Nokia: We won't be going to the Mobile World Congress

The world's biggest mobile manufacturer won't be at the sector's biggest gathering, which will take place in Barcelona from 14-18 February.

It's the first time that Nokia won't be unveiling its latest models at the Mobile World Congress, partly because of the difficult economic situation that the Finnish manufacturer has been struggling with for several months, with its revenue in freefall.

Stiff Competition

Nokia won't have an official stand, but will still hold a press conference at the start of the event.

Although Nokia still has 38% of the market share for mobile phones, this figure has been slipping for several quarters.  The manufacturer is facing increasingly stiff competition from Apple and RIM, as well as the rise of Android-powered smartphones.

Nokia is going to have to alter its strategy if it wants to retain the number one spot worldwide, and it's unlikely that the litigation that it's launched against Apple--which it's hoping to win because its main rival is hoping to ban the sales of Nokia handsets in the US--will be enough to get it back on its feet.

According to our sources, it's also possible that Korean firm LG will also give this year's show a miss, but a final decision has yet to be taken.

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