What to Expect at CES 2025

Happy New Year Tech Buzzers,

CES 2025 is here, and the Tech Buzz team is in Las Vegas to bring you full coverage. This year's show promises to be a whirlwind of innovation, from massive bendable displays, to futuristic mobility, and of course, AI-powered everything, and everywhere. We're on the ground to give you the inside scoop on what to expect from the biggest tech event of the year, direct from the show floor.

Inside Today’s CES Coverage

• The AI Revolution Continues

• Smart Home Tech

• Display Tech Takes Center Stage

• Automotive and Mobility Technology

• The Continued Rise of Smart Wearables

• Robotics Innovations

• Connectivity and the Space Race

• Gaming Gets a Boost

Sit back, relax, and chill like this humanoid robot.

The AI Revolution Continues

If there's one trend that will dominate CES 2025, you can bet it's AI integration into pretty much every type of device. 

We’ll share specific products we’re excited by as we come across them at CES. For now, here are some general trends we’re expecting in the consumer tech market.

New AI Chips

Expect to see more powerful NPUs (Neural Processing Units) in chips from tech giants like Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm. We're not just talking about your phones and laptops; expect to see more powerful NPUs integrated into a wide range of devices, from PCs and laptops to appliances and wearables, and even your massage chairs. The push to embed AI capabilities directly into devices reflects a broader move away from relying on cloud-based processing across various product categories for better speed, security and privacy.

AI PCs

Following last year's AI PC hype, 2025 will be about proving the real-world value of these features. PC makers like Dell and HP are expected to leverage the end of Windows 10 support to push for new AI PC purchases with Windows 11 and Copilot+ pre-installed. However, there are concerns with some of the features of Copilot+, such as the long-delayed Recall feature having security issues, which could affect consumers’ willingness to invest in these new PCs.

Hybrid AI Laptops

LG has already unveiled four new "hybrid AI" laptops ahead of the show, indicating a push towards more intelligent and adaptable devices. The laptops are likely designed with enhanced AI capabilities built into the hardware or software, or both through NPUs and a minimum of 16GB of RAM.

AI in TVs

LG is also integrating AI into its new G5 and M5 OLED TVs for 2025, which are said to be brighter and faster. They have been using AI Sound Pro in TVs since 2021 and other companies are likely to improve their features in this area.

Companies are expected to use AI to improve dialog boost features for soundbars, offering multiple options for adjusting the feature. These features are designed to enhance the clarity of spoken words in audio, making it easier to understand dialogue in content by either raising the volume of speech or separating the spoken word from background noise and music. It’s pretty likely this week we will see the first hints of chatbots finding their way to your next TV.

Agentic AI 

2025 looks likely to be the year AI Agents reach a level of utility viable for mass adoption. Increasing processing power and more sophisticated models like OpenAI’s o4 are enabling "Agentic AI" to integrate smart assistants into device interfaces. The major tech companies like Apple and Google have already been experimenting with AI Assistants, but this year we should get a better glimpse of whether this tech can really be an “app killer” in the future.

Digital Twins/Industrial Metaverse

Nvidia (the most valuable company in the world) is expected to focus heavily on digital twins and the “industrial metaverse”, which uses spatial AI and immersive media to model industrial design in the digital space for building or monitoring. Brian Comiskey, futurist at the CTA, said in a briefing “There’s a reason that they’re leaning into this, because you can already see the return on investment (ROI).” Siemens also impressed last year with reveals in this sphere, it will be interesting to see what updates they follow up with in 2025.

Smart Home Tech

CES 2025 will be the year of the smart home gadget. There were alot of hints of this in 2024, but now that there’s the foundation of Matter, a unified connectivity standard  for this tech, the advances in AI will be making their way into home devices in a big way. Expect major new product announcements from companies like Aqara, Nanoleaf, Tapo, Reolink, SwitchBot, Shelly, Lutron, Lifx, Flic, and Cync his year.

