UPDATE: MediaTek has also announced its withdrawal from MWC 2020 this year due to the coronavirus epidemic.
Vivo and Intel are joining the likes of TCL, Sony, and LG to withdraw from MWC 2020 which will be held later this month in Barcelona, Spain. Both the companies expressed concerns about the safety of its employees as well as the public as the reason for backing out of one of the world’s biggest tech shows of the year.
Vivo was all set to announce its new Apex 2020 concept smartphone at MWC 2020. The phone was expected to showcase Vivo’s advancements in smartphone technology. So, this withdrawal could be a big setback for the company as well as the event. Some brands like Sony have announced online launch events for their products, but Vivo is yet to confirm if the Apex 2020 concept phone will get a similar treatment
Intel also explained to VentureBeat in a statement that its withdrawal was an act of caution in response to the ongoing coronavirus crisis in China. A lot of other brands like LG, NTT Docomo, NVIDIA, Amazon, and TCL have either backed out of the event completely or have reduced their presence at the event.
The GSM Association, which organizes MWC every year also issued a statement detailing the countermeasures taken to combat the spread of coronavirus. The association said it wouldn’t allow anyone from China’s Hubei province and attendees will have to prove that they were outside of China for 14 days before the event. The organizers have also called for a ‘no handshake’ policy at the event this year.
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