honor Connect, which enables file sharing between Honor and Apple devices and even screen sharing from a MacBook to the Magic V6.

In the interest of disclosure, I should point out that Honor provided travel and lodging for me to attend MWC. Tecno showed a modular phone with magnetic attachments and a shape that hints at an iPhone Air, while Ouikitel displayed what looked like an iPhone 17 Pro Max clone — with a similar C17 nearby — alongside a Galaxy S26 Ultra clone.

mwc, barcelona, apple, iphone 17, camera rig, honor, magic v6, honor connect, macbook, tecno