What you need to know
- LG and ZTE have announced that they're skipping Mobile World Congress.
- Both companies won't be present as a result of Coronavirus.
- MWC is scheduled to take place between February 24 and 27.
Mobile World Congress is the largest mobile technology trade show, and for a lot of companies, it is the best time of year to make big product announcements. Unfortunately, due to rising concerns regarding Coronavirus, both LG and ZTE will not host a press conference as expected. ZTE will have a booth at the show, though.
A ZTE spokesperson confirmed this news to Android Central, saying, "We tend to be an overly courteous company, and simply don't want to make people uncomfortable." ZTE also cited visa delays and other travel issues for its absence.
Shortly after ZTE made this announcement, LG also confirmed that it too will be skipping MWC.
With the safety of its employees and general public foremost in mind, LG has decided to withdraw from exhibiting and participating in MWC 2020 later this month in Barcelona, Spain. This decision will prevent needlessly exposing hundreds of LG employees to international travel, which most health experts have advised.
Furthermore, LG says that it will "be holding separate events in the near future to announce its 2020 mobile products."
Prior to these announcements from ZTE and LG, the GSMA (the organization in charge of MWC) released its own statement regarding the Coronavirus, saying that "there is minimal impact on the event thus far" and that MWC will "proceed as planned."
It's possible that other companies will follow in the footsteps of LG and ZTE, and should that happen, we'll be sure to let you know.
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Joe Maring was a Senior Editor for Android Central between 2017 and 2021. You can reach him on Twitter at @JoeMaring1.
