4 Trends From CES 2024

Whether you're interested in cars, laptops, or TVs, AI is built into many of CES' biggest reveals, but it's not the only technology we saw again and again in Las Vegas.

Here are the 4 biggest trends from CES 2024:

1. AI in All the Things

People are slowly becoming more comfortable with the tech, despite its limitations, and more companies have resolved to put AI features into their products, be that a phone, a pocket device, a car, or a laptop. For example, the Rabbit r1 AI Pocket Companion is a dedicated AI assistant that lets people make natural language queries from their hand—and it doesn't need a phone to function. It works by pairing together app actions controlled by Rabbit's Large Action Model(more details: https://www.pcmag.com/news/ces-2024-the-r1-ai-pocket-companion-will-take-you-down-the-rabbit-hole).

AI features also popped up in vehicles from BMW, Honda/Sony, Mercedes, and Volkswagen. BMW is working with Amazon to add Alexa to its cars while Mercedes previewed an AI-powered update to its in-car voice tech, and ChatGPT is slated to reach VW vehicles in Europe during the second quarter of 2024.

AI continues to power new features in phones like the Asus ROG Phone 8, which can use AI to learn patterns in games for you. AI is coming to top TVs from LG and Samsung to up-convert and process images, Windows-based laptops will soon gain a dedicated AI button on the keyboard, and AI has even reached down into individual components from AMD and Intel.

2. Evolving Display Tech

Showcasing advancements in display technology and televisions is always a big part of CES. In the past, we've seen flexible displays, rollable displays, OLED displays, and more at the show. This year, both Samsung and LG showed off transparent displays(more details: https://www.pcmag.com/news/ces-2024-transparent-displays-samsung-lg-are-we-finally-in-future). Samsung demonstrated its MicroLED transparent display on site while LG not only revealed its transparent screen but actually detailed plans to sell it as the Signature OLED T later this year. What's missing? A compelling use case for transparent TVs other than to spend lots of money.

For portable devices, TCL introduced Nxtpaper 3.0, a fresh version of its low-energy screen technology. Moreover, the company announced plans to bring its Nxtpaper technology to US phones later this year. TCL says its phones make the display appear more like paper and reject glare for improved visibility.

Screens have become the main input surface for many of our devices. The way we interact with the various displays in our lives, be they on a TV, tablet, laptop, wearable, or phone, is incredibly important. The upgrades in screen technology may have fallen short of ground shaking at CES 2024, but they demonstrate that companies are making strides all the same.

For more, please check out: https://www.pcmag.com/news/biggest-coolest-best-tvs-at-ces-2024

3. Remembering the Person in Personal Computers

CES is where tech makers flex their design muscles and show off a prototype or two. That means we often get to see unusual designs for computers.

Jumping all the way onto the bandwagon of handheld gaming PCs, MSI bared its Claw, which is a diminutive but full Windows PC that focuses on keeping things cool under a heavy load(more details: https://www.pcmag.com/news/ces-2024-hands-on-msi-claw-bets-on-intel-for-handheld-gaming-supremacy).

Lenovo introduced the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid(https://www.pcmag.com/news/ces-2024-hands-on-lenovos-thinkbook-plus-gen-5-hybrid-is-two-systems-in), a full Windows 11 PC with a removable display that doubles as an Android tablet that can still communicate with the Windows OS to find and open files. The company also showed off its Magic Bay magnetic accessories(https://www.pcmag.com/news/ces-2024-hands-on-lenovos-magic-bay-is-back-and-it-looks-and-smells-nice) that connect to Lenovo devices using pogo pins to add a webcam, an SSD, or even a second display. These are all nods to usability and the people behind the screens.

4. The Smart Home Starts to Matter

Amazon announced that its Fire TV and Echo Show 15 devices will use Matter Castingso they can receive content from iOS and Android devices alike. This will make it simpler for people to push their favorite content from their phone to Amazon streaming devices(more details: https://www.pcmag.com/news/ces-2024-amazon-now-lets-you-cast-streaming-content-to-fire-tvs).

The Ecovacs X2 Combo(https://www.pcmag.com/news/ces-2024-ecovacs-x2-combo-merges-robot-vac-with-a-handheld-vacuum) pairs a robot vacuum with a handheld vacuum. Like Amazon's Fire TVs, it will talk to your smart home thanks to Matter support. Meanwhile, Samsung used CES as an opportunity to show how it wants to simplify your smart home devices using a map view of your home that displays all your smart devices—tied together by Matter(https://www.pcmag.com/news/ces-2024-smartthings-is-making-it-easier-to-control-your-home-with-sims).

For more, please check out: https://www.pcmag.com/news/robot-vacs-grilling-gear-and-ai-oh-my-the-best-smart-home-tech-of-ces-2024