There will be 20,000 new products from 3,000 exhibitors and 150,000 attendees from 150 countries at CES 2013 in Las Vegas next January.
Speaking at the CES Unveiled event in London today, Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), says CES 2013 "will be the most exciting show in our history".
Key trends at CES 2013 are expected to include many more 'phablets' – mobile devices that sit between smartphones and tablets, products with much more processing power (QuadCore), voice & gesture control and embedded technology such as NFC (near field communication).
Operating systems such as iOS 6, Android and Windows 8 will go head-to-head, and CES 2013 promises to be "the biggest app event in the world".
In the US, sales of jumbo LCD TVs (60in and above) are on the rise, paving the way for Ultra HD (4K), so expect more of that at the show.
According to research from the CEA (Consumer Electronics Association), there are now more connected devices than people in the world: in 2010, there were 6.8bn people in the world, and 12.5bn connected devices. By 2015, those figures are expected to rise to 7.2bn and 25bn, and by 2020 7.6bn and 50bn.
Interestingly there was no mention of 3D TV until the Q&A session at the end of the press conference. "Not everyone is buying 3D to get 3D,” says Shawn DuBravac, chief economist at the CEA. “Growth was slow in the early years, but it will accelerate. 3D is not a technology for everyone.”
CES 2013 takes place from January 7th and as the official European media partners for the event we will be bringing you live coverage throughout the show here on whathifi.com. We will also be hosting our own Stars of CES Awards ceremony in Las Vegas to celebrate the best hi-fi products at the show.
