Editors' Note: This article was originally published Feb. 10, but we've updated it with the latest news on the status of Mobile World Congress 2020.
Cross more big phone makers off the exhibitor list at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this month. Following an exit by Sony earlier this week and TCL's decision to cancel its press conference, Nokia plans to skip the mobile phone trade show over concerns from the coronavirus outbreak that's now considered a global health emergency.
Nokia said this week that it's pulling out of MWC 2020 over health and safety concerns. Likewise, HMD Global — which designs and markets phones under the Nokia brand name — put out a statement that it's dropping out, too.
With HMD Global gone, the list of phone makers not attending the year's biggest mobile show include LG, Vivo and Sony. TCL and ZTE have both cancelled press events at MWC, though they say they'll have phones on display at the event.
Sony's departure from MWC leaves a pretty big hole in the event's schedule. The consumer electronics giant traditionally hosts a press event on the opening day of MWC in which it unveils new phones and mobile accessories. Sony says its press conference will still be on, but that it will be a video-only event hosted on its Xperia YouTube channel. That event takes place on Feb. 24 at 8:30 a.m. CET — that's 2:30 a.m. EST — which is when the original MWC event had been slated.
In a statement released Sunday (Feb. 9), event organizers said the show would go on in Barcelona as scheduled later this month. "The GSMA is moving ahead as planned and will host MWC Barcelona 24-27 February 2020," the GSMA statement read. "While the GSMA confirm some large exhibitors have decided not to come to the show this year with others still contemplating next steps, we remain more than 2,800 exhibitors strong."
Expect some precautions to be in place for the show, however. The GSMA will not allow travelers from China's Hubei province to attend the event, and anyone traveling from China will need to provide proof that they've been out of the country for 14 days prior to MWC. Event officials also plan to implement temperature screening for attendees, while stepping up cleaning and the availability of sanitizers at the MWC venue.
Since the GSMA has put out that statement, Spanish health officials have said there's no reason to cancel the show, according to Reuters. But the Financial Times reported today (Feb. 12) that MWC officials are holding an emergency meeting to discuss whether the show will go on.
Some companies aren't taking any chances with the coronavirus outbreak, which has claimed 1,100 lives and spread to more than 45,000 people, according to a site tracking the disease.
Here's a list of who's dropped out or scaled back their presence at MWC 2020.
