Gadgets galore at Consumer Electronics Show
MORE than 20,000 new gadgets are expected to be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show this week, with internet-connected televisions, 4G mobile phones and voice and gesture-controlled gadgets topping the trends.
The new technology is expected to fuel a new record in spending, with consumers forecast to splash out more than $1 trillion on gadgets in 2012, according to research firm GfK.
Consumer Electronics Association research director Shawn DuBravac forecast trends for the world’s biggest gadget show ahead of its official launch today, when industry heavy-hitters such as LG, Samsung, Sony, Motorola and Intel are expected to show off key new technology for the coming year.
Mr DuBravac said home entertainment would be a major focus for CES this year, with manufacturers showing off super-thin OLED televisions, 3D TVs that can be viewed without glasses, and screens offering twice the resolution of current full high-definition displays.
LG has already confirmed it will show off a 55-inch organic LED television that, at just 4mm thin, is thinner than most smartphones.
Other companies are expected to show off televisions with a resolution of 4000 x 2000 pixels for super-crisp images.
Mr DuBravac said while 100 tablets launched at CES last year, the focus would shift to 4G mobile phones this year, taking advantage of faster phone networks being launched throughout the world, including Australia.
“I would argue that last year was the strongest wireless show at CES and I expect more phones to launch this year than in any prior year,” DuBravac said.
“The introduction of quad-core phones and 4G phones are really making these devices more like pocketable computers.”
Devices that use users’ voices and movements are also expected to be unveiled at the Las Vegas show, he said.
“You’ve seen, for example, Microsoft make available the (software) for its Kinect device so users can begin to create their own use scenarios for those devices,” Mr DuBravac said.
“LG is also rumoured to be integrating voice controls into its Magic Wand TV remote control this year.”
Other big trends for CES include the launch of up to 50 ultra-thin laptop computers and 50 new tablet computers.
GfK boutique research global business director Steve Bambridge said these new devices would push consumer technology spending over $1 trillion for the first time.
“At the same time as we’re having big economic issues in the US and Europe we’ve had some really strong product markets. Smartphones, tablet PCs are really driving growth,” he said.
“It is that growth that is set to continue through 2012 and keep up this trajectory.”
GfK predicts consumers will buy more than 96 million tablet computers in 2012, though Mr Bambridge said there was a “reasonable chance” the figure could top 100 million.
