The Mobile World Congress, held annually at the end of February in Barcelona, Spain, is one of the most important events on the mobile industry calendar. From expectation to anticipation to introduction to evaluation, there isn’t one mobile phone or tablet nut that doesn’t look forward to this world-wide event. Let’s take a quick peek at what will and will not be at this year’s MWC.

Samsung Nixes GS3 Appearance

Samsung officially confirmed disappointing rumours that their next-gen mobile phone, the Samsung Galaxy S III will not – repeat: not – be presented at the Mobile World Congress at the end of the month.

Samsung announced that the GS3 premier will be later in the year with its own, unique event.

“The successor to the Galaxy S2 smartphone will be unveiled at a separate Samsung-hosted event in the first half of the year, closer to commercial availability of the product.”

Considering Apple has again postponed its projected release date of the iPhone 5 from June 2012 to some time in July, even more rumours are flying hither and yon that Samsung plans to steal some of the expected lime light away from Apple by introducing their smartphone around the same time.

Is the Galaxy S III experiencing manufacturing delays, or is Apple sam-sunged again? We’ll find out as the advertising hype begins closer to the possible release dates.

In a side question, we’d like to know how many readers are anticipating some Android ads later this year just as we are? Whilst one particular ad was disappointing, others haven’t been, and we do wonder what Samsung’s marketing department will think of next, dude.

Apple Agenda?

What we don’t see on either the MWC agenda or in its exhibitor list is Apple, Inc. Are they boycotting the MWC, and if so, will their staff be wandering the floor as they did the Consumer Electronics Show 2012 in Las Vegas last month?

‘Fess up, Apple. Are you still pouting from the CES keynote address issue?