ZTE and LG cancel MWC 2020 events citing coronavirus concerns

XDA

By Pranob Mehrotra

Published Feb 5, 2020

With the coronavirus threat looming in the background, LG and ZTE have pulled out from MWC 2020 to protect their employees and the general public.

The death toll from the ongoing coronavirus outbreak in China has continued to climb over the last few weeks. New cases of infection have risen by double-digit percentages and there are no signs of a slowdown. On top of that, the outbreak is wreaking havoc on the global supply chain, with several companies shutting shop in China and pulling out their employees from the region. Effects of the supply shortage have been felt far and wide. Early this week, ASUS announced that its flagship product — the ROG Phone II — will be out of stock due to the coronavirus situation. Now, it seems like the outbreak might also hamper the upcoming MWC 2020 trade show.

GSM Alliance's annual MWC trade show is scheduled for later this month. At the event, a number of smartphone manufacturers are expected to showcase their product lineup for 2020. However, due to the coronavirus outbreak, LG has announced that they won't be attending the event this year. ZTE will not be holding a press event, but they will still have a booth to showcase devices. In a statement regarding the matter, LG withdrew its participation from the event to ensure the safety of its employees and the general public. Instead, the company plans to hold separate events in the near future to showcase its 2020 mobile products. The company was expected to announce the LG V60 ThinQ and LG G9 ThinQ at this year's MWC, which will most likely be pushed back due to the current situation.

Chinese OEM ZTE had previously confirmed a press event at MWC 2020 with a 5G-focused event. The company was also expected to launch the Axon 10s Pro 5G at the event, however, it has also pulled out citing the coronavirus situation. The company's PR reached out to us and confirmed their cancellation due to the same reason. Until the coronavirus situation is under control, we believe more OEMs might pull out of the trade show this year to protect their employees. It's also worth noting that MWC 2020 has recently announced a 'handshake ban' at the event, along with other measures, to help mitigate the spread of the virus.