CES 2015 preview - news and rumours

Dec 08, 2014

The International Consumer Electronics Show, CES to you and me, is only a month away, with the likes of LG, Samsung, Sony and others expected to launch new TVs, speakers, smartphones and more. We round-up the rumours and reveal the new products and trends we expect to see.

CES 2015, which officially runs from 6th to the 9th January, will see consumer electronics manufacturers, big and small, launch hundreds (if not thousands) of new products for the year ahead.

From specialist hi-fi and home cinema companies to big-name multi-national manufacturers, CES is the place to be; to not only get a first look at the new products but also gauge the key tech trends for the year ahead (and beyond).

What Hi-Fi? will once again be on the ground in Las Vegas, Nevada, to bring you the news as it happens. We’ll be covering all the main press conferences from the biggest consumer electronics companies, reporting from the showfloor in ’Tech East’, where most of the big brands reside, and delivering unrivalled coverage of ’Tech West’, which features the specialist hi-fi area at The Venetian.

We will once again be announcing the Stars of CES, our pick of the best specialist AV products revealed at the show, with the winners revealed at 3.30pm (PST) on Thursday 8th January. 

 For the first time we will also be hosting the CES International News Stage. Run in conjunction with our sister publication Stuff, the stage will feature four days of interviews, product showcases and more, and will be the venue for both the Stars of CES and Stuff’s Wearable Tech Awards.

So, CES 2015: what can we expect to see
 

 

CES 2015 LG

 

After curved TVs and Bendable TVs, we’re struggling to think of the next big twist for TV tech, but we’re sure the company will try. A first look at the new LED and Quantum Dot TVs should be a given, though.

 

CES 2015 Sony

Sony has announced details of its CES press conference, which will take place at 5pm on Monday 5th January.

CES 2014 saw Sony release three new 4K TV ranges and five new full HD TV series, and also reveal details of its collaboration with Netflix to bring 4K content to its televisions. There were also new Blu-ray players, soundbars and soundbases, the Xperia Z1 Compact phone and the NWZ-ZX1 Walkman.
 

We’d expect to see another fresh batch of TVs, with a greater emphasis on 4K and bigger screen sizes, while we’d hope to hear far more good news when it comes to 4K content helped by the company’s own Sony Pictures subsidiary.

High-resolution audio should also be on the agenda, with new additions to the company’s high-res music player line-up of portable music players and hi-fi kit. And it’s likely we’ll see a new Xperia phone (the Xperia Z4?), too.

Might we also hear more about the PlayStation 4 at CES? Sony tends to save PS news to dedicated events but it’s a possibility. PlayStation TV has had a relatively soft launch in the US and UK, so more on that, and how it can integrate with your home system, might be a decent bet.

 

CES 2015 Panasonic

Panasonic revealed its 14-model strong 2014 TV range at last year’s show and we’d expect them to do the same thing in 2015.

No plasmas, sadly (that would be a headline-grabber), we expect to see plenty of LCD/LED televisions, soundbars and even headphones, if last year was anything to go by.

The company doesn’t seem interested in developing its dabbles in the smartphone and tablet market, but you never know.

 

Hi-fi at CES 2015

There’s plenty of specialist two-channel gear at CES, as our annual Stars of CES awards testify, with a good chance for us to get up close and personal with some smaller US hi-fi companies (who are more often than not showing off ’big is better’ amps and speakers).

Last Year’s Winners included plenty of new kit from UK companies, from the Naim Statement to the Chord Hugo, the Monitor Audio Airstream A100 to the McIntosh MXA70.
 

Streaming products will no doubt feature prominently once more, with lossless streaming services and high-resolution download stores now on the market.

All-in-one systems will rub shoulders with dedicated amps and sources, while we expect no small number of hi-fi and wireless speakers.
 

Already out of the blocks is news of the ATC SCM40A active speakers, which will be officially launched ar CES.
 

Headphones might just be the most plentiful product type at the whole show, so we’ll be looking out for news from the likes of AKG, Grado and Sennheiser, with no doubt plenty of focus on wireless tech.
 

The popularity of tablets may have stalled but the likes of Intel, Lenovo and Microsoft will be making plenty of noise regardless, while expect any portable technology gap to be filled by wearables, with smartwatches likely to be a part of the plans of large and small companies alike.
 

 

CES 2015 trends and rumours 

Rumours abound that we’ll hear about high-resolution streaming services at CES 2015 - yep, not lossless CD-quality but high-res - while we’d hope for more news about 4K Blu-ray discs, which are promised to become a reality in 2015

In-car tech should be a big story, too, with the likes of Audi and Ford set to have a considerable presence at the show, Apple Carplay now being a reality and in-car streaming developing apace.

Smart home technology also has its own show space for the first time with smart thermostat companies such as Nest expecting to rub shoulders with wireless multi-room speaker companies (no longer just Sonos) and of course tech overlords Apple, the company’s Homekits being a key part in iOS 8 and aiming to turn your iPhone in to the ultimate smart home remote control.

Source: Whathifi.com