Nokia: Connecting People With Boredom at MWC

“As an alternative to the noise and crowds at Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, invited guests can relax on comfy sofas, enjoy delicious food and drinks as they discuss the industry and network with their peers–all courtesy of Nokia.”

— Nokia’s pitch for its Mobile World Congress Exhibit

Good thing Nokia is providing “comfy sofas” at its Mobile World Congress digs next week–sounds like attendees are going to need them.

Why? Well, the company is evidently taking a novel approach to MWC: It is attending, but with no new phones to show off.

How odd. Nokia (NOK) is, after all, the world’s largest mobile phone maker. And MWC is the mobile phone industry’s biggest annual event. For the company to show up empty-handed at a time when competition in the smartphone market is so heated and Nokia’s share so…fluid, seems unwise–particularly when the rumor sites have been ginning up expectations for new devices, including the 12-megapixel camera-touting, 720p video-shooting, multitouch N8-00.

As MKM Partners analyst Tero Kuittinen observes, “It would be a problem to have no introduction now because people want to see Nokia has something up its sleeve for summer.”