Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2021 has suffered another setback, with Samsung the latest major manufacturer to pull out of the physical event.
Scheduled to open as a live expo in June, MWC Barcelona has been plagued with strife, as companies such as Nokia, Sony, and Ericsson have either ditched the event or announced plans to attend only virtually; Google dealt a big blow when it pulled out in April.
Now, according to a statement obtained by Reuters, Korean giant Samsung has also decided to move to an exclusively virtual presentation.
“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 Mobile World Congress,” the company said.
MWC 2020 was cancelled due to the pandemic, but Mobile World Congress Shanghai went ahead as a hybrid digital/in-person event in February.
Lenovo has also dropped out of the live show, according to The Verge.
