Alchemy by Leban Hyde | UX + Branding

It’s Tuesday morning and I’m up early trying to get this issue out the door. So much exciting news came out of MWC last week that I really struggled with choosing what to include. Not everything announced was practical and some may never see the light of day, but there was definitely plenty of cool to go around. I hope you’re inspired!

Week 9 (02/25–03/02)

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Lenovo… hit us with Project Crystal right out the gate! The concept laptop sports a microLED transparent screen with touch keyboard and AI integration. Although the company currently has no plans to bring it to market, the display tech could lend itself to AR use cases (plus just looks really frickin’ cool!). Hands-on video included.

Motorola… demoed the Adaptive Display, a bendable concept phone. A phone with a flexible display and soft body, it can be wrapped around your wrist or bend backwards to sit on your nightstand. Why, you ask? Because why not? Hands-on video included.

Google… made a surprise announcement of new Android Features. Android Auto gets an AI boost with message summaries, Spotify is now supported by Android’s output switcher, Fitbit app can display more data via Health Connect, and more. The linked article includes an audio version (~4mins) and example screens of the new features.

Brain.ai… proposed the future of smartphones — without apps. Centered around generative AI, the operating system creates a chat style experience where apps fade into the background. No launch date was given in the article and their website was even more vague, but it makes you rethink what an AI-driven phone could be.

Jolla… demoed the Jolla Mind², a private data hub for AI. Acting as a portable router for your phone, it supports Jolla’s own AI assistant by running systems and databases locally — instead of on the cloud. Lugging around an additional device doesn’t exactly sound practical, but I admire the company’s focus on data security and empowering the user.


And I didn’t even get to the Nubia Flip, the Nothing Phone 2(a), or the Samsung Ring. Apple also killed the Apple Car and is investing more in generative AI. What. A. Week!

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