MWC 2022 cancellations and confirmations: which brands will be at this year’s show?

Mobile World Congress in Barcelona (Image credit: Future)

Mobile World Congress is the largest mobile technology show in the world, and its next iteration is set to take place in Barcelona at the end of February. That's despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the concerns around the Omicron variant.

MWC 2022 is set to run from February 28 until March 3, and we expect to see a variety of new smartphones unveiled at the show. With the Omicron threat and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, some brands are now pulling out of the physical show itself.

In early January, CES 2022 went ahead despite over 75 companies cancelling their presence at the show in Las Vegas. Big names like Amazon, Lenovo, Microsoft, AMD, Nvidia and OnePlus were among them.

Will MWC 2022 still go ahead?

The GSMA, the company that organizes Mobile World Congress, has confirmed to TechRadar on January 25, 2022, that it intends for the event to go ahead.

A spokesperson for the event said, "Our focus at the GSMA remains producing an unmissable event for all of those attending. We have proven our ability to deliver a safe environment with an industry-leading health and safety plan, Committed Community, and three successful events in 2021.”

Confirmed MWC 2022 cancellations

Sony Mobile was the first to confirm it wouldn't be attending MWC 2022. Its statement said, "Sony Corporation has taken the decision that it will not be holding its own booth at MWC 2022. As the world has greatly shifted towards digital and online opportunities, Sony Corporation will communicate in ways that can deliver our exciting product news to a wider audience."

A spokesperson for the GSMA told TechRadar, “The GSMA was surprised to see Sony’s comments about MWC22 Barcelona given the company did not have any reserved space at the event to begin with. Sony has not been an exhibitor at MWC since 2019 due to strategic business decisions made by the company."

Confirmed brands for MWC 2022

Other brands that have yet to comment

TechRadar has asked a variety of the major brands that usually appear at Mobile World Congress to confirm plans ahead of the show, and we'll keep this article updated with information as we have it.

Those include Samsung, OnePlus, Qualcomm, HMD Global, Realme, Vivo and other phone makers from around the world.

Everything we expect at Mobile World Congress 2022

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James is the Editor-in-Chief at Android Police. Previously, he was Senior Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones and the mobile space for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones and other portable gadgets. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He once fell over.