Huawei at MWC 2025: A Grand Showcase of XR, AI, and Digital Infrastructure

Booth Design and Atmosphere

An Expansive

Presence: Huawei’s booth at MWC 2025 was nothing short of monumental. Occupying a massive space in Hall 1 (reportedly about half of the entire exhibition hall ), the booth featured a modern, open layout with a dazzling overhead light installation and a glossy black floor. A huge red Huawei logo and the slogan “Accelerating the Intelligent World” crowned the pavilion, making the company’s theme unmissable. The design included multiple zones branching off a central corridor, flanked by tall, illuminated pillars and two-tier structures – an upper deck for VIP lounges and meeting rooms overlooking the show floor. The atmosphere was vibrant and futuristic, with LED walls, interactive screens, and a ceiling twinkling with hundreds of lights giving the space an almost high-tech cityscape vibe. Huawei’s bold visual branding and spacious, well-lit design created an inviting venue that stood out even amid MWC’s sea of elaborate booths.

Bustling and High-Profile: The booth’s sheer scale and design drew throngs of visitors from morning to evening – Hall 1 was “rammed” with attendees, according to one industry report . Curious crowds flowed through Huawei’s exhibit, packing every demo station and networking area. The buzz was amplified by the presence of top executives and VIP guests; Huawei’s senior leadership was visibly on-site, engaging with visitors and guiding tours. In fact, even Spain’s King Felipe VI was spotted touring Huawei’s pavilion, underscoring the high level of interest its showcase attracted .  Overall, the ambiance around Huawei’s stand was energetic and businesslike – a constant hum of conversations, product demos, and camera flashes. As one of the largest and most dynamic exhibits of MWC 2025, Huawei’s space created an atmosphere akin to a mini tech ecosystem, blending corporate showcase with hands-on tech carnival.

