Last week we gave you a preview of what to expect at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The biggest tech and digital show of the year did not sell us short either. Even though I couldn’t attend, my inbox gave me a virtual tour of all of the consumer electronics gadgets, gizmos, and trends of what to expect in the immediate future. Internet of Things was a big topic, as expected and IoT is “driving the consumer technology industry to record-setting growth”, according to MediaPost. So let’s see what came out of CES so that we will know what’s to come in 2016 and beyond.
Biggest Trends and Themes at CES
The three biggest trends or themes at CES were home automation, connected cars, and wearable healthcare technology. Home automation brings about all kinds of new consumer electronic devices like smart appliances, security options, and energy saving devices. Most automotive companies were on hand at CES demonstrating the newest and best features. At this point, 77% of car buyers cite technology features over previously important things like colour. Healthcare wearables is becoming its own category of wearables. Healthcare wearables measure the user’s steps, calories, heart rate, blood pressure, and vision to name a few.A consumer Technology Association report that was just released on January 4, 2016 estimates that total unit sales of wearable devices including smartwatches and fitness bands will exceed 38 million this year.
Technological Gadgets and Gizmos
Tablets from every tablet manufacturer were on hand. The trend for blending laptops into tablets and tablets into smartphones will continue to grow into a new category called hybrids. Immersive video is a growing trend and video gadgets that allow you to view in virtual reality, 3D and 4D will be on the horizon. The Virtual Reality, or VR market, will experience the most growth in 2016 out of all the other technologies and gadgets in the space. Read about how ClickZ shows what virtual reality can mean for e-commerce. Speaking of videos, dash cams and other cameras that provide live feeds are also growing in popularity. Drones and rideables are growing fast in the category of “kids of all ages” type toys. Smartwatches and smartphones will continue to make their mark on the mobile computerised world. Acer and Alcatel will begin making Windows 10 Mobile equipped smartphones. Then there are a host of products that you wouldn’t normally associate with being “connected” that now are. Some examples of this include shoes and Wilson’s footballs and basketballs that track speed, distance, height, etc.
