Sony and Amazon pull out of Mobile World Congress due to coronavirus risk - The Verge

Sony and Amazon are the latest companies to cancel their presence at Mobile World Congress 2020 due to the new coronavirus outbreak. LG, ZTE, Nvidia, and Ericsson have already cancelled various events that were set to take place at MWC in Barcelona, which is the biggest mobile technology trade show on the annual calendar.

“Sony has been closely monitoring the evolving situation following the novel coronavirus outbreak, which was declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization on January 30th, 2020,” Sony says in a statement posted to its website. “As we place the utmost importance on the safety and wellbeing of our customers, partners, media and employees, we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from exhibiting and participating at MWC 2020 in Barcelona, Spain.”

Amazon, meanwhile, tells TechCrunch that “due to the outbreak and continued concerns about novel coronavirus, Amazon will withdraw from exhibiting and participating in Mobile World Congress 2020, scheduled for Feb. 24-27 in Barcelona, Spain.”

Amazon has not historically had a major consumer-focusing presence at MWC. Sony, on the other hand, often uses the show to reveal its most important mobile devices. Last year, for example, the company announced its Xperia 1 flagship phone at the show. Sony says it will instead make its announcements online through its Xperia YouTube channel this year.

Yesterday the GSM Association, which organizes MWC, put out an updated statement detailing further countermeasures it is taking against the spread of the coronavirus. No travelers from China’s Hubei province, where the outbreak began, will be permitted access to the event, while anyone who’s visited other regions of China will need to prove that they have been out of the country for 14 days beforehand. With MWC set to start in two weeks today, that is likely to complicate the plans of several Chinese companies that were planning to attend.

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2020-02-10 09:15:29Z
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Samsung aired a Galaxy Z Flip commercial during the Oscars before it’s even announced - The Verge

It’s not just leaks that let us know what big tech companies plan to announce at their keynotes, increasingly it’s the companies themselves. Since this year’s Academy Awards fall ahead of Samsung’s February 11th Unpacked keynote, the company decided to go for a huge tease of the Galaxy Z Flip — it basically showed off the whole phone.

We are expecting Samsung to announce new Galaxy S20 phones (three of them) and the Galaxy Z Flip, a folding phone rumored to have a glass screen. The ad showed the phone sitting on a table at a 90-degree angle on its own, the better to do video chatting. It also gave us our first, best look at it folded up and it doesn’t appear to fold completely flat. The Motorola Razr, which was just released but has already been plagued with reports of creaky hinges, does fold completely flat.

In the small print for the ad, there’s copy that says “You may notice a small crease in the center of the main screen, which is a natural characteristic of the screen.” So that answers that question. As with the Fold, the Z Flip will have a crease. The ad also shows two different colors: purple and black.

We also got our first look at the outside screen, which is very tiny but nevertheless full color. The ad shows the screen can do caller ID and also has sliders for accepting or rejecting a call.

Samsung has always gone big with ads at the Academy Awards. Its previous Oscars ads have ranged from product placement celebrity selfies to subtle apologies for its exploding Note phones. As for the trend of companies teasing their own products, after Google went big with it in 2019, Samsung took a more traditional approach this year (up until this ad, at least). Leaks, however, still about: Samsung itself leaked the Galaxy S20 last week.

We’ll be live at Samsung’s event on February 11th to find out if there’s anything that hasn’t already been leaked, photographed, rumored, or teased by Samsung itself. It’s still possible there will be.

Developing...

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2020-02-10 01:28:04Z
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Amazon pulls out of MWC 2020, citing coronavirus concerns - CNET

Amazon will not be attending MWC 2020, citing fears over coronavirus.

Denis Charlet / AFP / Getty

E-commerce giant Amazon is pulling out of Mobile World Congress, citing concerns over the spread of novel coronavirus. 

Amazon will withdraw from MWC 2020 "due to the outbreak and continued concerns about novel coronavirus," a spokesperson for Amazon Web Services said Sunday.

