CES 2017: 5G and artificial intelligence take centre stage at world's biggest technology show
Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicks off in Las Vegas this week, with technology companies from around the globe descending on "Sin City" to showcase their latest gadgets and offer a glimpse into our digital future.
From the camcorder and the CD player to the Xbox and the plasma TV, some of the best-known technologies of all time have debuted at CES, and some of the most famous industry figures have given keynotes, including Bill Gates, Michael Dell and Elon Musk.
This year marks the show's 50th annivarsary. The first CES kicked off in 1967, with 250 exhibitors and 17,500 attendees gathered in New York City. Since then, CES has grown by more than 10-fold, and now encompasses both traditional and non-traditional tech industries.
In 2016, CES attracted 3,886 exhibitors and 177,393 attendees, and covered more than 2.48 million square feet of exhibition space - with highlights ranging from HTC's Vive virtual reality headset to Volkswagen's gesture-controlled dashboard.
2017's show promises to be even bigger. Although many technology companies such as Apple and Google now run their own events, consumer tech giants like Samsung, Sony, LG and Panasonic continue to use CES to unveil their latest TVs, smartphones and home appliances.
However, often the most surprising innovations come from small companies and Kickstarter projects, in categories such as wearable technology, smart home appliances and 3D printing.
Here’s everything you need to know about CES 2017:
When is it?
CES 2017 officially runs from Thursday January 5 to Sunday January 8. However, products will start to be unveiled from Monday January 2, with many of the big product announcements being made during the press days on Tuesday January 3 and Wednesday January 4.
In previous years, CES has taken place at the same time as the pornographic film trade fair, Adultcon. However, the two will not coincide in 2017.
Where is it?
(Photo: Caters)
Las Vegas has long been the home of CES, with the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) acting as the focal point. Over the course of the week, events will take place across the city, in many of the famous casinos including Mandalay Bay, the Bellagio, and the Wynn.
Who will be there?
The event will feature keynote speeches from prominent industry figures including Qualcomm chief executive Steve Mollenkopf, Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn, Under Armour chief Kevin Plank and Richard Yu, head of Huawei's Consumer Business Group.
Many of the world's biggest consumer technology companies will also be unveiling their latest products at the event, including LG , Bosch, Huawei, Panasonic, Qualcomm, Toyota, Hisense, Samsung , ZTE and Sony.
Key themes
5G: It may feel like 4G technology still has a long way to go, but the future of 5G and its effect on the connected world will be a major focus at CES 2017.
Once considered a luxury, the demand for streaming services, social media and games has turned high-speed mobile internet into an essential utility.
(Photo: Getty)
"From the Internet of Things, to virtual reality to self-driving cars and beyond, connectivity is at the core of emerging innovation," said Gary Shapiro, president and chief executive of the Consumer Technology Association, which runs CES.
Artificial intelligence: AI has made big strides in 2016 - from Google's AlphaGo beating the world champion of Go at his own game to the stratospheric success of the app Prisma that converts photos into incredibly realistic looking paintings using AI.
These computer "brains" are now giving humans the power to simulate virtual worlds and giving computers the intelligence to understand the real world.
Expect to see companies exploring new ways to use the technology in 2017, and developing apps that integrate with virtual personal assistants like Apple Siri , Microsoft Cortana, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa .
Connected cars: Cars have become an increasingly prominent feature of CES in recent years, as the vehicles themselves become more and more high-tech. From eco-friendly electric cars to driverless vehicles, the "car of the future" is again expected to be a major theme of the show.
2016 has seen the first trials of driverless cars on British roads, while over in America, companies including Google , Uber and Ford are all at advanced stages of testing.
Meanwhile, the Autonomous Vehicle Marketplace at CES has grown by 75% since its inception in 2014, and more than a dozen conference sessions are dedicated to autonomous vehicles at this year's show.
Virtual reality: This year has seen the launch of several major VR headsets including the HTC Vive , Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR , as well as more low-tech options such as Google Daydream View .
Now that the hardware is there, the next big step will be to ensure there is enough VR content to keep consumers engaged - and enable compatibility across different platforms.
While the gaming industry is already hard at work on this, and film and TV companies are starting to dip a toe in the water , app developers have some way to go to catch up with the likes of Google Tilt Brush .
Sleep tech: For the first time this year, CES will have its own Sleep Tech Marketplace, sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation.
New technology promises not only to help consumers better understand their own sleep, but to help significantly improve their overall health.
"From sleep trackers and silent alarms, to bedroom lighting, white noise and even smart beds, sleep technologies are helping us take control of our nighttime routines and rejuvenate efficiently," said Shapiro.