What we should expect from CES 2019

The Consumer Electronics Show 2019 in Las Vegas will open its doors on January 7: here's what we should expect from the most important hi-tech brands

The CES 2019 (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, one of the most important consumer electronics fairs in the world, is now just around the corner: the events reserved for the press will be held on January 6 and 7 while the opening to the public will be from January 8 to 11. As every year, many novelties are expected from electronics manufacturers: some have already been announced, others are expected or taken for granted.

At the event are expected the most important brands in the world, starting with Google and Samsung. The only two absentees, as always happens, will be Apple and Xiaomi. The Cupertino company has always snubbed CES, preferring to organize their events in other periods of the year. The Chinese company, on the other hand, has never taken root in the United States and prefers to participate in Asian and European fairs. Here are what are the products of the most important hi-tech brands that we can expect from CES 2019.

Samsung News at CES 2019

At CES 2019 Samsung will most likely not present the long-awaited Galaxy S10, but its booth will still be one of the most interesting to visit especially when it comes to Smart TVs, notebooks and home automation devices. During CES 2019, the Samsung Galaxy Home, Samsung's smart speaker equipped with the Bixby virtual assistant that was unveiled in August 2018, could be launched on the market. Also expected is the launch of the Notebook 9 Pen, a sort of cross between a Galaxy Note 9 and a laptop equipped with an S Pen. The lion's share, however, will be the Smart TVs: Samsung is expected to announce new 8K and QLED models. Last year Samsung unveiled a huge display with MicroLED technology, and it's very likely that at CES 2019 it will present a domestic version with a smaller size, but still with MicroLED technology.

Huawei and Honor news at CES 2019

Last year Huawei was one of the big stars at CES, even winning the Android Smartphone of the Year award with the Huawei Mate 10 Pro. However, 2018 has not been a quiet year for the Chinese company: first accused by the CIA of passing information collected through smartphones to the Beijing government, then involved in the affair culminating in the arrest in Canada of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer and daughter of the company's founder, for alleged violations of U.S. sanctions against Iran. It is very likely, therefore, that at the American fair this year Huawei will keep a much lower profile than in previous years. Hardly Huawei, accused for its smartphones, will present new phones in Las Vegas. More likely it will limit itself to show laptops and tablets.

Some cell phone maybe will show Honor, the brand of the Huawei group dedicated to the youngest. For example, the Honor View 20 that, after the recent debut in China, will be launched globally on January 22 in Paris but could also be shown at CES.

New LG at CES 2019 

It seems blurred the hypothesis that LG will present its foldable smartphone at CES 2019, but the products of the Korean company that will be presented in Las Vegas are still many. Especially in the TV and kitchen appliances segment. Last year LG presented a prototype of a roll-up TV and this year it could bring the final version to CES, with the aim of launching it on the market by the end of 2019. It would be a foldable TV with a flexible OLED display, offering a large screen but adaptable and customizable to the space available to the user. But also "foldable" by those who dream of a living room with a minimal design. We do not expect, however, any new LG smartphones from either the G or V series.

New Google at CES 2019 

Google only landed at CES in 2018, so this is its second presence at the Las Vegas show. Last year it came to show off existing Google Home-compatible devices and, most likely, it will do the same this year: show partnerships with other manufacturers for new devices compatible with Google's assistant. However, it is possible, but not likely, that Google will also present hardware of its own at CES 2019.

New HTC at CES 2019

HTC, like Huawei, had a problematic 2018. But for completely different reasons: the company's financial results fell far short of expectations. HTC's mobile division isn't very healthy at the moment, but it won't be absent from CES 2019 in Las Vegas, and it may bring the HTC Vive, the virtual reality viewer, with a whole host of accessories and, hopefully, at least some new hardware. The Pro version of the Vive isn't particularly old, and it's been a big sales success, but the original standard version is starting to get outdated.

Sony's New Products at CES 2019

Sony usually uses CES to unveil new Xperia series smartphones, both top-of-the-line and mid-range. This year again, Sony is expected to launch three new smartphones at CES: the Xperia XA3, Xperia XA3 Ultra and Xperia L3. Otherwise, the bulk of the space in the booth is expected to be dedicated to televisions (an 8K TV is expected), audio systems and Smart Home accessories.