The company joins a number of big exhibitors that have already pulled out of the world's largest mobile trade show, including LG, Ericsson and Nvidia, citing concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus, 2019-nCoV. First disclosed in late December, the virus has infected over 37,000 people and killed over 800 as of Feb. 9. Companies including Apple, Google and Nintendo have closed offices, limited business travel and faced supply chain disruptions. 

The GSMA, the organization that runs MWC, said it will have additional medical personnel on-site. It will also put other measures in place to reduce the risks posed by the disease, including a no-handshake policy.

CNET's Katie Collins, Shara Tibken and Edward Moyer contributed to this report.

First published at 2:25 p.m. PT on Feb. 9.
Update at 2:41 p.m. PT: Adds comment from Amazon.

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2020-02-09 22:41:00Z
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Coronavirus: Amazon pulls out of major tech show - BBC News

Amazon is the latest major company to pull out of one of the world's largest tech shows because of risks posed by coronavirus.

Amazon said "due to the outbreak and continued concerns about novel coronavirus" it would no longer take part in Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

The organiser said the event, which attracts 100,000 people, will go ahead.

But it admitted other companies are considering whether to attend.

South Korea's LG Electronics, Ericsson, the Swedish telecoms equipment-maker, and US chip company NVIDIA have already withdrawn from the conference which runs between 24-27 February.

• Coronavirus: A visual guide to the outbreak
• Coronavirus: The economic cost is rising in China and beyond

The GSMA, which organises the show in the Spanish city, said that while it could "confirm some large exhibitors have decided not to come to the show this year with others still contemplating next steps, we remain more than 2,800 exhibitors strong".

However, it revealed that it had put in place additional measures to "reassure attendees and exhibitors that their health and safety are our paramount concern".

These include a ban on all travellers from China's Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, while people who have been in China must provide proof they have been outside the country for 14 days.

The GSMA estimates that between 5,000 and 6,000 people visit Mobile World Congress.

The GSMA also said it will suggest participants should not shake hands with each other and microphones used by speakers will be disinfected and changed.

Coronavirus has now killed more than 800 people - the vast majority in mainland China - and infected 34,800 others.

The Singapore Airshow, which is due to open on Tuesday, has also seen major firms pull out of the event including US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin.

Bombardier and Gulfstream Aerospace have also said they will not attend.

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2020-02-09 22:39:46Z
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As top exhibitors pull out of MWC, organizers implement stringent safeguards - TechCrunch

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2020-02-09 20:43:42Z
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New leaks hint at iPhone SE 2 price and launch date - TechRadar India

We've heard so many leaks at this stage that it seems clear that Apple is planning an iPhone SE 2 device – which may well be called the iPhone 9 – and reports this weekend back up what we've already heard about its pricing and launch date.

According to sources speaking to Fast Company, the next budget iPhone is going to cost you $399 (about £310 / AU$600, though Apple won't use a straight currency conversion), and is going to be shown off to the world in March.

That all makes sense, as the original iPhone SE made its debut at the same price point in 2016, and Apple usually hosts a product announcement show in March.

The new information backs up rumors we've already heard as well, so while nothing is certain at this stage, we can start taking the speculation about a $399 price and March launch window a little more seriously.

Picking a name

There has been talk that the coronavirus outbreak could potentially delay the launch of the iPhone SE 2, but it would seem that March is the plan at least. The original iPhone SE also launched in March.

As for specs, it looks as though a 4.7-inch screen might be what the iPhone SE 2 is sporting, and in appearance it might closely resemble the current iPhone 8, complete with a Touch ID sensor.

If Apple does decide to call the phone the iPhone 9 then that would fit in better with the current naming strategy for Apple's handsets, though as with everything else, we're not completely sure yet what's in the pipeline.

We might not have much longer to find out, if Fast Company's sources are correct – if a March event is planned, then Apple should be alerting news outlets and issuing invites in the next few weeks.

Via MacRumors

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2020-02-09 15:00:00Z
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Motorola Razr first impressions by the CNET office - CNET

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2020-02-09 14:00:00Z
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