Mobile World Congress: coronavirus may hit Chinese phone launches – two reasons why

Chinese phone brands have used February trade show in Barcelona as launch pad for new handsets. Huawei and Oppo sources say both are still planning for MWC

There is a risk Spain will bar travellers from China, where virus outbreak began, and even if it doesn’t, will thousands of Chinese visitors still be welcome?

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Visitors leave the Mobile World Congress (MWC) venue in Barcelona during last year’s event. It remains to be seen whether Chinese exhibitors will unveil new products as planned at this year’s fair given the coronavirus outbreak. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:00pm, 6 Feb 2020Updated: 8:28pm, 6 Feb 2020

The annual Mobile World Congress (MWC) trade show in Spain – the largest and most important event for the mobile telecoms industry – was once dominated by electronics giants such as Samsung and LG.

In recent years, though, it’s become increasingly a Chinese show, with the likes of Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo using it as a stage to launch flagship handsets. I’ve attended the last three MWCs and Chinese brands have stolen the show every year.

This year’s event, which is scheduled to take place in Barcelona from February 24 to 27, should be no different. Oppo, Xiaomi, Realme and Vivo are all set to unveil flagship phones running the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chip with some eye-popping hardware.

Oppo’s handset, in particular, is rumoured to have a 120Hz OLED screen with an invisible selfie camera that hides behind the display panel.

But the coronavirus outbreak may throw a wrench into these plans. The mysterious virus, first reported in Hubei province in China, has spread to more than 20 countries, including Spain, and is causing a worldwide health scare.

Although the Chinese government is sparing no effort to contain the virus, countries including the United States and Australia have barred visitors from China.

Chinese telecom and phone companies have been dominating trade shows in recent years. Huawei displays 5G technology at the 2018 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Photo: Xinhua/Guo Qiuda