The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024, to open on Jan. 9 in Las Vegas, is expected to change the look of technology. Besides its usual emphasis on electronics, CES has evolved into an important automotive event, with major tech brands worldwide revealing AI-driven mobility solutions, futuristic concept cars, and even flying taxis.
Around 4,000 tech companies, including major players like Hyundai Motor, Google, and Microsoft, will showcase their future mobility strategies at the tech business trade show.
Smartphone On Wheels to Take the Spotlight
Hyundai Motor is coming back big to CES as it reveals its "software-defined vehicle" (SDV), or the famous car's version of a "smartphone on wheels," per Korea JoongAng Daily. That means that SDVs will have an over-the-air OTA software system for updates. 42dot, an SDV startup owned by Hyundai, will also have a display model of its own with the SDV system.
Meanwhile, Mercedes, BMW, and Honda will offer the new Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) virtual assistant, software-based improvements, and the first electric SUV. Kia will introduce five concept cars designed with a specific use case in mind, such as shuttling and ride-hailing services; the company also plans to present concept models of the EV3 and EV4.
Supernal, Hyundai's urban air mobility (UAM) subsidiary, will debut its flying taxi at CES, marking a significant stride toward commercialization in 2028. Supernal's unique exhibition outside the convention hall will offer visitors a firsthand experience of vertiport, the vertical takeoff and landing sites for UAM vehicles.
Other Much-Awaited New Tech Unveilings
The convergence of virtual and augmented reality will also take center stage at CES 2024. Traditionally running on parallel paths, VR and AR are now showing signs of integration. As reported by Tom's Guide, Xreal's co-founder, Peng Jin, believes that "wearable computing" is the next frontier, aiming to combine the immersive experience of VR with the sleek form factor of AR glasses. The XR technology demonstrated in products like the Apple Vision Pro could potentially be integrated into the size of traditional AR glasses.
CES 2024 Las Vegas might witness key developments in XR glasses, including innovative display technology eliminating glass prisms, strides toward device-free computing, and hand-tracking implementation within the glasses.
When it comes to the gaming world, Samsung Electronics has introduced "Designed for Samsung Gaming Hub," an initiative that sees partners with manufacturers of various types of gear used in games design products dedicated solely to use on its devices.
Gaming Hub is a cloud-based platform that lets users play games directly on their Samsung TVs without using a PC or game console. Performance Design Products (PDP) partnered with Samsung to create the "Replay Midnight Blue" game controller, bringing a gaming experience to users of Samsung devices equipped with 40-hour battery life and low-latency Bluetooth connectivity, per GizmoChina.
As more updates come, tech enthusiasts become more eager to unveil new revolutionary consumer products at CES 2024 that could shape the future.
