Samsung and other tech giants ditch plans for MWC Shanghai 2023

Samsung Electronics has no interest in MWC Shanghai. The event kicked off yesterday and will close its doors tomorrow, June 30, but the local media reports that the world’s largest smartphone vendor, Samsung, is entirely absent from the show floor.

Although Samsung was present at MWC in Barcelona earlier this year, its presence wasn’t as strong as its rivals, and the company mainly used its booth to show off the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy Book 3 and to promote Busan as the location for World Expo 2030.

Samsung didn’t show much interest in MWC Barcelona earlier this year, and now, it has skipped MWC Shanghai entirely. Reportedly, it’s the first time the company has not participated in the trade show since 2017.

South China Morning Post underlines that tensions between China and South Korea rose, and relations between the two nations have soured recently, once South Korea denounced China for committing a “serious diplomatic discourtesy” after a Chinese official, who was unnamed by the publication, commented on President Yoon Suk-yeol’s interaction with Taiwan.

Samsung isn’t the only tech giant to have passed on MWC Shanghai

Although Samsung is a big omission, it’s important to note that it is not the only big tech company to have skipped MWC Shanghai this year. Ericsson and Qualcomm did the same.

Interestingly, Ericsson initially planned to attend MWC Shanghai, but according to an anonymous representative, the company backed out right before the event kicked off earlier this week.

Qualcomm was another big name on the list of exhibitors. However, the company later decided against coming to MWC Shanghai for reasons unknown.

What’s even more interesting is that Ericsson and Qualcomm were among MWC Shanghai’s 15 corporate sponsors. Senior executives from both companies were supposed to hold keynotes at the trade show.

In parallel with these events, Samsung is preparing to host its first Unpacked event in South Korea. The next Unpacked should be held at COEX in the Gangnam District next month.