The Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, is scheduled for January 5-7, 2017, in Las Vegas. This year is also the conference’s 50th anniversary, and there many be some fanfare to that effect. CES has given a leg up to some of the best tech in the last half-century, reported The Telegraph, including the first videocassette recorder in 1970 and the first Xbox in 2001.
This year, there’s some more futuristic tech hitting the stage…
Virtual and Augmented Reality
Visitors trying wearable virtual reality devices during the first day of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Asia. (Getty)
With Oculus RIft, PlayStation VR and HTC Vive already around, VR is old hat. But, while consumers are familiar with the tech, there isn’t a whole lot of content available at the moment.
The VR world has a lot of potential, and not just for gamers. According to TechRadar, Qualcomm and Lionsgate are working on a Power Rangers VR experience for CES. It’s just a demo, but hopefully immersive movie experiences will start becoming a thing.
TechRadar mentioned that new Windows headsets might be coming from manufacturers like HP, Dell, Lenovo, Asus and Acer this year.
As for Augmented Reality, TechCrunch says to expect some Pokemon Go-inspired AR games at CES 2017.
Wearables: Not Dead Yet?
The Alcatel CareTime kid’s smartwatch, at CES 2016. What will this years CES hold? (Getty)
The Alcatel CareTime kid’s smartwatch, at CES 2016. What will this years CES hold? (Getty)
Many might be over Smartwatches, but Android Wear 2.0 is getting a release early in 2017, so there’s bound to be some announcements on that front.
Fitness bands like the FitBit also continue to be popular, so there might be some announcements on that front, too.
Smart Homes and Smart Desks
The iHome iCVBT5 6″ Double-sided Vanity Mirror, and the iCVBT7 9″ Double-sided Vanity Mirror, which feature full color lighting, Bluetooth audio/speakerphone and USB charging, are on display at CES 2016. (Getty)
Dell’s XPS 13 laptop is confirmed to be revealed at CES 2017, to a decent amount of fanfare, but the company has more than that up its sleeve. Dell is also planning on unveiling a “Smart Desk,” TechRadar reported, with a “knobby peripheral,” second screen and work surfaces. It’s being compared to Microsoft’s Surface Studio, but we’ll see how similar they really are.
Smart home devices are becoming more and more normalized, with products like Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Home already on the market.
Speaking of speakers, LG will be releasing a floating speaker at CES 2017. The Bluetooth speaker has a subwoofer in the base, 360-degree sound, and electromagnetic levitation. According to TechRadar, LG isn’t the first to attempt a floating speaker, so hopefully this will be a higher-end solution.
Electric, Self-Driving Cars
Visitors taking photos with a Chevrolet-FNR car during the first day of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Asia. (Getty)
CES has blossomed into a conference that boasts some of the most cutting-edge technological displays in the world, all in one place. Sure, technology brings gadgets and gixmos to mind, but what about cars?
In recent years, CES has seem its fair share of vehicular innovation, and this year shouldn’t be any different.
Faraday Future, a car company that made its debut at CES 2016, is following up its original concept this year. The company said it will be revealing an electric car that “combines extreme technology, industry leading range, and holistic design,” reported TechRadar.
Faraday isn’t alone, though, with companies like Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Volvo, Chevy, VW and Kia sharing its stage. Nissan’s head Carlos Ghosn will also be delivering a keynote, and Honda released a teaser just for the occasion.
Car companies seem to be converging upon self-driving car concepts, so that will likely be a huge talking point at CES. Delphi and Mobileye have announced, for example, that they’ll be conducting a 6.3-mile drive in rel-world conditions to test their Centralized Sensing Localization and Planning, or CSLP, automated driving system. CSLP isn’t going to be produced until 2019, but TechRadar says it’s described as “the first turnkey, fully integrated automated driving solution with an industry-leading perception system and computing platform.”
Televisions: 8K And Beyond?
Sony 4K HDR TVs on display at CES 2016. (Getty)
Size definitely matters to the companies showing TVs at CES. Sure, there will be gigantic 4K televisions, as expected, but TechRadar says displays might be pushing 8K this year. OLED screens will also be a big player, with Samsung jumping in to talk about SUHD screens.
HDR will show up everywhere, too, with TechRadar calling it the “most discussed TV feature these days.”
Smartphones: Foldable and 4K
The Project Tango game, AR Capture, was shown at CES 2016. (Getty)
CES isn’t really known for its phone announcements, but that won’t stop anyone. LG already announced five new K-series phones ahead of the show, reported TechRadar. THey consist of the K10, K8, K4, K3 and Stylus 3. The Stylus, K10 and K8 run Android Nougat, but you’ll probably have to wait until CES to hear more details.
According to TechRadar, we might even hear from our old (really old) friend BlackBerry. Well, actually, TCL, which announced in December that it would be partnering with BlackBerry.
Very exciting news. Can’t wait to share more at #CES2017 #TheNewBlackBerry
Sony also might be releasing some new Xperia phones, including a 4K version with 4GB of RAM.
Samsung will probably wait until MWC 2017 to reveal anything major, but TechRadar mentioned that the company may announce a foldable phone at CES.
T-Mobile has been teasing at a big CES announcement, with CEO John Legere telling everyone to be patient and wait for CES.
Stop asking me, already! Just tune in & find out on January 5th!!