CES 2022’s greatest revelations and the developments we’ll be speaking about all yr

This story is part of CES, where CNET covers the latest news on the most incredible tech coming soon.

CES has all the time been a window into what the world of know-how will seem like down the road. However this yr, it additionally served as a microcosm of our chaotic, messy and unpredictable lives right this moment. 

The commerce present was adamant about holding a hybrid present with a robust bodily presence in 2022. And with issues calming down after the delta variant of COVID-19 surged over the summer time, that appeared to be a sensible aim. Keynote audio system and large identify firms signed on, and it was poised to be one of many first large conferences to return to in-person occasions. 

Then omicron reared its extremely contagious head. 

With only a few weeks earlier than the convention kicked off, a raft of firms pulled out or scrapped plans to journey to Las Vegas. T-Cell CEO Mike Sievert canceled his keynote completely. Google, Microsoft, AMD and Intel modified their plans. A lot of the main media shops opted to cowl the occasion just about. The present gave the impression to be on the snapping point. 

So was CES a bust? Surprisingly, no. Quite a few large bulletins, from Samsung’s first OLED TV to Sony teasing its PlayStation VR 2 system, infused the present with relevance. The automotive trade has steadily elevated its presence on the occasion and did not disappoint this yr. After which there have been the lifelike robots.

“It was so surreal — I want I might have seen it in particular person,” mentioned CNET Video Producer Claire Reilly after interviewing Ameca, a robotic with human-like facial expressions.

The Client Expertise Affiliation, which places on the present, mentioned the variety of contributors finally rose as small and medium-sized companies nonetheless noticed the worth of assembly head to head. 

“It is positively not the identical,” mentioned Avi Greengart, an analyst for analysis agency Techsponential who opted on the final minute to attend in particular person. “There’s much less worth, however it’s simpler to extract that worth.” 

Here is what we realized from this yr’s CES. 

1. CES could not overcome COVID-19, however that did not matter

Given the up-and-down sample of COVID-19 during the last two years, it should not be a shock that one other badly timed surge disrupted every thing. Due to this unpredictability, the CTA from the onset went with a hybrid mannequin that supplied the choice to attend in particular person or just about through a digital platform. 

Hybrid is a actuality we’ll all be dwelling with going ahead, with many firms contemplating hybrid as the brand new establishment when (if) issues get again to regular. This pattern will probably ripple by to different conferences as we reassess the worth of attending one in all these gatherings. 

A slew of fascinating merchandise, from new laptops from Dell and HP to Samsung’s televisions, served as a reminder that there is not any substitute for seeing and experiencing issues in particular person. Whereas firms like Lenovo traveled to New York to arrange native briefings for early hands-on experiences, there’s nothing that may exchange a central hub like CES. 

Whereas Ameca was charming over video convention, think about how rather more of an influence it might’ve had up shut.

And people who made the hassle have been rewarded with a CES freed from a few of its extra infamous annoyances. 

“It is lots simpler and extra nice in some methods,” Greengart mentioned. “I can really seize a cab.” 

2. Laptops and TVs are flashy once more, and you may like the brand new ones

TVs and laptops have a circadian rhythm to their product launch cycles which have lengthy been aligned with CES. You possibly can set your clocks by the truth that practically the entire large distributors unveil their principal merchandise within the first week of January. 

Whereas lots of the TV and pc firms deliberate to skip this yr’s CES or pulled out on the final minute due to the unfold of omicron, they nonetheless did their annual blitz of product bulletins to kick off the yr. 

CNET’s lead TV reviewer David Katzmaier rounded up the big developments in TVs and CNET’s lead laptop computer reviewer Dan Ackerman wrote up the cool stuff happening in laptops.

However it’s price calling out just a few highlights in every class. Samsung finally revealed an OLED TV to compete with LG‘s best-in-class image high quality. TCL unveiled its largest TV ever with a 98-inch Roku-powered behemoth. To not be outdone, LG announced its largest OLED ever with a powerful 97-incher. And Samsung’s The Freestyle TV projector — with its 100-inch image, 360-degree sound and a $900 price ticket — was a enjoyable shock.

In computer systems, the Dell XPS 13 Plus was the most important attention-getter, making daring design decisions for probably the most regular, dependable laptop computer traces in the marketplace. The brand new model sports activities an edge-to-edge keyboard, a brand new tackle a customizable contact bar and a touchpad that runs your complete size of the underside of the laptop computer. HP’s ultralight Elite Dragonfly laptop got here with a svelte new design. The Asus Zenbook 17 Fold supplied up a 17.3-inch foldable OLED laptop computer. Lenovo broke the mildew with its ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 dual-display laptop, which comes with an ultrawide 17.3-inch principal display with a 21:10 facet ratio at 120Hz. It additionally has a flexible 8-inch second display to the suitable of the keyboard that can be utilized with a stylus for taking notes and put to many different artistic makes use of.

