The annual tech bacchanalia known as CES officially kicks off on Tuesday in Las Vegas with several categories of devices angling to be the talk of the show.
XCES 2019 will put a spotlight on 5G wireless technology, super-duper high-resolution 8K televisions, and smart devices spanning from the kitchen to the bathroom.
CES is still known to many by its original name, the Consumer Electronics Show. The massive trade show is expected to draw over 180,000 attendees and 4,500 exhibiting companies over four days. CES also has two days of preshow events for the 6,500 journalists expected to attend.
It is an event where companies show off the latest technologies and gadgets, often years before they become mainstream. That's the case with 5G wireless and 8K television, both of which will require supporting ecosystems to succeed.
5G To Be Gee-Whiz Tech At CES 2019
The transition to fifth-generation cellular networks — known as 5G for short — will start this year, beginning in large cities. 5G boasts high-bandwidth data transmission that speeds the delivery of video and other information to mobile devices.
"A lot of people can't wrap their brains around 5G and what it can do for them," Marge Costello, editor and publisher of Consumer Electronics Online News told Investor's Business Daily. They know it will offer faster data, but the selling proposition isn't clear yet, she said.
CES 2019 will have panel discussions on the impact of 5G on mobile phones, entertainment, self-driving vehicles, the Internet of Things and other sectors.
Industry analysts say 5G will boost the fortunes of chipmakers, handset makers, wireless carriers and other firms. Companies touting 5G at CES will include chipmakers Qualcomm (QCOM) and Intel (INTC) and telecom firms AT&T (T) and Verizon Communications (VZ). Verizon Chief Executive Hans Vestberg is giving a keynote speech at the show on Tuesday afternoon.
CES 2019 also could see the debut of new 5G smartphones. But most such device introductions are likely to take place at MWC Barcelona, formerly Mobile World Congress, in late February.
"I think most of that will wait until Mobile World Congress," Bob O'Donnell, president and chief analyst with Technalysis Research, told IBD.
Also at CES 2019, some smartphone makers might show off folding-screen handsets that use flexible OLED displays, he said.
8K Television To Make Splash At Show
Television makers are positioning for the future with the development of 8K television. These sets have twice the resolution and four times the pixels of current 4K ultra HD televisions for supercrisp pictures.
"Most of the major brands will be showing 8K TVs," Costello said. Samsung is already selling an 85-inch 8K television for $15,000, she said.
LG Electronics plans to show off two 8K televisions at CES 2019: an 88-inch OLED model and 75-inch LCD model.
"There is no content for 8K, but there's a lot of up-conversion," she said. Upscaling technology lets TVs sharpen the images on lower-resolution source material.
"We'll see some 8K TVs, but people are just getting settled in with 4K," O'Donnell said. "There's hardly any content for 4K let alone 8K."
Streaming services like Netflix (NFLX) and Amazon (AMZN) Prime Video offer 4K video, while movie studios sell 4K Blu-ray Discs. But traditional pay-TV services and broadcasters haven't gotten behind the format.
Smart Toilets, Smart Garbage Cans And More
Tech companies continue to add smarts, such as voice controls and data tracking, to home devices. The trend will continue at CES 2019 as vendors move beyond smart TVs and speakers to add connected technology to some unusual products.
For instance, Kohler will be at the show with its Kohler Konnect portfolio of smart products for the kitchen and bathroom. They include the Numi 2.0 Intelligent Toilet, which has Amazon's voice assistant Alexa built in.
If you have a question while in the bathroom, you can just ask Alexa. You can also command Alexa to warm up the toilet seat for you. The Numi 2.0 starts at $7,000 and will be available in the first quarter.
Simplehuman will be at CES 2019 with its smart kitchen garbage can. It has a lid that opens using voice controls and motion sensors.
Like last year's show, Amazon Alexa and Alphabet's (GOOGL) Google Assistant will be at CES 2019 promoting their voice assistants and trying to get installed in as many devices as possible.
Other technologies looking to stand out at CES 2019 will include autonomous vehicles, electric scooters and bikes, augmented reality glasses, home robots, and esports and fitness gadgets, to name a few.
RELATED:
Bullish 5G Wireless Forecasts Raise Question: What's A Near-Term Buy?
Roku Stock Labeled 'Top Pick,' Control4 Stock Called Buy
Bold 2019 Predictions For Amazon, Apple, Snap, Tesla In Acquisitions
The post Annual Tech Show To Tout 5G Wireless, 8K TV — And Smart Everything appeared first on Investor's Business Daily.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BusinessRss/~3/dSBFgCypzoo/
No comments:
Post a Comment