CES kicks off in Vegas this week. It’s the only time you’ll see self-driving cars on the Strip, drones flying around the Bellagio fountains, and a robodealer running the blackjack table.
The big trends
This morning the daily Brew broke down the show’s evolution from its origins in 1967; here’s what we can expect to see in 2020.
Smartphones are getting slimmer and sleeker. Some have dual screens and fold in half. At CES, phonemakers will show off devices boasting in-screen fingerprint sensors and gee-whiz computational photography features.
People are starting to buy 5G compatible handsets. Samsung shipped 6.7 million 5G phones in 2019 (more than expected). Carriers around the world have started limited rollouts of the next-gen networking technology...meaning companies are unveiling new devices with 5G compatibility.
TV makers will exhibit new displays with higher refresh rates and crisp 8K quality. TVs are getting smart assistant upgrades and better streaming support.
Other gizmos
PR pitches can be a proxy for tech’s next frontier...and judging by the hundreds of CES emails I’ve received, there are plenty of startups working in new spaces like dog, baby, toilet, and sleep tech.
Powered by miniaturization, sensorization, and advancing computing power, more smart devices are coming online. This raises new privacy and security concerns, topics that CES has devoted programming for this year.
While CES got its start as a consumer device show, software is also getting its time in the spotlight. From app-based on-demand services to AI smart assistants to content streaming, this year’s show will highlight the digital user experiences allowed by new devices.
Zoom out
When you’re looking at a new product, think about tech push vs. market pull. At CES, we see a bit of both.
- Tech push: A company has the technology to develop and commercialize a product, but doesn’t know if consumers will bite.
- Market pull: Existing demand for a tech product incentivizes companies to create it.
+ What’d I miss? Updates on robots, AR/VR, wearables, and voice assistants coming later in the week.
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