Samsung becomes latest big name to pull out of MWC 2021
The company said it no longer plans to exhibit at this year's show over attendee safety concerns
Samsung has become the latest big name company to pull out of this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC) following a decision to host the show as an in-person event.
The world's number one smartphone manufacturer announced on Tuesday that it won't be attending the Barcelona trade show, which is due to take place between 28 June and 1 July, and will instead showcase its new products and technologies virtually.
"The health and safety of our employees, partners and customers is our number one priority, so we have made the decision to withdraw from exhibiting in-person at this year's MWC," the company said in a statement.
"We look forward to participating virtually and continuing to work with GSMA and industry partners to advance new mobile experiences."
Samsung's confirmation is yet another blow for MWC 2021, which has already seen a number of high-profile companies withdraw from this year's in-person show.
Ericsson was the first company to bow out, and Sony confirmed shortly after that it also wouldn't be attending due to the "continuing impacts from COVID-19 and our primary consideration towards our people, their health and well-being".
GSMA is planning to host the event in June with 50,000 attendees in person and has said that everyone who visits the Fira Gran Via in Barcelona will have to show a negative test result and also repeat the test every 72 hours.
RELATED RESOURCE
The complete guide to changing your phone system provider
Optimise your phone system for better business results
However, since that announcement, Nokia, Oracle, and Google have all joined the growing list of large exhibitors that have been seemingly unconvinced by the GSMA's safety measures.
Despite a number of setbacks, the industry body seems to be confident that this year's show will go ahead due to the number of vaccines being rolled out across Europe and the fact it was able to successfully hold the Shanghai version of the event at the end of February. Organisers confirmed that around 25,000 people from 114 countries were in attendance, along with 220 exhibitors, including Huawei.
-
The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Enterprise Edition will make life easier for IT departments – and they'll love the battery lifeReviews A powerful, yet reliable laptop, but the real pull is the Enterprise features that ease deployment and remote management
-
AMD and Samsung forge closer ties on AI memory, potential foundry dealNews The pair are forging closer ties on chip development and future foundry opportunities
-
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is almost an all-in-one solution for video production – its stabilization capabilities are out of this worldReviews A big, beautiful slab of a smartphone with a cutting-edge privacy display and video capabilities for all your creative needs
-
The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE is a superb budget smartphone with premium features – though I found its predictive text frustratingReviews A big bright display, all-day battery, and some super premium cameras make this a superb handset for office bods
-
The excellent Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 is slightly overpricedReviews A brilliant lightweight tablet with a superb screen, but the competition makes it look expensive
-
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra has more power, more AI, and much more battery life than its predecessorReviews A wonderful slab of technology, packed with AI features, and the battery life is fantastic – very much a tablet worthy of the name, 'Ultra'
-
Powering productive workwhitepaper Maximising the value of technology in an evolving defence sector
-
Samsung Galaxy Book 5 Pro 360 review: Almost the perfect big-screen laptopReviews The Book 5 Pro 360 is a laptop you slowly get accustomed to, rather than one that feels right from the word go.
