Mobile World Congress kicks off with spotlight on AI, 5G

The 2025 Mobile World Congress (MWC) opened on Monday in Barcelona, Spain, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and technology innovators to explore advancements in 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced connectivity.

The four-day event at the Fira Gran Via exhibition center is themed "Converge, Connect, Create," emphasizing the fusion of mobile and AI-driven technologies.

As the world's premier mobile technology gathering, this year's MWC has drawn more than 2,800 exhibitors and 1,200 speakers, with organizers expecting over 100,000 attendees to come through the doors.

More than 300 Chinese firms, including the main telecoms operators China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom, and top tech firms like Huawei, ZTE, Lenovo, and Xiaomi, are all showcasing their latest innovations.

These include breakthroughs on 5G-A, an evolutionary upgrade to 5G technology, as well as wearable terminal products applied in automobiles, smart computers, mobile phones, AR smart glasses, and smart watches.

The buzz around the cutting-edge innovations brought by China's leading tech firms was evident on the opening day of the event, with numerous attendees stopping by the Chinese exhibition booth.

Many hailed China's latest tech developments and expressed hopes for increased collaboration between Chinese and foreign enterprises in the future.

"The quality of Chinese telecommunication products is truly outstanding. I am very impressed and really like them. I believe they are comparable to the top products of other brands on the market," said a Spanish product manager attending the event.

Mobile World Congress kicks off with spotlight on AI, 5G

As much as 37 percent of Americans saw their debt increase during this year's holiday shopping season, with average debt rising to 1,223 U.S. dollars from 1,181 dollars last year, according to the latest holiday debt survey of LendingTree, the nation's online loan marketplace.

The survey, conducted earlier this month among more than 2,000 U.S. consumers, found that rising tariffs and higher prices have put additional pressure on household budgets.

In a statement, LendingTree's chief consumer finance analyst Matt Schulz said the strain becomes more pronounced during the holiday season, as many consumers are reluctant to change long-standing shopping traditions, even as costs rise, leading to higher debt levels.

According to the survey, 63 percent of borrowers expect it will take three months or longer to repay their holiday-related debt, while about 41 percent said they are still paying off debt from last year. Schulz warned that if borrowers need six months to a year or more to repay their balances, the situation becomes more serious due to high credit card interest rates.

Data from Bankrate show that the average U.S. credit card interest rate currently exceeds 20 percent.

Meanwhile, U.S. consumers have grown increasingly pessimistic about their financial situation. Data released on Tuesday by The Conference Board showed that the U.S. Consumer Confidence Index fell for the fifth consecutive month in December, dropping to 89.1, the lowest level since April, amid deepening anxiety over jobs and income.

Over one-third of Americans rack up holiday debt: survey