Key Technologies and Product Highlights

• All-Flash Storage & Network Infrastructure: Huawei spotlighted its latest digital infrastructure solutions at MWC. Front and center was the new OceanStor Pacific 9928 all-flash scale-out storage system – a flagship data storage product designed for the AI and big-data era. A sleek demo unit allowed visitors to peer into the system’s architecture. According to Huawei, the Pacific 9928 can scale out to 4,096 nodes, with each node delivering up to 90 GB/s bandwidth and 2.4 million IOPS, making it ideal for high-performance computing, analytics, and massive backups . This all-flash behemoth was showcased as a cornerstone of Huawei’s digital infrastructure portfolio, emphasizing green, efficient data storage for carriers and enterprises. Alongside storage, Huawei also announced upgrades to its network solutions – for example, it launched FTTO 2.0 (Fiber To The Office) to enable next-gen 10G campus networks . These infrastructure highlights reinforced Huawei’s message that it provides the backbone for the intelligent era, from ultra-fast storage arrays to advanced campus and data center networks.
• XR and Immersive Demos: One of Huawei’s most crowd-pleasing areas was its XR (extended reality) demonstration zone, which gave a taste of 5G’s potential for immersive experiences. A standout exhibit featured a stationary high-end bicycle set up in front of a wraparound LED screen showing a realistic European streetscape. Attendees could hop on and pedal the bike to “travel” through a virtual city, with the panoramic visuals responding in real time. This interactive cycling simulation vividly showcased Huawei’s low-latency connectivity and graphics processing – the experience was smooth and engaging, making riders feel as if they were biking through a real plaza. The XR demos didn’t stop there; visitors could also try on VR headsets to explore virtual environments and games, highlighting how Huawei’s 5G networks and cloud rendering can enable next-level virtual reality. These hands-on demos of VR/AR technology underscored the company’s vision of blending digital and physical worlds. By drawing long queues of curious participants, Huawei successfully used XR to communicate the fun side of its high-bandwidth solutions, not just their technical prowess.
• AI and Cloud Innovations: Artificial intelligence was a core theme in Huawei’s 2025 showcase. The company demonstrated its AI-centric network solutions for telecom operators – essentially, how AI can optimize 5G networks and enable autonomous driving of network operations. Huawei gathered carriers and partners to discuss AI-driven networking strategies, and at its booth it showed off tools for AI-powered network O&M (operations & maintenance) that aim for Level-4 autonomous networks . In practice, this means algorithms adjusting networks in real time with minimal human intervention. On the cloud front, Huawei’s exhibit highlighted its expanding cloud and AI services. The booth featured displays of Huawei Cloud’s AI development platform and model training demos, emphasizing support for industry-specific AI applications. For instance, Huawei unveiled new AI inference appliances that support over 50 mainstream large AI models, enabling enterprise customers to deploy AI solutions more easily on-premises . A particularly eye-catching demo, branded “Superstar Me,” blended AI and entertainment to draw in the crowd. In a movie-set-styled corner, attendees could interact with an AI that would generate a short film concept or digital avatar with you as the star. A marquee reading “Screenplay Writing” invited visitors to see how Huawei’s AI could instantly craft scripts and scenes, while a big screen showed a virtual protagonist in action. This fun experiment illustrated the creative potentials of Huawei’s AI and cloud technologies – from automating serious network tasks to enabling on-the-fly content creation. Together, the AI and cloud showcases conveyed Huawei’s message that its innovations go beyond hardware, extending into intelligent platforms and services for both carriers and enterprises.
• Industry Solutions & Digital Transformation: In addition to products, Huawei used MWC 2025 to demonstrate its deep focus on industry-specific digital transformation. The booth was organized into multiple “scenario” zones, each depicting how Huawei’s tech can be applied in a particular sector or use-case. In total, Huawei and its partners unveiled 83 showcase scenarios covering 71 different industrial applications  – an almost overwhelming breadth of solutions. These ranged from smart city command centers and intelligent manufacturing lines to digital education, telemedicine, finance, and retail innovations. For example, in a smart city section Huawei showed surveillance and IoT systems for safer communities; in a retail section it presented smart checkout and inventory robots, and so forth. Many of these were real case studies developed with customers globally. Huawei also announced 10 new joint solutions co-developed with industry partners to accelerate intelligent transformation in fields like public services, energy, transportation, and more . These collaborations – such as smart power grid management and intelligent railway yard systems – were highlighted on interactive boards and demos at the booth. By showcasing concrete solutions for different verticals, Huawei demonstrated how its digital infrastructure (5G, cloud, AI, storage, etc.) can actually be used to solve business problems. This marked a notable expansion beyond Huawei’s traditional telecom realm, positioning the company as a one-stop enabler of industry innovation. The breadth of scenarios and live demos of things like smart campuses and AI-powered factories left visitors with a strong impression that Huawei’s technology is being put to work in the real world, across virtually every sector.

Visitor Engagement and Impressions

Guided Tours and Active Engagement: Huawei’s exhibit was consistently one of the busiest spots in Fira Gran Via. Attendees didn’t just stroll through; many were actively engaged in discussions, demos, and tours. Huawei staff organized guided walkthroughs for visiting delegations – for instance, in the image above a Huawei representative (equipped with a headset mic) leads a group of international visitors through the booth, explaining key exhibits. It was common to see groups of executives from carriers or government agencies (badges from countries like Korea, UAE, etc., were spotted) being personally escorted by Huawei experts to see specific solutions. These executive tours often paused at major demo stations so guests could ask questions, touch devices, and even try the tech. Such high-touch engagement reflects how Huawei treated its booth as more than a showroom – it was a forum for business connection. Company representatives were everywhere, readily available to dive into technical details or business use-cases depending on the visitor’s interest. This approach kept the large booth feeling personalized for attendees, and many visitors came away with a deeper understanding of Huawei’s offerings rather than just a pamphlet.

