CES Trends: what to expect at this year’s show

Kicking off today, annual tech bonanza CES is one of the most anticipated events of the year. With more than 4,400 exhibiting companies and nearly 200,000 attendees from all over the globe, the show is the world’s largest gathering for consumer electronics, held in the infamous Sin City. Each year it’s a sensory overload of the weird and wonderful, a showcase of the latest gadgetry, electronics and smart tech. Think Disneyland for techies.

However, the event is no longer just for tech enthusiasts of this world. With technology now powering every aspect of our everyday lives, from travel and entertainment to communication and healthcare, all eyes – media, general public and retailers – will be on major product launches and announcements made in Vegas.

So, what can we expect to see from this year’s show? Here are some of the trends we expect to see emerge as the event kicks off today:

Foldable smartphones to be talk of the town

It’s no secret that Samsung is hard at work developing a foldable smartphone. There’s been much hype around the company’s leaked “Galaxy F” at the tail-end of last year. However, manufacturer Royole has already beaten the South Korean giant to it by launching the world’s first foldable phone earlier this week. With other players like LG looking to follow suit, foldable devices and their impact on the wider smartphone market will be a prominent topic of conversation at this week’s event.

5G here we come

With a number of 5G-capable consumer devices set to be launched this year, it’s no surprise, that the next-generation connectivity standard will be a major talking point at CES. We’ll see everyone from handset manufacturers to mobile chip makers to automotive companies discussing the potential new opportunities in robotics AI, AR/VR and cars. Look out for news emerging from today’s Verizon keynote, in particular, on the future of connectivity through 5G.

Car tech shifts up a gear

This year’s CES will no doubt also be full of companies competing to display the next best auto tech. This makes sense considering one of the themes of this year’s show is ‘Transportation in the Smart City.’ Self-driving cars and other vehicle technology will feature heavily on the agenda, with announcements from both heavyweights and less traditional vendors.

8K TVs on full view

First exhibited at CES 2018 and launched by a few manufacturers at IFA last year, 8K is 4K but supercharged. In fact, it’s actually four times more pixels than 4K images. The likes of LG, Sony, Samsung and Toshiba are all expected to show off 8K displays at this year’s show. LG has already announced it will be showcasing an upgraded 88-inch 8K TV that doubles as a giant speaker. However, with little 8K content out there and many new screens having a hefty price tag, we’re still a way off seeing this new hi-res tech go mainstream.

Smart home tech to get weird (again)

Smart speakers will be a big part of CES 2019 as Google and Amazon continue the battle to become market leader and consumer favourite. However, it wouldn’t be CES without some wacky home tech thrown into the mix. Expect to see talking fridges, smart toilets and doorbells, and even a bread vending machine.

These are just a few of the trends expected to feature at this year’s show. One thing’s for sure, though, CES 2019 is set to be another tech-filled bonanza!