Feb. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Nokia Oyj, the world’s largest mobile-phone maker, has ruled out showing new devices at the industry’s biggest annual gathering next week, the first time in at least a decade the company has done that, a person involved in the planning said.

Nokia won’t have a stand at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The Espoo, Finland-based company made a “strategic” decision not to unveil any new phones at the event, according to the person, who didn’t want to be identified because the plans are not public.

The company’s low-key presence may disappoint those expecting to see Nokia’s newest devices to take on Samsung Electronics Co. and Apple Inc. It gives rivals the chance to dominate the show with touchscreen devices at lower prices. Technology blogs Fonehome.co.uk and Phonesreview have raised expectations by reporting that Nokia plans to show a new range of phones called the C Series at the event.

Why would it be concern to anyone whetever they love or hate Nokia?

EDIT: I would understand if you were concerned about organizers of MWC and their cashflow.

Nokia is doomed!

Nokia is involved with a separate event at the same time, nearby.

Indeed.

Saving several millions by moving their booth by few hundred meters is TEH DOOM!

Apple is now trying to humiliate everyone and anyone who ever tried to push a tablet computer and I sense that this time the industry is not going to be taken to the woodshed any more for the Apple spanking. And with the iPad, Apple may have irked it's somewhat new partner Intel Corp. /quotes/comstock/15*!intc/quotes/nls/intc (INTC 20.41, +0.35, +1.75%) Intel gets spanked by nobody.

This scenario comes to mind because on Monday, at the Mobile World Conference and CEO junket in Barcelona, Intel and Nokia are expected to make a partnership announcement. Everyone assumes it's headed in the direction of more mobile computers from Nokia.

So does it cornern you that Apple isn't at MWC?

...or that Steve Jobs quit MacWorld entirely?

No. Not concerned at all. They have always been a very small player

It feels like this needs to be explained every other thread in here.
Nokia will have it's own event 100m away from where MWC is held in 15-16th this month.
http://events.nokia.com/mwc/home.htm

That said i'm not expecting any super high ends from them there. First milestone Symbian phone should be out 1H this year if Nokia's executives word is to be trusted, but don't think it will be shown in Barcelona. Nokia has anyways been talking about getting away from MWC and the main event for this year and year to come will most probally be Nokia World. Where i wouldn't be surprised to see the second Symbian milestone device shown and some Maemo 6 loving.

Maybe the most interesting keynote considering Nokia in MWC will be the Intel one.