Mobile World Congress 2020 Canceled Due to Coronavirus

Mobile World Congress, a major smartphone trade show event held each year in Barcelona, Spain, has been canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Mobile World Congress event in Spain is a huge trade show that's important to the tech world because it's where many device manufacturers announce new smartphones and other hardware. Apple doesn't participate, but many other major brands make announcements at MWC.

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Starting in early February, multiple vendors began pulling out of the event, citing concerns about the coronavirus and the potential for spreading it at such a large event. Intel, LG, Nokia, Vodafone, ZTE, Nvidia, Sony, Amazon, Cisco, Ericsson and other notable companies canceled press conferences and attendance plans.

Given the number of companies refusing to go to MWC, the GSM Association responsible for organizing the event today confirmed to Bloomberg that it's canceled. GSMA CEO John Hoffman said that the virus outbreak has made it "impossible" to hold the event.

The GSMA initially attempted to continue on with MWC, implementing disinfection measures, banning attendees from certain areas in China, and more, but too many companies exited the event. Canceling MWC is similar to canceling CES, as it is a huge deal for new product launches and partnerships.

The coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, has infected more than 42,000 people and more than 1,000 people have died, primarily in China.

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Top Rated Comments

thadoggfather Avatar
68 months ago
So apparently not a 'Limitless' conference. It has limits.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adamw Avatar
68 months ago
Better to be safe than sorry! Wishing everybody great health.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
68 months ago

"a huge trade show that's important to the tech world because it's where many device manufacturers announce new smartphones and other hardware. "

So why don't they just roll this into CES? Do we really need a whole separate show for phones?
Because different trade organizations throw their own conferences.

Though I tried to combine my daughter’s birthday party with some stranger’s down the street based on the same logic, and now I’m not very popular in my neighborhood.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
orbital~debris Avatar
68 months ago

('https://www.macrumors.com/2020/02/12/mobile-world-congress-2020-canceled-coronavirus/')


the coronavirus outbreak.

The coronavirus,

MacRumors, please call it by its new moniker: Covid-19 (or at least use its scientific name, 2019-nCoV); coronavirus is a generic term, not specific to this particular virus or illness.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jerryk Avatar
68 months ago
Understandable, but wow. That is a big deal for the mobile space. Like the article says, it is like cancelling CES.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
newyorksole Avatar
68 months ago
I really hope the infections/deaths stop ASAP. It’s affecting so many people. Sad stuff.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)