Samsung plays MWC low-key: No press conference planned

Samsung has confirmed that not only will the company's much-anticipated Galaxy S III not be making its debut at Mobile World Congress this month, but that the Korean firm has no press conference planned at the Barcelona show whatsoever. Despite high-profile and expensive launches in previous years, Samsung is playing the 2012 show low-key it confirmed to PCMag, though new products are expected to be revealed.

"Samsung is looking forward to introducing and demonstrating exciting new mobile products at Mobile World Congress 2012" the company said last week, before dashing hopes that they would include the Galaxy S III. Instead, the third-gen Galaxy flagship will be launched at an event of its own sometime in the first half of this year, allowing Samsung to announce the smartphone closer to the point of commercial availability but also monopolize the limelight.

The strategy by Samsung to play MWC cool follows Microsoft's decision to ditch its traditional CES keynote spot. Microsoft said that the early January show no longer fitted in to its own timescales for product launches, and that standalone events made more sense moving forward.

Samsung's products are rumored to include a new tablet, based on the company's quadcore Exynos 5250 chipset, and potentially including a 2560 x 1600 display. There's also likely to be several new handsets, while the role the company sees Tizen playing in its line-up will probably be on the agenda as well.

[Image credit: Mondo3]