Following the success of Amazon’s Echo Hub, we will likely see an array of new touchscreen interfaces connecting to your smart home devices to control lights, smart locks, shades, and more. Samsung has already teased its new “screens everywhere” initiative which seeks to put a touchscreen on all its appliances.

We also can expect to see announcements around new Home Energy Management Systems that will leverage AI to conserve energy and save money, a pretty compelling pitch to home owners.

Display Tech Takes Center Stage

Prepare to be dazzled by the latest advancements in display technology this year.

Mind-Blowing Refresh Rates 

Samsung has already grabbed headlines by unveiling an OLED display with a staggering 500Hz refresh rate, setting a new benchmark for speed.

OLED TVs/Monitors

LG has announced two 4K OLED TVs for 2025: the G5 and M5. The G5 is a follow-up to the G4, while the M5 uses wireless technology that puts all the inputs on a separate box. Both TVs have compelling features for gamers like FreeSync Premium and G-Sync compatibility. The G5 has a native refresh rate of 165Hz, while the M5 has a native refresh rate of 144Hz. It is unclear if the G5 and M5 will use LG's Micro Lens Array (MLA) technology, which improves brightness, but that is expected. 

We also expect to see some giant (75” plus) OLED and Mini LED models from Samsung, TCL, Hisense, and other companies.

Samsung, ASUS, and MSI have also all announced the addition of “the world’s first” 27-inch 4K OLED monitors with 240Hz refresh rates.

Foldable/Rollable Display Tech 

Lenovo is rumored to be revealing the world's first "Rollable" laptop, which could be a game-changer for portable computing.

LG has also announced a 45-inch UltraGear bendable OLED gaming monitor.

Automotive and Mobility Technology

Look out for more advancements in automotive and mobility tech, with a notable emphasis on the shift to battery-powered propulsion across various transportation methods. While electric cars are gaining traction, the show will also highlight the rise of flying taxis, with companies like Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation planning to launch eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) services in 2025. 

Hyundai Mobis will also be showcasing a "Holographic Windshield Display," integrating information directly and seamlessly into the driving experience. These innovations suggest a future where transportation is more electric, integrated, and potentially airborne.

BMW is also set to debut its long-awaited “Neue Klasse” platform, including its new panoramic iDrive display and a brand-new operating system. And Honda has already teased two sleek prototype 0 Series electric vehicles, which it will unveil at the show.

Traditional tech companies are also looking for a slice of the auto pie, with Sony rumored to be showing off the Sony-Honda Afeela car with a built-in PS5. LG is also working to put AI sensing tech into cars to "detect and respond to the needs of vehicle occupants while optimizing conditions within the cabin.” Powering much of this next-generation car tech are chip companies such as Nvidia and Qualcomm, which will have updates on their own automotive AI platforms to announce at the show. 

As for robotaxis, Waymo is set to outline its vision for the future in an exclusive keynote session after just announcing the international expansion of its autonomous vehicles to Tokyo and Dubai.

The Continued Rise of Smart Wearables

Wearables are evolving beyond just fitness trackers. Expect to see a new wave of smart glasses and more advanced health monitoring features. We expect more “not-phones” development, ie devices that let you replace or augment the phone with interfaces like glasses with cameras, gadgets without screens. 

Smart Glasses/Earpods

Smart glasses are generating significant hype, with models like the Chamelo Aura receiving recognition at CES for their color-changing tinted frames. Expect more announcements in this area throughout the week. Essilor Luxottica, will likely be back with more glimpses of its Ray Ban glasses and other devices for advanced eyesight and OTC hearing aids.  

Timekettle’s new $449 translation earbuds will make (nearly) real-time translation possible, serving over 40 languages and 93 accents, with a 3 to 5 second delay.

