CES 2016: Our predictions for the show

CES 2016 is set to be the biggest technology show of the year. Taking place in Las Vegas from 6 to 9 January, it’s traditionally been the best place to see pretty much the whole range of consumer electronics, from smartphones to cameras and a lot more. 

However, for the past couple of years, there’s been another category that’s gradually been growing: cars and automotive technology. This year, cars are set to be even bigger – despite the fact that CES is the week prior to the Detroit Motor Show – and there will be a big presence from car makers and third parties.

Why is it such a big deal? In short, almost everyone will be there, which means there’s a lot of pressure on companies to have a presence (if you’re LG, and Samsung is attending, you have to be there too – and vice versa). 

So what’s going to happen? Here’s what we know and what we think will happen ahead of the official announcements.

What we know so far

LG:

LG has already announced it will be showing off a new version of webOS, the operating system it uses for its smart TVs. It’s going to be working with content providers such as Buzzfeed to build content for the platform, and all its new products with webOS 3 will be demoed at CES.

HTC:

HTC will be demoing Vive VR, and has claimed it has “some very big breakthroughs” that it will be showing off for the first time. This could be anything, from a redesigned headset (the most likely thing) to some incredible new tech.

Fitbit:

The fitness-tracker company has a press conference scheduled for 5 January. The most likely subject will be a new device, although we don’t know what yet. Watch this space. 

Bosch:

Bosch will also have a press conference on 5 January. Although you probably know it best for its consumer goods, it’s also a world leader in automotive technology – so we’d expect something exciting about car tech.

Huawei:

Likely to be a big one, this CES is rumoured to be the show when Huawei gets really serious about the US and European markets. Expect a high-end smartphone and, of course, the obligatory smartwatch/fitness tracker.

Qualcomm:

There are rumours that Qualcomm will announce some big developments at CES, making it even more of a world leader in chips than it currently is. Certainly, it’s keeping its cards very close to its chest.

Kia:

Like every car company, Kia has been working on autonomous driving technology – and it’s going to show something at CES. It was recently granted a licence to test autonomous cars on public roads in Nevada, and we’d be surprised if it wasn’t planning to have cars nipping along the mean streets of Las Vegas.

Dell:

Dell’s press conference is on Wednesday, and it’s promising “a series of exciting new products”. We’re hoping that doesn’t include a smartwatch, but if it can create more great laptops like the XPS 13 we’ll be very happy.

Faraday Future:

The mysterious car company, which at one point we thought might be a front for Apple, is likely to give the first public showing of its autonomous concept car. Click on the link at the top of the page to get all the juicy details.

READ NEXT: All our coverage on CES at our CES hub page.