Crowds and Reactions: The public interest in Huawei’s showcase was unmistakable. By mid-morning each day, Hall 1 was teeming with people, and several stations had queues. Independent reports noted that Huawei’s hall was packed to capacity – “reportedly rammed” with visitors, far busier than some other areas of MWC . Attendees from various industries (not only telecom specialists but also those in IT, finance, manufacturing, etc.) were drawn in by the wide range of technologies on display. Many were seen snapping photos in front of the impressive Huawei signage and immersive demo setups – the XR bike experience, for example, always had a small crowd either waiting or watching someone ride through the virtual scene with fascination. Reactions from visitors were positive; the booth’s interactive nature kept people engaged longer. A number of show-goers commented on the “one-stop shop” feel of Huawei’s exhibit – you could explore everything from a 5.5G base station to a smart retail demo to a cutting-edge VR game in one place. This cross-disciplinary appeal meant Huawei managed to capture attention beyond the typical telecom engineer crowd. Even competitors and analysts were often spotted in Hall 1, scoping out Huawei’s presentation. The consensus among many attendees was that Huawei delivered one of the most compelling and comprehensive experiences at MWC 2025. The constant buzz around the stand – whether it was applause after a demo, or chatter in dozens of languages as people discussed what they saw – indicated that Huawei successfully made its booth a focal point of the conference.

Differences from Previous Years

Huawei’s 2025 MWC outing marked a dramatic resurgence and evolution compared to prior years. Industry veterans couldn’t help but note how far the company’s presence had come since the days of tight U.S. sanctions a few years back. Forrester Research analysts described it vividly: just two years ago, Huawei had a relatively modest space tucked at the back of Hall 4, a period when external pressures had forced it to scale down. In 2025, however, Huawei staged a “phoenix rising” moment – not only did it return, it did so at an unprecedented scale . The company erected MWC’s largest booth, taking over the entirety of Hall 1 and even utilizing part of Hall 8 for its presentations . This is a stark change from the past when Huawei’s footprint was smaller and arguably lower-key. The message was clear: Huawei was back in full force on the global stage.

Beyond size, the focus of Huawei’s exhibition broadened notably from previous years. In earlier MWCs (circa 2018–2019), Huawei was known for splashy smartphone launches – for example, introducing a new Mate series phone or a foldable device – alongside its network equipment. By 2025, smartphones took a backseat (though Huawei did quietly show its latest Mate X foldable to interested visitors, the real fanfare was elsewhere). The company shifted its spotlight to holistic solutions in cloud, AI, and industry applications. Huawei’s booth “showcased smart cities, manufacturing, hospitality, and even smart homes… encompassing both enterprise and telecom product lines,” as one observer noted . This represents an expansion from prior years when the emphasis was primarily on telecom network tech and consumer devices. Now Huawei is equally highlighting enterprise digital transformation solutions and cloud services. In effect, the 2025 booth felt like a convergence of what might have been separate showcases in the past – telecom networks, enterprise ICT, and consumer gadgets all integrated under one big roof.

Another difference was the confidence and tone. In 2025, Huawei came across as self-assured and future-looking. The narrative wasn’t just “here’s our new 5G base station,” it was “here’s how we enable an intelligent world in every industry.” This contrasted with the more cautious tone around 2020–2021 when trade restrictions loomed large over its messaging. The success of Huawei’s 2025 exhibit suggests the company has adapted to challenges (like developing more in-house technology to replace foreign components) and is eager to demonstrate that it hasn’t lost step – if anything, it’s gained new capabilities. The presence of so many partners and customer use-cases in the booth also underscored a more ecosystem-driven approach than in the past. Rather than just showing Huawei products, the company showed solutions built with others, hinting at a more collaborative strategy post-sanctions. All in all, compared to previous years, Huawei’s MWC 2025 showcase was bigger, broader, and more ecosystem-oriented – a clear signal that the company has entered a new phase and wanted the world to take note.