3. Telephones and 5G supplied a meaty unofficial CES

Telephones and wi-fi providers do not historically play an enormous function at CES, as a substitute ready a month or so till the MWC commerce present. However this yr, they served as a secondary storyline operating concurrent with the official CES bulletins. 

The most important was the spat between the wi-fi carriers and the Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, over a request for Verizon and AT&T to delay the rollout of their upgraded 5G networks due to issues over interference with airplane gear. The request was made on New 12 months’s Eve, prompting the carriers to rapidly reject it, organising a possible authorized conflict. 

However the two sides got here to an settlement late Monday, resulting in Verizon making a splashy announcement about the coming 5G upgrades (which can go stay after that two-week delay). AT&T had pulled out of CES and stored comparatively mum throughout this stretch. 

On the telephone aspect, OnePlus made a splash by teasing its OnePlus 10 Pro out of China (proper in the midst of CES’s media day). Whereas technically a part of CES, Samsung opted to front-run everybody by unveiling its Galaxy S21 Fan Edition on Monday evening. 

Extra formally, the TCL 30 V 5G and TCL XE 5G made their debut at CES 2022, and might be out as quickly as February. HMD World, the Finnish startup making Nokia-branded handsets, showed off five new phones hitting the US within the coming months. They vary from the 5G Nokia G400 ($239) to the retro Nokia 2760 flip telephone ($79). 

The takeaway: Do not sleep on cellular information firstly of the yr, and prepare for large modifications to your wi-fi expertise in 2022.

4. Good glasses might have an iPad second in 2022

When the iPad was introduced in April 2010, it was one of many worst-kept secrets and techniques in tech. Earlier than it even launched, a number of different tech firms had introduced their very own tablets — and afterwards, the stampede solely acquired extra crowded. 

Augmented actuality glasses might be approaching an iPad-like second in 2022 with supply chain leaks linking Apple to the launch of AR glasses or an AR/VR headset later this yr. The competitors does not intend to get caught flat-footed. CES 2022 noticed a tidal wave of AR, digital actuality and metaverse bulletins. 

TCL unveiled each its vision for future AR smart glasses and its NXTWear Air glasses that work as an exterior show that’s the equal of watching a 140-inch TV. Sony confirmed off the PlayStation VR 2. Mojo Imaginative and prescient got here with its newest prototype for smart contact lenses. Qualcomm and Microsoft informed the world that they are going to partner on chips for future AR glasses. Panasonic demonstrated a pair of $900 SteamVR goggles with a steampunk look. And “metaverse” turned the most popular and most ridiculous buzzword at CES 2022, as this wonderful Twitter thread from @NimaZeighami demonstrates. 

Anticipate much more hype round AR glasses this yr, despite the fact that the merchandise launched are more likely to be little greater than clunky prototypes. At the very least they’re going to give us all tales to entertain the grandkids in a pair a long time.

5. The EV tsunami is about to come back ashore

Whereas there was no scarcity of far-future fantasy within the automotive class at this yr’s CES (lookin’ at you, Hyundai), probably the most thrilling stuff was extra tangible — issues like the brand new Chevy Silverado EV. GM CEO Mary Barra debuted the corporate’s all-electric pick-up, displaying off a lot of totally different flavors and a few spectacular numbers. Most spectacular? 400 miles of vary on a cost. Additionally spectacular? The $105,000 manufacturer-suggested retail worth the Launch Version will carry. Yeah, yikes. Cheaper variations will come although. After which there’s the electric Equinox, which can begin at simply $30,000.

Whereas EVs have been in all places, autonomy continued to be a significant push. Right here once more GM was making waves, speaking up its newest integrations with Cruise for an autonomous ride-hailing service. Much more fascinating was the speak round Extremely Cruise, the subsequent step past Tremendous Cruise. This may provide true hands-off driving even on native roads. The Cadillac Celestiq would be the first to supply this when it arrives in 2023. That is simply subsequent yr, individuals. Prepare.

“CES turned out to be one of the best auto present in years,” mentioned Chris Paukert, government editor of CNET Roadshow. 

That is a wrap

Whereas CES 2022 turned one more unconventional present in our unconventional actuality, it nonetheless had loads of helpful, fascinating and futuristic stuff to nerd out about. There have been robots that would have made the Terminator jealous. BMW confirmed off a car that can change colors, much like the way in which you modify desktop wallpaper in your pc. Razer’s high-tech face mask from final yr even took one other run at being a wearable air air purifier.

The principle halls in Las Vegas have been eerily empty, and in-person attendees acquired to choose stickers for announcing how much physical contact they’re comfortable with. However the present did go on — with loads of stuff that the world might be speaking about all through 2022.