CES 2022 Has Begun, But Not as Expected

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

CES 2022 begins today, and although show organizers are hoping for a return to normal, continuing concerns about the pandemic have tempered some plans.

This annual consumer electronics show in Las Vegas, which went virtual last year, still touts more than 2,200 exhibitors, but some of the biggest companies have modified their plans, and even the show itself is shorter, as evidenced by the following announcement on December 31:

“The Consumer Technology Association today announced that CES 2022 will be closing one day early, and the in-person event will take place in Las Vegas on Jan. 5-7, 2022. The step was taken as an additional safety measure to the current health protocols that have been put in place for CES.”

Many major exhibitors like Microsoft, Google, AMD, and Intel have either canceled or modified their in-person CES plans. Preshow events like CES Unveiled and the CES Media Days were still planned for January 3-4, and Showstoppers will proceed. The change in the show's length follows two weeks of companies announcing their pivot to virtual-only plans for CES 2022.

As just one example, Mercedes released a statement that reflects the views of many other companies that are now holding exclusively digital CES events. "As the health and safety of our customers, partners, employees and guests are our highest priority, and in view of the current situation in connection with the COVID-19 virus, we've therefore decided to cancel Mercedes-Benz AG's participation in CES 2022, after intensive consultations."

One must wonder what effect this will have on the other upcoming trade shows over the next few months. Despite the continuing pandemic concerns, the show must go on and there are many new and exciting devices and advanced technology trends to see and discuss. I look forward to sharing those with you.

Before the show opens, CES holds a press day as well as setting up the schedule for conferences and keynote addresses. Here are some of the major announcements I heard about. Visit ces.tech.com for a complete schedule.

Bosch CES 2022 Press Conference
Bosch gave a presentation on IoT, software, artificial intelligence and connectivity that enables the company to continue to fulfill its brand promise of “Invented for Life.”

LG Electronics
This event discussed the LG NOVA program supporting start-ups and entrepreneurs.

CES 2022 Tech Trends to Watch
At this event you can preview impactful trends, the “next big thing,” and disruptive technologies and innovations that will redefine our industry in 2022. See how new technologies will occupy the landscape of consumer technology before you visit the show floor.

Nothing Runs Like a Deere: Autonomously
Here, John Deere demonstrated how farmers will leverage full tractor autonomy and automation to produce enough food to feed a growing world population, despite the challenges they face such as a labor shortage and unpredictable weather.

Canon: Focus on Bringing People Together
Canon recognizes that the future of togetherness continues to be everchanging and is showcasing products that “will help us work, laugh, and play together like never before.” 

Hyundai Motor Company
Hyundai announced its vision for robotics technology and how robotics will change the future of movement and expand human reach. 

General Motors Keynote
Discover how GM’s vision of the all-electric era will create opportunities for mobility experiences to serve the planet and the people.

Telcos
5G to the rescue: 5G offers new ways to improve emergency response as Telcos focuses on resilience in their networks. Explore the ways 5G connectivity will impact first responders and citizens.

Samsung Keynote
Picturing a sustainable future where people and technology co-exist, Samsung presents its vision for an “Age of Togetherness.”

The Connected Car—Here and Now
Enabled by technologies like AI and 5G, learn how vehicles are improving safety, predicting behavior, and going green.

How Technology Finally Disrupted the Art Market
Artists, artwork, and NFTs: how the secondary market was taken back by artists.

Big Tech and Banking
Big tech companies are going head-to-head against big banks for the mindshare of the customer. As FaaS (Finance as Service) becomes the norm, new products to appeal to the consumer’s pocketbook are emerging. Where you put your money in this race will affect your business.

The Vehicle Supply Chain Challenge
Learn about innovations that are mitigating the supply chain crunch in the automotive space and how companies are finding new partners and new ways to meet demand.

BMW Group
The Ultimate Driving Machine Meets the Ultimate Digital Experience. Visitors to the BMW Pavilion will see how BMW creates human-centered digital innovations today, while also getting a sneak peek into the future. Among the experiences on display will be the first-ever demonstration of a technology that changes the exterior color of a vehicle with the touch of a button, a cutting-edge in-car movie theatre experience, the world premiere of the fully electric BMW iX M60 Sports Activity Vehicle, and much more. At CES, visitors will see firsthand how deeply integrated the digital experience is in every vehicle. They will also see the merging of art and digital innovation through collaborations with globally renowned artists.

The Future is Already Happening: Self-Driving Vehicles
Join CTA for a discussion that explores self-driving vehicle innovation and progress made by industry, as well as future opportunities for this transformational technology.

The Expanding World of Drones
The most accessible form of aviation ever, drones have been lifesaving, cost effective, compelling, educational, and fun. What has drone technology meant to people and organizations, and what are the challenges ahead?

So, Your Office is in the Metaverse?
Companies are exploring virtual environments in their shift to remote work. What does the metaverse mean for workers and industry?

Emerging Business Models in Gaming
For years, the games business was dominated by physical cartridges and disks. While single-game purchases are still a huge industry, there’s been a rise in free-to-play games, in-app purchases, and subscription services. How are gaming companies competing for consumers’ attention, and their dollars?

Great Minds: The Future of Space Exploration
Join the owners of Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), Eren and Faith Ozmen, for a conversation about their incredible journey and how their newest company Sierra Space is building a global space economy that benefits humanity.

Find your Way with Microsoft for Startups
The stories of all successful tech founders are similar in at least one respect—they found a way. No matter their passions, fields, or backgrounds, they found a way to innovate, to grow, and to bring their dreams of the future to life. Join serial founder, author and Microsoft for Startups, VP, Jeff Ma and CEO and Founder of healthcare technology company Solv, Heather Fernandez, for a fireside chat sharing their candidate experiences in starting, scaling, and excelling their startups.

Voice and the Metaverse
Conversational AI is currently colliding with the Metaverse as the primary interface. In these sessions they feature some of the leading minds in Metaverse and how they are leveraging human and synthetic voice to transform the physical and digital worlds.

Lenovo
At CES, Lenovo unveiled the first Microsoft Pluton-powered Windows 11 PCs, the ThinkPad Z13 and Z16, with AMD Ryzen 6000 Series processors.

"The Microsoft Pluton is a security processor, pioneered in Xbox and Azure Sphere, designed to store sensitive data, like encryption keys, securely within the Pluton hardware, which is integrated into the die of a device's CPU and is therefore more difficult for attackers to access, even if they have physical possession of a device," explained David Weston, Director of Enterprise and OS Security at Microsoft. 

Stay tuned as over the next week we will review in more detail some of the keynotes and announcements from companies such as AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA, with more interesting new devices and technologies from the show floor.