Mobile World Congress postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic

It's going to be another February without Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

The GSMA, the organization behind the Mobile World Congress (MWC), announced on Wednesday that this year's MWC Barcelona will take place between June 28 and July 1, 2021.

The world's largest mobile industry event typically takes place in late February or early March, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the organization to move the date into the summer months.

"Moving MWC21 Barcelona, initially scheduled for the first week of March 2021, allows the GSMA to contend with external circumstances related to Covid-19," the GSMA said in a press release. "The GSMA is committed and investing so that MWC21 Barcelona can go ahead safely and offer the unique, unmissable experience that has made it the world’s most important mobile ecosystem convening platform. MWC21 Barcelona will also have virtual elements to complement the overwhelming demand to convene physically."

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MWC Shanghai, one of GSMA's smaller events, has also been rescheduled to Feb. 23-25, 2021.

This year's MWC was canceled completely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and recent data regarding the number of infections and deaths in Europe does not instill confidence that the situation will be much better in February. In the early summer months, however, most of Europe experienced a significant drop in number of infections, making the late June/early July time frame a better fit for a massive, global event such as the MWC.

The rescheduling of MWC Shanghai to late February (it typically takes place in April) is notable as well. Many smartphone companies launch new devices in February or thereabouts, and it's easy to imagine some of them timing their launch to MWC Shanghai, at least virtually.