Comparison with Other Major Tech Exhibitors

MWC 2025 featured all the usual telecom heavyweights and tech giants, but Huawei’s presence managed to distinguish itself in several ways. In terms of physical scale, Huawei set the bar – it was widely acknowledged that no other exhibitor matched Huawei’s booth for size or scope. Even Ericsson, traditionally a centerpiece at MWC, had the next largest stand after Huawei’s and that too was a distant second . Ericsson’s exhibit in Hall 2 focused heavily on its core network offerings and 5G-Advanced use cases. For example, Ericsson prominently featured demonstrations around the GSMA Open Gateway initiative (exposing network APIs to developers) – the Adoption of Network APIs (branded “Adura” or Aduna) joint venture with several carriers was showcased just outside Ericsson’s booth . This indicated Ericsson’s emphasis on helping carriers monetize 5G through new services. Nokia, another key player, also had a significant presence, emphasizing network automation and efficiency. Nokia’s booth and conference talks highlighted things like an AI-driven, remote-controlled car demo (where a car on-site was driven from a distance using a 5G link and a “Network as Code” platform) and worker safety solutions leveraging 5G connectivity . These were impressive and drew their own audiences – Nokia, for instance, used that live demo to showcase ultra-reliable low latency communications.

However, Huawei’s approach contrasted with these more focused displays. While Ericsson and Nokia honed in on telecommunications network innovations (be it open APIs or automated RAN management), Huawei blanketed a broader canvas that included those topics and much more. Huawei’s Hall 1 booth was essentially an entire ecosystem exhibit: one could find carrier network gear comparable to Ericsson’s, but also enterprise cloud services, AI computing solutions, and even consumer-oriented tech, all in one area. This breadth gave Huawei a unique edge. Visitors who wandered over from, say, Ericsson’s hall into Huawei’s area often remarked that it felt like entering a different zone of MWC – almost a mini expo on its own.

Huawei also differed in the way it integrated hardware and experience. Consider Samsung and other device manufacturers: Samsung’s showcase, for example, attracted attention for new gadgets (it reportedly teased a next-gen XR headset and new Galaxy devices), and companies like Xiaomi and Oppo showed flashy smartphones and AR glasses. These were crowd-pleasers, but they were essentially product-centric booths. Huawei’s booth, in contrast, combined product displays with scenario experiences. One moment you could be examining a massive data center server, and the next you could be enjoying a virtual cycling tour or watching an AI magic show. This crossover of B2B and B2C elements under one roof set Huawei apart from peers who generally stuck to one domain.

Even other Chinese vendors at MWC, like ZTE, Honor, or Xiaomi, had narrower themes: ZTE focused on 5G-A network solutions and some consumer devices; Honor and Xiaomi centered on mobile devices and consumer tech. None had the scale or multi-domain span of Huawei’s exhibit. In fact, industry media noted that Huawei’s Hall 1 felt crowded not just with people but with content – “Hall 1, ground zero for Huawei, was reportedly rammed” with attendees and filled with a wider variety of tech than most competitors offered . The strong showing by Huawei did not go unnoticed by others. There was a sense among some analysts that Huawei’s expansive exhibit somewhat upstaged other major tech exhibitors – it was a talking point in many MWC wrap-up discussions.

That said, each major player had its wins: Ericsson was praised for pushing the conversation on revenue for carriers, Nokia for demonstrating tangible industrial 5G cases, and companies like Qualcomm and IBM for showcasing component technologies and software (e.g. Qualcomm’s latest chips for AI at the edge, IBM’s telco cloud software). But Huawei managed to tie many of these threads together within its own showcase. It effectively presented itself as a competitor and collaborator to all – cloud provider like the hyperscalers, network provider like Ericsson/Nokia, device maker like Samsung, and solution integrator for industries. This “all-in-one” strategy made Huawei’s booth arguably the most comprehensive at MWC 2025. In the competitive context, Huawei set a high bar: other exhibitors had notable innovations, but Huawei’s ability to present a grand, integrated vision of the tech ecosystem made its exhibition a centerpiece of the conference.

Sources: Huawei MWC 2025 Press Releases and Event Materials  ; Independent Analysis and Reporting from Digitimes , Forrester  , Light Reading  , and MWC Live Coverage .