LG and ZTE have withdrawn from MWC 2020 which is scheduled to take place on the 23rd of February in Barcelona, Spain citing the outbreak of coronavirus.
GSMA has announced several security measures to prevent the virus including increased cleaning and disinfection in common areas, onsite medical support, conducting awareness campaigns, and more. It will even implement a “mic change protocol” for speakers and a “no-handshake policy” for attendees.
Update 1 (10/02/2020 1:01 pm)
Update 2 (10/02/2020 5:45 pm)
Adding to the growing list of technology giants who’ve backed out from showcasing their latest innovations at MWC 2020, Sony too has withdrawn from the conference due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
In an official statement, Sony said, “As we place the utmost importance on the safety and wellbeing of our customers, partners, media, and employees, we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from exhibiting and participating at MWC 2020 in Barcelona, Spain.”
Instead of hosting an event in Barcelona, Sony will now live stream its launch on YouTube at the scheduled time, i.e 8:30 am CET (1:00 pm IST) on 24th February.
Update 3 (11/02/2020 3:35 pm)
Earlier this morning, Intel put out a statement that it’s skipping MWC 2020, and now, one of the biggest phone makers Vivo has also backed out from showing off its Apex 2020 concept at the conference in Barcelona.
Vivo has cited health concerns and the safety of its employees as the primary reason for not attending the conference. The company has delayed the unveiling of the Apex 2020 concept indefinitely.
In an official statement sent to VentureBeat, an Intel spokesperson said, “The safety and wellbeing of all our employees and partners is our top priority, and we have withdrawn from this year’s Mobile World Congress out of an abundance of caution.”
