The 2013 International CES (or CES 2013) barely a couple of days away, and anticipation is gearing up. As one of the largest technology shows in the world, you can be sure to expect some exciting, surprise announcements. At the same time, you can be sure to expect so many announcements that it's nearly impossible to keep up and process what's happening.
That's okay, though. With the CES 2013 predicting that 20,000 products will be on display at the Las Vegas event, it's to be expected even.
In the interest of being helpful, here are a few things to keep an eye on as the show begins.
Televisions
- You know the brand new, 46-inch full-HD LED TV you recently bought and admire enormously? Well, in three days it's going to be dated. CES 2013 will see the display of Ultra HDTVs - behemoth screens composed of more than 8 million pixels. That's roughly four times the resolution of current HDTVs on the market. Don't feel too bad about your recent HD purchases, however. The price of an Ultra HDTV starts at roughly $20,000. It's going to be a while before these become consumer friendly.
- Google has confirmed that its Google TVs will be shown off in partnerships with Asus, TCL, and Hisense.
- Samsung has been teasing announcements in television innovation since December, promising the never-before-seen upgrades to TV design and shape. That's a huge promise based on very little detail; expectations are high here.
Tablets
- According to CBS News, the increasing popularity of tablets has prompted developers to seek out new ways to hook people onto their computers. The answer they've settled on, apparently, is to make them, well, more like tablets. Microsoft's Surface tablet provided the textbook example of a computer/tablet hybrid, so look for more products inspired by this convergence.
- RCA revealed that it will be displaying a combination TV/Tablet product called the DMT580D, which can pick up TV signals through its dual TV tuner.
- Leaks suggest that Asus is getting ready to unveil a brand new, 10-inch tablet. The device will reportedly feature a Tegra 3 processor as well as Jelly Bean 4.1.
Smartphones
- If you ask me, the Galaxy Note is already unnecessarily large, an awkward phone/tablet hybrid. Nobody asks me, though, so companies are prepared to introduce "embarrassingly large" phones to consumers this year. LG and ZTE are prepping phones with screens just over 5 inches, while Huawei is going all the way by offering a whopping 6.1-inch phone under the name Ascend Mate. Looks like a trend that's here to stay, at least for a little while.
- Continuing briefly with the large smartphone trend, LG's offering in this category is expected to be the highly anticipated Optimus G2. So keep your eyes peeled.
Other Noteworthy Items
- As we reported recently, Google is getting some serious competition in the automated car department. Both Toyota and Audi announced their intentions to demonstrate their own driverless (self-driving) cars and automated vehicle features
- Gaming isn't typically a big draw at CES, at least not anymore. Most game companies have withdrawn their products from the show and moved them to Los Angeles for June's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Still, there will be some gaming presence as the industry moves increasingly into the tablet and smartphone market.
