Several new mobile phone manufacturers are now investing in Sweden and have shown new things recently. Having said that, the mobile industry and its launches almost never take a break, after all Xiaomi had a launch on Christmas Day and even in the middle of the Swedish industrial holiday in July, the launches are often dense.
Here we take the opportunity to answer questions about the latest launches and take the pulse of the mobile industry today.
Are there any manufacturers that are on the rise or on their way into Sweden that we should keep an extra eye on?
Several new mobile phone manufacturers are now investing in Sweden and have shown new things recently. Having said that, the mobile industry and its launches almost never take a break, after all Xiaomi had a launch on Christmas Day and even in the middle of the Swedish industrial holiday in July, the launches are often dense.
Here we take the opportunity to answer questions about the latest launches and take the pulse of the mobile industry today.
Are there any manufacturers that are on the rise or on their way into Sweden that we should keep an extra eye on?
In recent months, above all, both Honor and Oppo have entered the Swedish market, both with offensive investments and the desire to take third place after Apple and Samsung. It is a place that, for example, Google (with its Pixel mobiles), Xiaomi and Motorola are fighting over today. The ones I mentioned as well as Nothing are the ones to really count on in Sweden.
But any others still worth keeping an eye on?
For those with extra drive and interest, an alternative is to look outside Swedish borders. Then I think Redmagic could be a brand worth checking out. They are focused on gaming mobiles and often make almost uncompromising launches there.
Manufacturers that can’t be counted on anymore?
Yes, there are several who lose. Asus stopped its mobile investment and is now investing in other things instead. After all, they previously made their compact Zenphone and the gaming mobile phones in the ROG series. HMD, which first made mobiles under the Nokia brand and then under its own name, is now fading away here. They have invested in increasingly simpler mobile phones and today target almost exclusively less developed mobile markets.
What are the big trends now, and how do manufacturers stand out to still be unique?
The clearest development right now is on the battery side, where new technology has enabled manufacturers to greatly increase the capacity of the batteries without them taking up too much space. Honor in particular has taken it to an extreme with its (world’s thinnest) foldable Magic v6 which in our version in Europe has 6660 mAh and in the model sold in China has over 7000 mAh.
At the same time, are there manufacturers who do not jump at this opportunity?
Yes, Samsung and Google and Apple are still waiting. In statements we have seen that Samsung does not consider the technology to hold up yet for their verification processes and then it is about security, long-term lifespan among other things. It has been speculated that this silicon-carbon battery technology, especially in the longer term, can mean that the batteries break down faster, lose efficiency and expand more, which can mean risks especially in thinner phones.
Samsung S26 ships with Exynos chip instead of Snapdragon, what does that mean?
The Ultra comes with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, which makes it perform at the same level as, for example, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, Xiaomi Poco F8 Pro, Oppo Find X9 Pro, Honor Magic 8 Pro and Oneplus 15. It is the Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus that come with Exynos chips this year and they are the first with manufacturing in the 2-nanometer process, which makes it particularly interesting.
What happens to things other than mobile phones, such as watches and headphones?
Quite a lot, a player that is giving up phones, but investing more in watches and now more also in audio products is Huawei. We are currently testing their new noise-reducing headphones Freebuds Pro 5 and the running watch Huawei Watch GT Runner 2. First impressions are that both perform well, the running watch is light and comfortable just as a running watch should be. And the headphones have noise reduction which was good even on airplanes.
Most innovation in the industry, where do we see it?
I have a hard time seeing how Honor’s Robot Phone can become a mass-produced phone, but they claim it will be. So it’s something as insane as a phone with a robot arm with a small 200 megapixel camera. Most things it can do would work just as well with integrated wide-angle cameras, except perhaps the playful dance the arm can do. And perhaps the ability of the camera arm to follow moving subjects and film them when both the subject and the phone itself move.
More down-to-earth and for that reason still innovative is the same manufacturer’s Honor Magic v6, it beats the competitors in foldables of the larger type on almost all points.
What happened to Xiaomi 17 Pro and Leica Leitzphone or Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition?
Xiaomi launched the first phones in the Xiaomi 17 series already in September 2025 with the Xiaomi 17 and Pro models with an extra screen on the back for, for example, notifications. When these phones were released in September, then for the Chinese market, we thought they would soon arrive here as well.
Late on Christmas Day, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra was launched in China together with an additional variant, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica, which is very similar to the regular 17 Ultra but with a slightly different design and with a zoom ring you can physically spin. When the Xiaomi 17 series was finally released for Europe at the end of February, the Pro model and the corresponding and slightly larger Pro Max did not arrive and here in Europe the 17 Ultra by leica is sold instead under the name Leica Leitzphone by powered by Xiaomi and then only at a few retailers and not in Sweden.
Has Motorola stepped up to the flagship class now?
They have continuously invested more and more in higher price ranges, but they have a different strategy than most other manufacturers. We got to delve into it during the MWC fair where Motorola clarified that they are more lifestyle than just pure technology. This means that they invest in colors and design more than specifications, so in their flagships such as Signature, they do not have the most expensive components, but lie just below. It’s probably a smart way to save money, very few tasks for a phone require the absolute fastest chips.