Every year, reporters, exhibitors and buyers usually discover Las Vegas showrooms stuffed with large TVs, sensible vehicles and robots fixing martinis, however CES shall be on-line just for the primary time in its 54-year historical past as a result of Covid-19.
The Client Electronics Affiliation, the nonprofit behind the four-day occasion beginning Monday, mentioned 1,800 exhibitors from world wide will fill its “digital venue” this yr — a quantity that is down considerably from four,000 in-person exhibitors final yr. The transfer will permit tech corporations from international locations who’ve by no means attended earlier than to participate within the on-line spectacle, however may additionally make it more durable for smaller corporations to get observed with no bodily showroom sales space to come upon.
It will lack a number of the signature substances of the commerce present, equivalent to hands-on time with the most recent devices, demos and networking. However the know-how that makes our lives extra linked and handy will nonetheless resonate as we proceed to navigate a world pandemic. CNN Enterprise shall be monitoring all the massive bulletins after which some.
5G
5G will dominate discussions at CES 2021 a lot because it did final yr.
Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg will kick off the present with a keynote targeted on what the corporate has realized from rolling out its 5G community and tease its future plans. And Anne Chow, the CEO of AT&T Enterprise, is anticipated to do the identical in a breakout session. (WarnerMedia, the mother or father firm of CNN, is owned by AT&T.)
5G is right here in lots of our largest merchandise, together with the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy smartphones, however it definitely has not reached what’s believed to be its potential but. These bulletins could provide a roadmap for the way it will get there.
Well being tech
Well being devices, health tools and wearables have lengthy been standard at CES, however the class shall be supersized this yr, each due to a rise in demand from the pandemic and the business regularly shifting on this path even earlier than.
“Search for quite a few well being options, particularly people who declare that they will let you know if you’re displaying indicators of doable an infection — raised physique temp, elevated coronary heart fee and respiration — or if you’re socially distanced sufficient,” mentioned Ramon Llamas, analysis director at market intelligence agency IDC. “Or take a look at completely different disinfection options for the house, much like those that declare they will zap undesirable or harmful microbes in your cellphone.”
Digital transformation
Final yr’s transfer to online-everything — telehealth, working from house, distant studying, streaming — shall be a primary speaking level at CES, however so will tech’s position to higher help these adjustments.
Sensible house
With thousands and thousands of individuals staying house, corporations are hoping they will add extra sensible units and techniques into residing rooms, kitchens and elsewhere. Past merchandise like sensible fridges and washers, home equipment equivalent to robotic vacuum cleaners and air filters could get smarter with voice integration.