2018 at CES: What to expect
● Samsung to tease its Galaxy S9, before launching at MWC. ● Intel is most likely to launch 8th- Gen processors. ● Sony to launch the rumoured XA2, XA2 Ultra phones.
Starting today, in presence of members of the media, exhibitors and industry insiders, the CES will once again descend upon the stage to set the pace of tech for the next one year. CES, the world’s biggest tech show has kicked off at Las Vegas and tech giants from around the globe are presently showcasing products that will go on sale for mass consumption in the forthcoming months.
CES has been the trendsetter of the tech world since past few years, and this year seems no different. Major manufacturers such as LG, Samsung, Sony, Intel and Qualcomm will be busy showcasing their futuristic tech products. Here’s what you can expect from this week: Smartphones and tablets CES isn’t exactly a place where new smartphones are announced. However, this doesn’t stop manufacturers from flaunting their upcoming phones at CES. Huawei is expected to have something in store for its fans. The company is most likely to announce the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro phablets for AT& T at CES.
Similarly, BlackBerry will announce the US availability of its Motion smartphone and Sony is expected to be announcing the rumoured — XA2 and XA2 Ultra sporting mid- range features, while an entry- level L2 smartphone is also in the queue.
Samsung is also expected to tease its flagship Galaxy S9 at CES, before launching the final version at the MWC 2018 a few months later. The South Korean company could also showcase the concept Galaxy X smartphone, which is rumoured to sport a foldable display.
SMART SPEAKERS
AI and voice assistants have taken the industry by a storm and 2018 is expected to see an immense increase in the production of smart speakers. Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant were once only available on Amazon Echo and Google Home speakers, but third- party manufacturers such as JBL, Ultimate Ears, Sonos and others have launched their own smart speakers with support for these voice assistants. We are also expecting Apple’s HomePod sometime this year. Apart from this, we could also see many consumer electronics manufacturers displaying smart home appliances at the CES 2018. LAPTOPS
CES 2018 will most likely see the launch of new laptops with Intel’s eighthgeneration processors that will serve as the catalyst for an industry- wide PC refresh. A lot of intenal updates can be expected as it gives manufacturers opportunities to cram in some new tech and functionalities into the recently launched systems. Other changes that might come along will be the new designs and thinner bezels, advanced biometric security features and improved battery reservoirs.
SMART WEARABLES
2017 was the year of smartwatches and fitness accessories. CES 2018 could focus on hybrids — just in a slightly different manner. Manufacturers could be seen add a fashionable flavour to these hybrid analogs.
We might see smartwatches that look like classics, but with fitness/ health tracking capabilities. However, we shouldn’t expect too much as of now, as Fitbit seems to be favouring a spring/ fall schedule for new products, while other vendors will bring upgrades.
TELEVISIONS
LG Display will be showcasing its 88- inch 8K OLED display at CES 2018, but this is just a concept. So if you thought of replacing your 4K TV for a bigger resolution, you might have to wait a little longer — it’s far too expensive too. Also, there is no way to stream or download 8K content for now. TV broadcast is yet to start 4K; so expecting 8K content for the next few years would be almost impossible.
There will be more than what we just spoke about here. Smaller companies, to bigger tech brands are all there with their booths and we are just scraping the possible surface here. The next few days will highlight confirmed products and we shall bring you most of these exposures soon. Keep a tab in this space this week, and next.