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No massive Google presence at Mobile World Congress

Rather than going massive as in years past, Google will reportedly dispatch an Android support team to assist partners.

Scott Webster
Scott Webster has spent the better part of his adult life playing with cell phones and gadgets. When not looking for the latest Android news and rumors, he relaxes with his wife and son. Scott also is the senior editor for AndroidGuys. E-mail Scott.
Scott Webster
Google could skip its massive, interactive booth at Mobile World Congress this year.

Google will not set up its massive (and fun) booth at Mobile World Congress this year, according to a spokesperson from Google France (translation). Instead, Google will reportedly dispatch an Android support team to assist partners at various locations throughout the conference.

CNET has contacted Google for a statement and will update this article with any new information.

As one of the top destination spots over the last two years, Google's MWC booth has included a smoothie bar, ice cream sandwiches, and plenty of games. Let's not forget the giant, twisting slide that takes pictures of those daring enough to go down, or that winding river of Android smartphones and tablets.

With this apparent shift, Google will become the latest company to scale back on booth presence for tech conferences. The growing trend seems to be standalone events for bigger players such as Samsung, HTC, and Apple. Google I/O is but a few months away and it, too, includes a sprawling layout of interactive games and goodies for attendees. Maybe there's just not enough that's new to justify the spending.

Google's MWC booth an Android wonderland (photos)

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Luckily, if Google employees will help staff partner booths, there's no reason for the company to stop distributing the highly sought-after Android collectible pins as in years past. Last year saw 86 pins that attendees had to collect from disparate booths, including LG, Motorola, and Intel.