The annual mobile jamboree is underway in Barcelona and the handset manufacturers have - once again - showcased a host of new devices and concepts to generate headlines.

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But it's hard not to feel a little bit flat about the industry when every new device seems to look like the last one. For more than a decade, smartphones have looked the same - sometimes bigger, sometimes smaller - but always a similar form factor. In 2019 there was briefly a flicker of excitement when folding screens captured people's imaginations, but these are still prohibitively expensive five years on.

At Mobile World Congress I'm always on the hunt for something different, so I was cheered to read this article from Stuff, featuring some of the more quirky concepts at the show. And this got me thinking about some of the niche products I've seen or experienced at the event.

Last year I was captivated by the Humane AI pin and the Rabbit r1. Both offer new thinking on how people interact with devices in a less "staring at the screen and walking into things" way. 

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Last year I was also taken by Clicks, partly because the concept of bringing back a Blackberry-type experience is one many people cherish, but also because I'd previously worked with Planet Computers on reimagining the Psion keyboard devices for the modern age. Both are uber niche but will bring a smile to specific user's faces.

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I also loved the ruggedised look of this device - discovered by Deloitte's Ben Stanton - at this year's MWC. Like Ben I'm not sure what the target market for this phone is, but I'll take the five days of battery life, even if the second screen is a gimmick too far.

None of these devices will make it mainstream - the smartphone market is way too competitive for these kinds of products to be anything other than quirky concepts. But I'm so glad companies are still trying to shake things up. It's what makes the market interesting.

I was asked to do a preview of MWC on LBC News last week with the station's superstar presenter Martin Stanford. If you fancy hearing what we talked about, click here.