CES 2018: Here’s what to expect
What is CES? CES an annual trade show put on by the Consumer Technology Association. It’s one of the biggest tech trade shows in the world with over 170,000 people in attendance. Companies big and small attend the trade show every year, showing off the latest and greatest products they have to offer.
When is CES? CES will take place between Tuesday, January 9 and Friday, January 12, 2018.
Where is CES? Like every year, CES 2018 will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
What can we expect from CES 2018? This year, we can expect to see devices shown off from just about every segment of the technology world, including drones, audio, IoT/smart home, AR/VR, vehicles, and more. We don’t usually see too many smartphones being shown off at CES, at least compared to MWC and IFA.
Most of the major companies we cover here at Android Authority will be in attendance, including Samsung, LG, ASUS, Sony, Huawei, and others. Not many companies have shared which products they plan on revealing at the trade show, though we have heard many rumors that give us a good idea of what to expect. We can also make educated guesses based on what was announced at CES 2017.
So, which products are expected to make their debut at the trade show? Let’s take a look.
Samsung
At CES this year, Samsung will show off its new selfie-focused mid-rangers, the Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8 Plus (2018). Announced in December, the Galaxy A8 and A8 Plus sport dual front-facing 16 and 8 MP cameras with f/1.9 aperture lenses. This means you’ll be able to take portrait mode selfies, and blur the background before and after the phone is taken, just like on the Galaxy Note 8.
According to a recent report from VentureBeat, the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are “scheduled to make their first public appearance” at CES. This doesn’t necessarily mean the handsets will be announced at the show— Samsung might just show them off in a teaser video. The official unveiling isn’t slated until February 2018. Though, it wouldn’t surprise us if Samsung used CES to announce an official reveal date for the devices. What we’re saying is, don’t expect to learn a lot about the S9 at CES this year.
Samsung might announce an upgraded version of the Chromebook Pro in Las Vegas.
Samsung could also announce an upgraded version of the Chromebook Pro, which launched at CES 2017. The device, which might take on the Google Pixelbook, is rumored to come with an Intel Core m7 processor and 16 GB of RAM.
LG
LG’s press conference will take place on January 8, a day before CES kicks off. According to a report from BusinessKorea, LG will reveal the G7 at the trade show — but we don’t agree. The flagship will likely make its debut at MWC in Barcelona, same as its predecessor.
But that doesn’t mean LG won’t reveal any new handsets. LG is expected to show off a new device in its K series, just like it did last year. We’ll likely see the LG K10 (2018) at the trade show, which is rumored to come with a 5.3-inch 1080p display, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, plus FM radio. This handset could also be LG’s first mid-to-low-end device to feature its recent mobile payments system, LG Pay.
In addition to a few new mid-range smartphones, LG is also expected to announce new TVs and a number of smart appliances.
Huawei
Huawei isn’t expected to launch new smartphones at CES this year, but we will hear some details about the Mate 10 Pro coming to the United States. In a recent interview, Huawei CEO Richard Yu confirmed that Huawei will sell one of its Mate 10 devices (likely the Mate 10 Pro) through wireless carriers in 2018. More details will be revealed at CES.
Read: Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro review: All about promises
Rumor has it that the Mate 10 Pro will be sold exclusively by AT&T. There’s no word on how much it will cost or when it will be released, but based on the US release date of the Mate 9, the handset could go on sale a few days after Huawei launches it.
Honor
Honor likely won’t reveal new smartphones at CES. The company has recently launched the 7X and View 10 in the US, Europe, and a few other markets.
The 7X is already available stateside for $200, while the View 10 will go on sale starting January 8. However, Honor hasn’t announced US pricing yet.
That makes us think it could share this info with the public in Las Vegas. A move like this makes sense, as it would allow Honor to put the spotlight on the device right before it goes on sale.
As spotted by Chrome Unboxed, CES 2018 will be the first time Google will be present at the show with a big, standalone booth. Not only that, the company has also reserved eight hospitality suites.
It looks like Google is preparing something big for CES 2018.
So it looks like Google is preparing something big. What exactly? Rumors suggest it could reveal a few new Chromebooks that will join the Pixelbook, which made its debut in October. It’s possible we could see a few other products, although there’s no word on what they might be.
Additionally, Google might use the event to offer consumers a close-up look at its lineup of products. These include the Pixel 2 smartphones, Daydream View VR headset, and smart speakers like the Home Mini, among others.
Nothing has been confirmed yet, so we’ll have to wait until January to find out what Google’s plans are.
ASUS
Rumors suggest that ASUS is working on an upgraded version of its C302CA Chromebook that will go head to head with Google’s Pixelbook. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but there’s a chance we’ll see it at CES.
The device is said to come with the Core m7 processor and 16 GB of RAM, same as the upgraded version of the Chromebook Pro Samsung is reportedly working on.
It’s also possible that ASUS will reveal a new smartphone or two in Las Vegas. The company took the wraps off the ZenFone AR and ZenFone 3 Zoom at CES 2017, so it’s possible we could see followup devices at the trade show.
Many other companies including HTC, Sony, ZTE, and Lenovo will be present at CES 2018, though there are no specific details on which products they might show off. We’ll likely hear more rumors about the products that could make their debut at the show over the next month. When that happens, we’ll update this post to keep you up to speed.
Which product do you think will attract the most attention at CES? Let us know in the comments.
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