Sony and Amazon have become the latest companies to withdraw from Mobile World Congress 2020 due to concerns about the coronavirus.
In a statement quoted by Cnet, Sony said: “As we place the utmost importance on the safety and wellbeing of our customers, partners, media and employees, we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from exhibiting and participating at MWC 2020 in Barcelona, Spain”.
It added that its press conference, where it is expected to show its latest Xperia flagship, will go ahead as scheduled. However, it would now be live streamed via the internet.
Meanwhile, quoting several Spanish media outlets, Reuters reports that it Amazon has confirmed that the reason for withdrawing from MWC 2020 as being “due to the outbreak and continuing concerns about the new coronavirus”.
Last Friday, February 7, Ericsson issued a statement in which it also said it would be absent from the upcoming event in Barcelona. In it the company said that “due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus Ericsson has taken the decision to withdraw from the industry event GSMA Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2020 as the health and safety of employees and customers cannot be ensured”.
It added that demos and content created for MWC Barcelona will be showcased close to customers at local events, called ‘Ericsson Unboxed’.
Börje Ekholm, the company’s president and CEO, added: “The health and safety of our employees, customers and other stakeholders are our highest priority. This is not a decision we have taken lightly. We were looking forward to showcasing our latest innovations at MWC in Barcelona. It is very unfortunate, but we strongly believe the most responsible business decision is to withdraw our participation from this year’s event.”
Earlier last week LG also pulled out of Mobile World Congress 2020.
