Google, Samsung, Sony, LG and more will gather under the bright lights of Las Vegas in early January.
We’re almost all the way through November, but CES 2018 registration is still open for those who want to get a last-minute pass. It’s important to note, however, that CES is a trade show, so you must have an industry or media affiliation in order to attend.
If you go or are simply keeping tabs from home, one of the first press conferences to look forward to is the one hosted by LG. The venerable gadget maker will offer a sneak peek at innovations across its product lines during the press conference, which takes place at 8am PT on Monday, January 8.TechRadar will be there live to bring you all the latest!
CES 2018 is right around the corner. Las Vegas, Nevada will once again play host to the biggest consumer technology expo on the planet. Companies from around the world will descend upon the giant halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center and other locations on the Strip to show off their wares and innovations.
CES, which stands for the Consumer Electronics Show, has admittedly lost a bit of its luster in recent years as hardware manufacturers have opted to hold individual press events scattered throughout the year to unveil new products, rather than elbow for exposure during a massive conference that’s filled to the brim with press conferences and booths.
But that doesn’t mean CES 2018 won’t be without must-see gadgets, futuristic cars and sneak peeks at innovations that could change the tech world as we know it. Au contraire – next year’s show could bring as much excitement as ever.
Read on for the latest news and rumors surrounding CES 2018, as well as our predictions for what some of the top manufacturers will bring to Las Vegas early in the New Year.
Yes, dear reader, you read that correctly. Google is apparently planning quite the presence at CES 2018 with a large booth and eight hospitality suites to showcase… well that’s the question, isn’t it?
As spotted by Chrome Unboxed, Google Inc. will have a big, standalone booth prominently positioned in the outdoor Central Plaza of the Las Vegas Convention Center. This is in addition to the eight suites Google Hardware has reserved at the Aria hotel.
While Google is typically present at CES via third-party hardware partners that house its various operating systems and the Google Assistant in their goods, Google is coming out from behind the curtain during next year’s show, and it’s doing so in a big way.
This could mean a couple of things. One, it seems highly likely that Google wants to give conference-goers an up-close look at its newest products, including the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL phones, Google Home Mini smart speaker and the new Daydream View VR headset. The whole Made by Google product family is poised to take a Vegas vacay, if you ask us.
But what’s also possible is that Google will showoff something new considering it’s going all out when it comes to exhibiting. As Chrome Unboxed speculates, we could be in for new Chromebooks to follow up the widely well-received Google PixelBook. We could even see Chromebooks that take on a whole new form factor, such as ones that transform into tablets with detachable screens.
Whatever Google has planned, this is an exciting addition to the CES 2018 lineup. When the major players come to Las Vegas, there’s usually good reason to pay attention.
Samsung is always a big focus at CES, generally with good reason. The tech giant typically unveils a number of devices (not counting its updated line of smart washing machines and dishwashers), and sometimes shows off hardware that’s a little bit out there.
Two years ago, it was a bendable TV. Next year, it could be a bendable phone.
Some whispers are circulating that the Galaxy X, Samsung’s rumored foldable smartphone, could debut at CES 2018.
As Forbes notes, the timing would be a bit odd since, unlike MWC, CES isn’t a major phone show. However, it would also be a prime opportunity to show off a completely new device to an international audience. Samsung did unveil the Galaxy A3 at CES 2017, so it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to go for a repeat.
What’s more, Samsung originally debuted its bendable display tech at CES 2013, so it’d be fitting to unveil the culmination of five years’ of development in a consumer-ready phone at this coming CES.
Samsung’s mobile boss has said the company is targeting a bendable phone launch in 2018. Unveiling the Galaxy X in early January could be the first step towards a full-blown release later in the year.
A new rumor also points to the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus making a cameo appearance at CES. What that means exactly isn’t clear, but we could get an early look at the new smartphones before their official release later in the year.
In addition to the potential new Galaxy phone unveilings, we expect Samsung to announce new wearables, either on its own or in partnership with others, new Galaxy Tab tablets, new laptops, and, of course, new TVs. There’s a good chance Samsung will update its QLED TV tech to the next generation (and maybe go for a new name, like QLED+).
In recent years Sony has used CES to focus on its audio and office lines, unveiling devices like new headphones and cheaper 4K projectors along with its newest Bravia TVs.
The Bravia range always impresses and Sony’s other goods are top notch, and so far there’s nothing to indicate Sony will deviate from this script very much. We expect the next line of Bravias to feature OLED screens, which the Japanese firm only this year started producing again.
And, listen up, audiophiles: there’s a good chance we’ll see a new high-res turntable from Sony at CES 2018. We’ll find out all during Sony’s CES press conference, which takes place at 5pm PT on Monday, January 8 at the Sony booth.
Last year, LG unveiled what might possibly have been the thinnest OLED TV ever at CES. If you don’t remember the OLED W7 Signature Series TV, take a minute to watch the video above.
At CES 2018, look for LG to go for broke once again with its TV tech, which we’ll almost certainly see unveiled during its January 8 press conference at 8am PT. Though these screens are flat out expensive, you can’t deny how visually stunning they are. To put a number on it, CES 2018 should play host to LG’s next-gen 8-series OLED screens (B8, C8, G8 and W8).
LG also used CES 2017 to unveil some low- to mid-range phones, including the LG K10 2017 and LG Stylus 3, so we could be in for a few LG mobile surprises.
Rounding out LG’s offerings are likely updates to its home appliances (no brainer), 4K Blu-ray player, gram laptops and even its smart helper robots.
Dell gave TechRadar an early preview of its next XPS 13 laptop ahead of CES 2018, showing off the 13-inch Ultrabook’s incredibly thin design and pleasing aesthetics.
The laptop now features three USB-C ports, a Micro SD card slot, an Infinity Edge display and two colors – Alpine White and Rose Gold.
Since a new laptop is typically Dell’s big reveal at the show, the big news about the 2017 Dell XPS 13 we can expect at CES 2018 is its full spec sheet, release date and price.
