CES 2021: What to expect at the all-digital trade show (Updated: Jan. 8)

Update, January 8, 2021 (5:35 AM ET): We’ve updated our CES 2021 hub with more information regarding participating companies. Read on for a list of all the major firms taking part this year.


Original article: November 17, 2020 (1 AM ET): CES 2021 promises to be a little different than previous events. Thanks to the demons awoken in 2020, the Las Vegas-based trade show is going fully virtual. The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) promises this will be a “unique experience” and will still ensure attendees “have a front row seat” to 2021’s technology teases. “This highly personalized experience will bring a global event to the comfort and safety of your home or office,” CTA added in a release.

At present, it’s unclear just how a digital CES will pan out. For us, it means a few changes. It won’t impact Android Authority‘s dedication to cover as many pertinent products as possible. It will however give us an opportunity to do something a little different than usual. We will have fewer opportunities to go hands-on with new products since we won’t be there in person. But you can still expect interviews with companies, detailed coverage on the latest devices, and more. In the meantime, here’s what you need to know ahead of the event.

CES 2021: Important info

  • When is CES 2021? CES 2021 officially takes place from Monday, January 11 through Thursday, January 14, 2021. Despite the digital-only nature of this year’s event, many companies will likely make big product reveals starting in the early days of January 2020.
  • Where is CES 2021 held? CES is traditionally held in Las Vegas, Nevada, primarily at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Separate events, keynotes, and product unveilings happen at various locations around Las Vegas. In 2021, there will be no physical show floor or venue.
  • Is CES 2021 open to the public? CES’ physical show floor and events are not open to the public and are restricted to members of the tech industry, but it’s unclear if this will change in 2021’s digital-only edition.
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CES 2021: Companies participating

The CTA opened attendee registration for CES 2021 on December 3, and we’ve seen a steady stream of companies announcing their plans for the virtual expo. Check out all the major participating companies below.

Amazfit

huami amazfit gts 2 review design display

Credit: Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority

The Amazfit range of trackers and smartwatches have garnered a reputation for delivering plenty of bang for the buck, and we can expect more of the latter at CES 2021.

Huami posted a teaser video revealing that it will be offering at least one new Amazfit smartwatch at the event. However, GSMArena reports that we’ll be seeing more GTS 2 and GTR 2 products at CES. Presumably that means the recently announced GTS 2e and GTR 2e watches but for the global audience.

Amazfit-affiliated wearable brand Zepp has also confirmed that it will be holding an event at CES 2021, kicking off on January 12 at 12 AM ET.

AMD

amd ryzen 7 4800u lisa su

Graphics and CPU giant AMD has confirmed that it will have a presence at virtual CES 2021, with president and CEO Lisa Su holding a keynote address on January 12, 2021 at 11AM ET.

“During the keynote, Dr. Su will highlight AMD’s high-performance computing and graphics solutions portfolio and outline the company’s innovative vision for the future of research, education, work, entertainment and gaming,” AMD wrote on its website.

We’re guessing the company has more Ryzen goodness in store, so hopefully we see laptops getting some love in this regard. Don’t count out new GPU announcements either.

Asus

Asus Zenbook Pro Duo lid profile

Taiwan’s Asus has announced a press conference for January 13 at noon ET, hinting that it will reveal products related to its Duo-branded computer lineup. We’re expecting a laptop or two with a secondary touchscreen as is the case with other Asus Duo devices.

The firm’s ROG brand will also have a presence at CES 2021, confirming a January 12 event at 1PM ET. More specifically, the brand says you can expect “the next generation of ROG gear and laptops” to be showcased. It’s also posted a teaser that points to a ROG X13 device.

Dell

Dell Concept Duet keyboard

The US PC stalwart has already revealed a variety of wares ahead of CES proper, namely its latest Latitude laptops. Dell also announced a slew of monitors, as well as a couple of new Optiplex desktop machines.

We’re also expecting the Alienware division to come out swinging, if CES 2020 is anything to go on. Last year, Alienware announced several gaming monitors, a keyboard, and the M15 gaming laptop. However, we’d argue that the most interesting announcement was the Alienware UFO Concept, essentially being a PC in a Nintendo Switch-style form factor.

In other words, we’re expecting to see more gaming monitors, laptops, and peripherals. Wouldn’t it be cool if we got pricing and availability for the Alienware UFO Concept? I wouldn’t count on it given the concept trappings, but it’s an intriguing device nonetheless.

