CES has always been very demanding - both physically and mentally. This year was no different (it was my 16th year and first time since COVID) as the convention floors spread across several venues in Las Vegas - Mandalay Bay (Media Days and CES Unveiled Las Vegas), Hotel Aria, Venetian Expo and the Palms, LVCC - was truly buzzing with a wide array of gadgets, gizmos, innovations and certainly bizarre ones too + some Beta products which may or may not see the light of the day. For many visitors, exhibitors and media it’s a first look at next-generation gadgets feels our Editor, Chandragupta Amritkar.
With over 3200 exhibiting companies, including 1000 startups, featuring the latest technologies CES 2023 drew attendance of over 115,000 industry professionals – marking the largest audited global tech event since early 2020. CES 2023 showcased the next era of innovation from transportation and mobility to digital health, sustainability, Web3, metaverse and beyond.
At the press conference Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA proclaimed “CES is back! The halls are buzzing with energy and excitement – attendees, exhibitors and media from around the world are passionate about gathering together and advancing our industry.” Joining Shapiro on stage were John T. Kelley, vice president and acting show director, CES, and Kinsey Fabrizio, SVP, membership, sales and marketing at CTA to provide updates on expected trends and sessions at the show.
CES 2023 saw a major focus on automobiles, autonomous mobility and auto related software and hardware. Media and visitors were treated to a life-size model of the VISION EQXX - the most efficient Mercedes-Benz with capabilities of 1,200 km on a single battery charge with an average energy consumption of 8.3 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometres. In collaboration with Sony, Honda unveiled an electric midsized sedan, Afeela. Samsung-owned Harman unveiled its AR heads-up display. Volkswagen ID.7 - Volkwagen’s first electric sedan featuring a 15-inch dash screen using AR (augmented reality) to provide turn-by-turn navigation.
Dolby Atmos is a sound technology that has been around for a while in movie theaters and home theaters, but the deluxe Mercedes-Maybach S-Class is one of the first cars to use it.
While BMW chairman Oliver Zipse outlined BMW's vision including a colour-changing concept car called the BMW i Vision Dee and plans to introduce full-windscreen heads-up displays in its cars from 2025, AMD's president and CEO Lisa Su in her keynote outlined the brand's next-generation 7000-series mobile CPUs.
Two other well-known auto tech companies were - Mobileye that's driving the autonomous vehicle evolution with life-saving technologies and KPIT Technologies which aims to make software-defined vehicles a reality.
The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) returned to CES 2023 showcasing the future of autonomous mobility at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway with ASPIRE, Cisco, and Luminar as premier sponsors.
Who wouldn’t love to hop over the traffic? While flying cars gave a glimmer of hope ages back and remain part of the public imagination we were quite impressed (surprised) when Aska, revealed its A5 flying car at CES and opened prior bookings for the $789,000 vehicle.
Aska hopes to start its ride-hailing service in 2026.
Some interesting products included - Aeo, a service robot from Aeolus Robotics, JBL Tour Pro 2 true wireless earbuds, HTC Vive XR Elite - a new virtual reality (VR) headset, Schneider's Smart Home System, Lenovo ThinkPhone by Motorola, Samsung Galaxy A14 5G, Sony PlayStation Project Leonardo controller, Razer Leviathan V2 Pro soundbar etc.
LG showed LG M3 Series 97-inch wireless OLED TV that only needs a power cable for the TV itself thus giving the freedom of placing your TV where you like it and when you want it – living room, kitchen, bedroom etc.
Lenovo's Yoga Book 9i featured two screens, Samsung premiere projector can create an image up 150 inches diagonally in ones living room wall. The new Asus laptops OLED screen produces a 3D experience sans glasses.
AjnaLens, a startup based in Mumbai, showcased its Mixed Reality (MR) headset named the AjnaXR that aims to facilitate learning and training through visualization.
The Withings U-Scan pee sensor was another attraction - when you pee it collects the urine and monitors daily ketones, vitamin C levels, urine's pH level (updates you on kidney health it and then sends the results to your phone via Wi-Fi. Women can use it to track their menstrual cycles.
Now one can charge laptop while you pedal. The eKinekt BD 3converts energy from the rider’s pedaling power to charge laptops or other devices, allowing for exercise and work productivity at the same time. It features two USB Type-A and one USB Type-C port for multiple mobile device charging, a bag hook, and a beverage holder.
Top Trends at CES 2023
With over 3200 companies, including Abbott, Amazon, Bosch, BMW, Canon, Delta, Google, Hisense, John Deere, LG Electronics, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and Stellantis launching products, key trends on the CES show floor included:- Human Security for All – With unprecedented global challenges, the HS4A campaign was a central theme at CES 2023 highlighting the importance of collaboration and innovation across all industries, and all countries, to improve the human experience.
- Automotive and Mobility – With some 300 vehicle tech exhibitors, CES 2023 was one of the largest auto shows in the world. Keynotes from BMW, John Deere and Stellantis and products launches from global companies focused on self-driving tech, electric vehicles and personal mobility devices for land, air and sea.
Exhibitors: Candela Marine Technology, GM, Italdesign Giugiaro, Magna, Mercedes-Benz, MobilEye, Waymo, RYSE and Volvo Penta. - Digital Health – CES 2023 brought more digital health innovations and brands to the global stage, showing how rapidly the market is growing. Innovations included digital therapeutics, mental wellness, women’s health tech and telemedicine.
Exhibitors: Abbott, LOTTE Healthcare, MedWand Solutions and Omron Healthcare.
- Sustainability – Global brands like John Deere, LG, Samsung and Siemens showcased how innovation can conserve energy and increase power generation, create sustainable agricultural systems, power smart cities, and support access to clean water.
Exhibitors: 3M, Bridger Aerospace, Caterpillar and NexGen Power Systems, Panasonic and Sony. - Web3 and Metaverse – For the first time, CES 2023 had a dedicated Metaverse area on the show floor, highlighting groundbreaking sensory technology building immersive, interactive digital worlds. A Web3 Studio, produced by CoinDesk, was the focal point of the Web3, Metaverse and Blockchain area at CES.
Exhibitors: Magic Leap, Microsoft, OVR Technology and SK. - Startups – Eureka Park at CES featured 1000 startups from countries, regions and territories, including Japan, Korea, France, Italy, Taiwan, Turkey, Hong Kong, Netherlands, US, and Ukraine. Technology included renewable paper solutions to reduce CO2 emissions; AI technology used to reduce food waste; solar technology to capture both electrical and thermal energy; personal safety apps and more.
It was also, nice to see the new transformation of Las Vegas Convention Center, LVCC (visiting after 3 years) especially the atrium with natural light and experiencing the Vegas Loop (It is a 1.7 mile tunnel 40 feet underground at the LVCC connecting the South Hall to Central Hall and West Hall, making a 30-minute walk less than a four minute drive).
