Chinese brand Vivo became the latest smartphone brand to withdraw participation from the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2020 tech show. The reason behind Vivo pulling at the last minute is Coronavirus. Already, smartphone brands like Sony, LG and other companies like Intel, NTT DoCoMo and Ericsson withdraw their participation from MWC. The Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (NCP) outbreak has put the entire MWC show in jeopardy as the companies feel it's insecure to host their events in the current scenario. As of this reporting, more than 1,000 people died in China due to the virus and more than 40,000 cases have been reported. The virus is spreading across the globe at a rapid pace and even four cases have been reported in the UK.
Vivo Joins the List of Brands to Pull Off from MWC 2020
Just a few days ago, we reported that LG has withdrawn from taking part at MWC 2020, which was followed by companies like Sony, Nvidia, Intel, Ericsson and NTT DoCoMo which is one of the largest telecom service provider in Asia. And now, Vivo has joined the list.
"Vivo has been closely monitoring the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (NCP) outbreak and continuously evaluating planned activities. The health and safety of our employees and the public are our top priority. Based on the present situation, we have decided to withdraw from our debut at MWC 2020 and other related events later this month in Barcelona, Spain," said the Chinese company in a press release.
At the MWC 2020, Vivo planned to unveil its APEX 2020 concept phone and it would have been Vivo's first appearance at the largest mobile phone tech show. "We will soon introduce the APEX 2020 concept phone which we had originally planned to showcase at MWC," added the company.
Huawei, Realme, HMD Global and Xiaomi to Attend MWC as Planned
Chinese brands Huawei and Xiaomi confirmed that they would attend the MWC as planned. Realme has started teasing its global 5G phone- the Realme X50 Pro which will be unveiled on February 24. HMD Global also confirmed its presence at MWC. It is also expected that more brands will follow suit. Coronavirus will not only have an impact at MWC as smartphone shipments are expected to decline in the first quarter. As noted, more than 40,000 cases have been reported in China, whereas 1,000 people already passed away.