Intel

Intel booth logo on sign at MWC 2019

Veteran chipmaker Intel will be holding a couple of conferences at CES 2021, with the first taking place January 11 at 4 PM ET. This press conference will focus on Intel’s progress on “process technology, packaging and architecture” for the benefit of consumers and businesses. This sounds an awful lot like the company could announce a switch to a new manufacturing process.

The second presentation takes place January 12. Scheduled for 1PM ET, this one will focus on autonomous driving and Intel’s Mobileye subsidiary.

LG

LG Gram 2021 laptops

Credit:LG

LG confirmed it will host a virtual conference on January 11, 2021 at 8 AM ET. The company’s theme is “Life is On – Make Yourself @ Home” and will seemingly focus on innovations in a post-pandemic life, according to the Korean Herald. It will also host a fireside chat with its CTO Park Il-pyung on January 12, 2021 focusing on innovations in various fields. Finally, the company will open a virtual product experience hall to visitors which will run until February 15.

The Korean company revealed that it will be showing off its first QNED MiniLED TV at CES. This is an 86-inch 8K model, complete with a 120Hz refresh rate. It will also be showing off designer appliances that blend into your home environment, such as refrigerators, microwaves, dishwashers, water purifiers, and more. Furthermore, LG has already announced its new Gram laptops (seen above) ahead of CES proper.

Nvidia

NVIDIA Logo inside at angle

Graphics kingpin Nvidia made tech headlines late last year with its RTX 30 series GPUs, delivering a massive boost in graphical performance over the first generation RTX cards. It isn’t stopping here though, as company has announced the Geforce RTX: Game On event for January 12 at midday ET.

“Join us as we unveil the latest innovations in gaming and graphics,” reads a line about the event on the Nvidia website. We’re guessing that the firm will reveal the mobile versions of its RTX 30 series GPUs.

Razer

razer kishi xbox front

Credit: Oliver Cragg / Android Authority

Gaming giant Razer is no stranger to CES, and it’s fortunately throwing its weight behind the virtual CES 2021 conference as well. The company will be streaming its event on January 12, 2021 at 1PM ET.

Last year, Razer announced the Kishi gaming controller, a 5G router, the Tomahawk gaming desktop, and an e-racing simulator concept. There’s no word on specific products to expect this year though. However, the Razer Twitter account noted that it will offer “innovative product unveils, exclusive content, a special guest appearance, and more.”

Samsung

https://youtube.com/watch?v=v_DtgPJy5bI%3Fautoplay%3D0%26autohide%3D2border%3D0%26wmode%3Dopaque%26enablejsapi%3D1rel%3D0%26controls%3D1%26showinfo%3D1

One of the earlier names to announce CES plans was Samsung, which reportedly announced a virtual conference on January 11, 2021 at 9 AM ET. This was later confirmed by the company itself, along with the theme of a “Better Normal for All.”

If the company’s First Look 2021 preview event is anything to go by, then we’re expecting Samsung to cover TVs, new display tech, and smart home goodies. Otherwise, Samsung is saving the Galaxy S21 series launch for January 14.

Samsung debuted its cheaper-but-still-awesome Galaxy Chromebook 2 at the trade show. You can read all about it right here.

Sony

Sony logo black on wood

The veteran tech colossus is always a fixture at CES, and it’ll be at CES 2021 as well. Sony’s main conference will take place on January 11 at 5PM ET, with the firm only saying it will “showcase its innovations” at this event.

This isn’t the only Sony conference to expect though, as it’ll be holding a Bravia TV-related announcement on January 7 at 1PM ET. So those in the market for a high-end TV experience might want to check this out.

TCL

The TCL 10 series phones.

The Chinese company is no stranger to CES, and it will be making an appearance at the digital CES 2021 event as well. So what should we expect, then?

For starters, TCL says it will show off “next-gen mini LED and future display technologies” on January 11 2021 at 11 AM ET. The firm says it will also be revealing smart home appliances and if it’s anything like CES 2020, we’d expect phones too.

TCL will be streaming a North American product spotlight on January 12 at 1 PM ET, while a global product spotlight will be streamed on January 13 at 7:30 AM ET.


That’s all we know about CES for now. Be sure to bookmark this hub and check back regularly for updated info. Catch up on the best of last year’s event right here, as well as our roundup of everything that was announced at the show.

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