Phone-lovers in the US will get a whole new mobile conference just for them - CNET

You don't have to know the name "Mobile World Congress" to appreciate what the annual blockbuster conference means for anyone who loves phones, tablets, smartphones, and really, anything that has to do with the wireless world. After all, it's at this trade show each February that Samsung typically unveils its flagship phone, like this year's Galaxy S7.

Starting September 2017, a little more than a year from now, the US will get its own Mobile World Congress Americas, and that means more wireless products and news for you.

This is the first time that the Mobile World Congress brand will make a big US splash, and it's happening because of a partnership between two organizations: GSMA, a European trade association that owns the Mobile World Congress event, and CTIA, a similar association that represents carriers in the US. Recently, the CTIA (which stands for Cellular Telephone Industries Association) has fallen on tougher times, with its annual fall Super Mobility Week show declining in popularity and impact.

If everything goes to plan, this new show -- officially called GSMA Mobile World Congress Americas, In Partnership with CTIA -- will focus product launches and mobile news in a strong US market known for its startup innovations. The first joint conference kicks off September 12, 2017 in San Francisco.