CES 2021: Annual World Tech Event Review
What is CES?
Consumer electronics show (CES) is an annual event held by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) held every January in Las Vegas. Due to the pandemic, CES 2021 was held online for the first time on January 11–14. CES is one of the most significant yet most legitimate tech events in today’s digital ecosystem with its international exposure and long-run consistency.
The show that has been running since 1967 is a worth-watching event and the most popular among the tech community. Every year, this event proves to be the ground for global innovators’ breakthrough technologies and professional meeting place. It is a place where the world’s biggest brands do business and meet new partners — also a place for the sharpest innovators to hit and dominate the world’s stage. This article will give you a comprehensive review and important highlight of CES 2021.
Upon jumping on what we had in this year’s event, it is worth noting that CES is a born place of a lot of iconic technology devices. Some of them are the VCR in CES 1970, Atari gaming console in CES 1979, Compact Disc in CES 1981, Nintendo Entertainment System in CES 1985, Nintendo Playstation in CES 1991, Apple Newton in 1993, BlueRay Disc in 2004, EV Chevy Bolt in CES 2016, Sony’s Aibo companion robot in 2018, and lately the trend of Smart Home Appliance in 2020.
The General Statistics
The dynamics of technology cannot be separated from the fundamentals of the human and the society. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit hard in 2020, people are more aware of their health and wellness at home. Hence, the trend of technology for health and wellness is significantly increased. During the CES 2021, this category leads the field, which can be seen in the graphics below. The following areas mainstreaming in the events are Computer Hardware & Components, Computer Peripherals & Accessories, Headphones & Personal Audio, and Home Appliances. However, it is noticeable that heavily popular categories in recent years, such as 3D Printing, Drones & Unmanned Systems, and Virtual & Augmented Reality, are yet figuring highly in the awards ranking.
The Highlight of Tech Trend is CES 2021
Home automation, health, and 5G are the common topics that continued from the previous year. However, the highlight of CES 2021 is about pandemic-specific tools and features to support our long and prominent time at home. Health gadgets, fitness equipment, and wearables are supersized this year because of the increase in demand from the pandemic and the change of direction from the tech industry even before.
Discussion over digital transformation discussion is even more robust with the mainstreaming of telemedicine or telehealth, working from home, remote learning, streaming, and you name it. Hence, technologies for faster internet broadband are what people curious about. Meanwhile, telemedicine consultation may get more advanced with the augmented reality tools and not to mention the 5G technology that claimed to support remote medical surgery. As millions of students learn from home, a specialized yet cheap laptop for students is on its way to accelerating education equality. Finally, to support the rapid changes above, advanced computer chips are continuously developed and used.
Apart from the digital transformation, companies are racing to add more smart devices and systems into your integrated smart home with millions of people staying home. Following Smart TV’s success, more products such as refrigerators, waters, and other appliances may get smarter with voice integration and automation through embedded Machine Learning.
The Sessions and the Awards
This year’s events consist of tech conferences, exhibitions, exclusive interviews, inspiring talk shows, and tech trend update through the 100+ hours of creative content. On top of that, CES specialties are the Hot Product Debut, Major Announcements by Industry Leaders, and the Industry Forecast.
Eventually, CES’s most awaited moment is the Best of Innovation (BoI) awards. According to ZDNet, As of 12 January, Samsung Electronics is the leader of the award standings. It is then followed by fellow Korean giant LG Electronics and audio and automotive specialist Harman International. Other prominent brands are Asus, MSI Computer, HP Inc, Philips, Netgear, and Dell. Looking at each product is recommended as it might influence society in the near future.
Look at the list below and decide which one is your favorite!
The winner of each category in the 2021 CES’ BoI Awards
- Computer Hardware & Components:
Advanced Micro Devices → AMD Ryzen 5000 Series Desktop Processors
- Wearable Technologies:
BioIntelliSense, Inc → BioButton™ medical grade device and data services
- In-Vehicle Entertainment & Safety, Vehicle Intelligence & Transportation
Brunswick Corporation → 1st Mate Marine Safety & Security System
- Smart Cities
E2IP Technologies → EES (Electromagnetic Engineered Surfaces)
- Health & Wellness, Software & Mobile Apps
Epsy → Epsy
- High-Performance Home Audio/Video
Harman International Industries → Harman Kardon Radiance 2400
- Vehicle Intelligence & Transportation
IBM → IBM & The Mayflower Autonomous Ship & The AI Captain
- Streaming
Imverse → Imverse Live3D rendering engine and volumetric holograms
- Robotics
John Deere → John Deere X-Series Combine
- Home Appliances
LG Electronics → LG InstaView ThinQ Refrigerator with Voice Recognition
- Gaming
LG Electronics → LG 48-inch OLED 4K TV (Model OLED 48C1)
- Health & Wellness
M2S → VROR EYE Dr.
- Home Appliances
Moen Incorporated → U by Moen Smart Faucet
- Accessibility
OrCam Technologies → OrCam Read
- Software & Mobile Apps
Origin Wireless → Origin Health — Remote Patient Monitoring
- Computer Peripherals & Accessories
ROLI → LUMI Keys 1
- Gaming, Mobile Devices & Accessories
Samsung Electronics → Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G/Galaxy Note20 5G
- Headphones & Personal Audio
Samsung Electronics → Galaxy Buds+ BTS Edition
- Video Displays, Digital Imaging/Photography
Samsung Electronics → Samsung 110'’ MicroLED Home Screen
- Accessibility
Samsung Electronics → Smart TV Accessibility
- Drones & Unmanned Systems
Skydio → Skydio X2
- Computer Hardware & Components
Sony Electronics → Spatial Reality Display
- Smart Home
The Chamberlain Group → MyQ Pet Portal
- Robotics
Vanguard Industries → MOFLIN | An AI Pet Robot with Emotional Capabilities
- Digital Imaging/Photography
Vaonis → Vespera
- Vehicle Intelligence & Transportation
Waymo → The Fifth-Generation Waymo Driver
Conclusion
The 2021 CES has ended, but the discussion over this prominent tech conference will continue throughout the year and forth. Indeed, it is always interesting to see what’s coming through a legitimate yet reliable source like this event. However, not all those listed innovations may able to really kick off and dominate the world. Paying attention to such events for businesses is significantly important during this time of disruptions. Surely, it will motivate such industries to innovate more to stay in the game.
If you were interested in technology-related products or had any mind to level-up your business in this digital transformation, you can find more by visiting our website at glovory.com or email info@glovory.com.
We are Glovory, your infinite Digital Partner!
Contributor: Rachmadita Kusumastiti
