Apple Listed as 2017 Exhibitor at Mobile World Congress [Updated x2]

[MacRumors]

Apple Inc. has been listed as a 2017 exhibitor at Mobile World Congress, which is an oddity given the company's trade show presence has been virtually nonexistent since the company's final appearance at Macworld in 2009.

If the listing is accurate, it would mark Apple's first time attending Mobile World Congress, the world's largest exhibition and conference for the mobile industry. MWC 2017 runs between February 27, 2017 and March 2, 2017.

Babel PR pointed us towards Apple's exhibitor listing, which shows the company has booked space in the App Planet in Hall 8.1, as well as two spaces in the upper level that runs above Hall 2 in the Fira Gran Via Conference Centre.

App Planet is described as "a unique area focusing on the latest technology from the fast-moving apps industry," so Apple's presence could be related to promoting the App Store ecosystem or Planet of the Apps.

Apple's other upper level spaces appear to be meeting rooms, suggesting the company's presence may not be public facing. This would be unsurprising, given Apple has shifted new product announcements to its own media events.

Apple steadily stopped attending trade shows in the late 2000s, including the NAB Show, Macworld, and Apple Expo in Paris, and it has regularly passed on attending CES, the largest consumer electronics show, in Las Vegas.

In announcing its departure from Macworld, Apple said trade shows have become a very minor part of how it reaches its customers. For that reason, Apple's public presence at Mobile World Congress is questionable, although still plausible.

Apple is reaching more people in more ways than ever before, so like many companies, trade shows have become a very minor part of how Apple reaches its customers. The increasing popularity of Apple's Retail Stores, which more than 3.5 million people visit every week, and the Apple.com website enable Apple to directly reach more than a hundred million customers around the world in innovative new ways.

Should we receive confirmation about Apple's presence at Mobile World Congress, we will update this article accordingly.

Update: Shortly after we published this article, Apple was removed from the list of exhibitors.

Update 2: Apple told Babel PR it does "not have an official presence at the show," while the show's organizer GSMA told The Mobile Network it can "confirm that Apple will have meeting space at Mobile World Congress, as they have had previously."

Article Link: Apple Listed as 2017 Exhibitor at Mobile World Congress [Updated x2]

 

[Soni Sanjay]

So weird.

 

[Lennholm]

So THAT'S when we'll get the new Macs

 

[realeric]

It's not a good move...

 

[Juicy Box]

which is an oddity given the company's trade show presence has been virtually nonexistent since the company's final appearance at Macworld in 2009.

That's what I was thinking. If this is true, I wonder why the change.

 

[garirry]

So THAT'S when we'll get the new Macs

It's a mobile trade show. There won't be any computers.

 

[timcook_boyfriend]

We are waiting macbook event.

Sucks mobile world congress.

 

[diddl14]

Perfect place to launch new Watchbands..

 

[BrianKonarsMac]

Exec #1: Guys - we're not hitting previous numbers, how do we get more customers!?
Peasant: Well, you could update the computer lineup...
Exec #2: Who is this idiot? What's old is new again, let's go back to the conventions!

 

[2457282]

I wonder if they are going after a specific audience... like the carriers or corporate purchasers.... just guessing really

 

[Applebot1]

Perfect place to launch new Watchbands..

Yes, any chance to show off new bands lol

 

[meaning-matters]

They're more than welcome in my city

 

[MacsRgr8]

...which is an oddity given the company's trade show presence has been virtually nonexistent since the company's final appearance at Macworld in 2009...

And Apple did that because trade show presence has no added value for such a major company.
In the ol' days (before everyone had internet), trade shows gave you an opportunity to show-off your stuff and generally have a nice week.

I wonder if this is to underline the Apple and Cisco collaboration (you know, Wifi Fast Lane (QoS), Cisco Spark, etc.)

 

[9081094]

It's a desperate move something they should have been doing from the beginning. They feel the heat and pressure from competitors and probably won't have something new to show.

 

[NewBench]

iPhone SE 2................? Would be a similar time of the year to when the SE was announced earlier this year.

 

[lordofthereef]

edited

 

[CarpalMac]

Eventually even the most successful of companies do have to get off their complacent backsides and champion for more business.

 

[dan110]

This is a bad sign. I remember why they left several years ago. Basically, they didn't need to attend because their sales momentum was so robust.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

No surprising. The event attracts 90,000-100,000 people. EVERYONE is there in the tech world and these days everyone has something going on with mobile.
[doublepost=1476911162][/doublepost]

iPhone SE 2................? Would be a similar time of the year to when the SE was announced earlier this year.

They will not be announcing anything at this event. It's purely a sales attendance.

When was the last time Apple announced something at a non-Apple event (outside MacWorld which isn't run by Apple themselves).

 

[MH01]

Did it know this even existed

 

[dampfnudel]

I don't think Apple would go there just to "fill space". There's something behind this decision to attend and it may have something to do with another company that normally attends, some possible cooperation or deal. This is a long shot, but maybe it's some licensing deal that will be announced there?

 

[jimac]

Seems like it would be a perfect time to introduce Apple's next-gen iPads and a new iPhone SE. It would be nice if they threw in a Siri AI link to IBM's Watson, since that collaboration is working so well!

 

[doelcm82]

I wonder if Apple plans to pre-introduce the 10th Anniversary iPhone at this event, and get most of it out in the open, rather than deal with the last six months of rumors and leaks before it becomes available for sale in September.

It would echo the way the original iPhone was revealed.

 

[friedkimchi]

I wonder if Apple plans to pre-introduce the 10th Anniversary iPhone at this event, and get most of it out in the open, rather than deal with the last six months of rumors and leaks before it becomes available for sale in September.

It would echo the way the original iPhone was revealed.

Wouldn't that kill sales of iPhones leading up to the "pre-announced" iPhone? That just seems like a foolish business decision. If it was Samsung on the other hand...

 

[lostngone]

How can we get more ticket sales??? I know, lets leak that Apple is going to be here!