Wellbeing Wearables

“Precision medicine” will be a persistent theme at CES 2025. Samsung has launched a new budget-friendly fitness tracker with smartwatch features and nearly 2 weeks of battery life. We also expect to see more OTC hearing aids, remote health monitoring and other devices in this realm. For example, Dutch company FlowBeams has a device that injects a thin jet of liquid directly into the skin without a needle. AI systems are being embedded in devices for baby care and better aging. Also, expect to see more health tech companies tacking on chatbots to existing devices or services.

Hearing Health

While some companies like Jabra are not making earbuds, the recent Apple AirPods Pro 2 update with hearing health tools could inspire competitors to offer similar features in their products. Samsung and Google could also integrate these types of features since both have existing health platforms. Sennheiser might bring features from its hearing-focused products to its flagship earbuds.

Animal Health

Wearable health metrics are also making their way into animal health with the Quevadog collar that grades your dog’s health on a 100-point scale and the first wearable device for tracking a cow’s vitals will also be at CES this year.

Robotics Innovations 

We will no doubt see more advanced robotics capabilities in 2025, with a particular focus on practical applications for everyday life. Expect to see robots moving beyond simple tasks, with some models demonstrating the ability to manipulate objects and interact with their environment. One example is a robot vacuum from Roborock that features an arm capable of picking up small items like socks. The show will likely feature a range of assistive devices and technologies, suggesting an increased focus on accessibility and making robotic technology more user-friendly.

Just ahead of CES, Samsung announced a $181M investment into Rainbow Robotics, making it the controlling shareholder, and positioning it as a serious competitor in the burgeoning humanoid robotics market. We expect to hear more about how Samsung will combine robotics and AI in its CES keynote this week.

Hyundai — which now owns Boston Dynamics — will also likely showcase its focus on humanoid and other robotics this year.

Transportation will be another major source of robotics discussion, including in the manufacturing area (an area of automated manufacturing pioneering forever) and in the context of automated vehicles, robotaxis, and eVTOL air taxis. 

Connectivity and the Space Race

Connectivity is going to the next level in 2025, with satellite communication becoming more mainstream and more devices that are able to take advantage of it.

Satellite Communications

Expect to see a proliferation of devices that allow you to connect via satellite for emergencies or communication, not only from major phone makers but also from other types of devices.

Services like SpaceX's Starlink and T-Mobile's Starlink-powered satellite cell service indicate a move towards broader satellite access for communication. Delta will also likely announce more about its Starlink in-flight communications partnership.

Gaming Gets a Boost

Gamers, get ready to drool! CES 2025 will be a showcase for cutting-edge gaming tech, with major upgrades expected in processors and graphics cards.

Next-Gen GPUs - Nvidia is expected to debut its long-awaited RTX 5000 series video cards, while AMD is set to unveil its next-generation RDNA 4 GPUs. These new GPUs promise significant performance boosts and enhanced ray-tracing and AI capabilities.

Possible Performance Increases - Rumors suggest that the RTX 5090 could be up to 70% faster than the RTX 4090, with other "high level" cards seeing a 30-40% performance increase.

Gaming Monitors - The new LG G5 OLED TV has a native refresh rate of 165Hz, which will appeal to serious gamers.

Keynotes and Big Names

CES 2025 will also feature keynotes from some of the biggest names in tech and other industries.

• NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang will be delivering a keynote, which will likely include details about their new RTX 5000 series video cards.

• Delta CEO Ed Bastian is also giving a keynote which should include info about its Starlink partnership and new connected in-flight entertainment/communication systems.

• Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda will go all in on Woven City, the carmarker’s “living laboratory.” 

• X CEO Linda Yaccarino will be interviewed at a keynote on January 7. 

• Snap CEO Evan Spiegel will be speaking about "future goals of the platform" on January 8.

Stay Tuned for More

The Tech Buzz team will be on the ground at CES 2025, bringing you all the latest news, hands-on reviews, and expert analysis. Be sure to follow us on social media and check back here for the latest updates. The future of tech is about to unfold, and you don't want to miss it!

Until next time, keep buzzing on the best in tech with our 2024 year in review posts.