CES, the annual global consumer electronics and consumer technology trade show, officially opens on Jan. 6, 2016. Companies have been using the show as the launching ground for many new products, innovations and devices.
With the rise of virtual reality and wearable technology, companies surely have a lot in store for technology enthusiasts. The 2016 CES could be the biggest tech show yet.
Here are a couple of things to expect at the show, including the smartphones, tablets, wearables and anything related to mobile technology.
Asus
Initially, Asus was going to hold a press conference on Tuesday, Jan. 5, but "due to a change in corporate strategy for 2016," the company cancelled. Asus did say that the Sales and Media Lounge is still going to be available, so it's safe to assume that there will be a couple of Asus devices at the event.
Since the ZenFone 2 Laser is still pretty new on the market, a successor being unveiled at the CES could be unlikely. In other words, the ZenFone 3 is probably still far down the road, not to mention rumors surrounding the anticipated smartphone have been sparse.
Knowing Asus, plenty of budget-friendly smartphones, laptops and tablets could make appearances, though.
Huawei
Huawei has been on the up and up lately, producing the impressive Google Nexus 6P and reportedly working on in-house chips aside from the powerful Kirin 950.
There have been a lot of rumors suggesting the debuts of the Huawei Mate 8 and the Honor line at the event, including the Honor 5X, Honor 6 Plus and Honor 7.
What's more, a women's version of the Huawei Watch is purportedly going to premiere too. The wearable tech is expected to retain the hardware specifications of its predecessor, but is going to get an overhaul in design to appeal to women. Essentially, it won't be a second-generation smartwatch.
LG
Regarding smartphones, LG is believed to reveal entry-level and mid-range products at the event, and there's a slim chance that a follow-up device for the remarkable LG V10 will be there too.
But what about the G Flex 3? Well, despite the unveiling of the G Flex 2 last year, it's unlikely that the next-generation handset will make an appearance at the CES, as the company seems to be focused on a lot of other offerings, including a new Tone Bluetooth headset and 4K monitors.
Of course, an LG showcase wouldn't be complete without general appliances, ranging from refrigerators and washing machines to X-Boom audio systems and projectors.
Samsung
No matter how much consumers ask for it, the Samsung Galaxy S7 has little to no chance of popping up at the 2016 CES. However, Samsung is expected to include a couple of new tablets and budget and mid-range offerings.
On the plus side, the South Korean company is going to reveal its new BRITECELL technology along with some nifty digital cameras and televisions, among other things.
Sony
Sony doesn't have much going on for mobile-related products, as a rollout of the Xperia Z5 to certain western markets is probably the biggest news. It's not even certain whether that's going to happen or not.
It seems that the company is more focused on TV, other appliances and, of course, announcements geared toward the PlayStation.
ZTE
Just like the other manufacturers, ZTE is expected to showcase entry-level and mid-range devices at the event. Although a lot of people have their fingers crossed for the Nubia Z11, the Snapdragon 820-powered flagship only has a small chance of making an appearance.
Chipmakers: Nvidia, Intel And Qualcomm
First off, it's a safe bet that Nvidia will unveil a new high-end processor, considering that the Nvidia Tegra X1 premiered at the CES too. The chipmaker could also show off a couple of devices such as the Nvidia Shield Tablet X1 that sports the Tegra X1 as well.
Next up, Intel probably has some new chipsets in store, but for mobile components, the company doesn't seem to plan on bringing much to the table.
As for Qualcomm, the chipmaker could be leading the headlines when it comes to chipsets with its Snapdragon 820. The company will disclose the benefits and performance of the much-anticipated chip, and it will also showcase some of the first products that'll have it under their hoods.
"All in all, the 820 is not only a more versatile chip but also a more efficient one, using 30 percent less power than previous generations," Qualcomm says.
Smartwatches
Moving forward, Huawei is on the frontline when it comes to smartwatches because of its announcement of a redesigned Huawei Watch. Aside from that, there's a pretty good chance that a new company could show up and reveal a new smartwatch at the event, as the wearable tech has been going strong this year.
Virtual Reality
HTC wasn't exactly included on the main list, as the company is only expected to show the Vive VR headset with nothing much to offer regarding mobile phones. Meanwhile, the Oculus Rift is headed to the CES 2016 along with the PlayStation VR. IonVR and CastAR are also going to show off some of their stuff at the event.
