From CNET: Samsung has said that it will only be attending Mobile World Congress remotely this year, opting not to have a physical presence at Europe's flagship mobile show, which is set to take place in June. The GSMA, which runs the event, is pressing ahead with plans for an in-person conference this summer as the number of COVID cases across Spain, where the show is held, continue to decline and restrictions are increasingly lifted.
"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," Samsung told Reuters in an emailed statement on Tuesday.
In spite of the GSMA's optimism, a number of big tech companies announced starting in March that they won't be attending the show in Barcelona in person this year. Google, which tends to have a large presence through its Android business, was the most recent major exhibitor to bow out of the in-person portion of MWC. It joined Ericsson, Sony, Nokia and Facebook, which were among the first to say they wouldn't be heading to Barcelona.
"Following our current COVID-19 travel restrictions and protocols, Google has made the decision to not exhibit at Mobile World Congress this year," the company said in a statement. It added that it will still participate virtually.
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