CES 2014: Our top 10 moments
Smart wearables, Oculus Rift, Project Christine and oh so much more
Below you'll find the latest inklings of what we expect from the quickly approaching show. We'll regularly refresh this page, so check back during the coming days for all the latest about the most high-profile tech show of the year.
T-Mobile unveiling phase 4
T-Mo is hyping up upcoming Uncarrier plans with the final stage four event scheduled for a CES spectacle - because you know it will be if John Legere shows up (which he most likely will).
What can we expect from the last phase since the magenta carrier has already eliminated two-year agreements and international roaming charges while enabling customers to upgrade their handsets twice a year - not to mention 200MB of free tablet data?
It's possible that early termination fees will disappear meaning customers who switch to T-Mobile might get a $350 credit (about £214, AU$392).
Samsung to show new Galaxy phones?
Samsung hardly misses the chance to shine a spotlight on itself, and its presence at CES 2013 was no different. We saw Youm, its flexible display tech prototype, more TVs than need be listed here and former President Bill Clinton. So yes, Samsung left an impression.
For 2014, we're zeroing in on two bits of consumer tech in particular: the Galaxy Round and Galaxy S5.
Reports suggest that with slowing sales of the Galaxy S4, Samsung has decided to push the Galaxy S5's release date up to a possible launch during CES 2014. With a potential 64-bit chip, new 16MP camera and all-metal body, consumers may forgive the oddly timed announcement and clamor for the new Android machine anyway.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
Other spec rumors suggest the new Galaxy will pack a diamond-like coat, 2K display (resolution 2560 X 1440) and iris scanner, though a December 16 report suggested the S5 won't arrive until MWC 2014.
If it does debut at CES, the Galaxy S5 may not take the stage alone: Reports from December suggest Samsung is readying four or five new phones for 2014, and we would hardly be shocked to see more than one in Vegas.
As for the Galaxy Round, even though it's reportedly a prototype at this point, Samsung should have plenty to say on its ability to create bendy devices. We may hear about a full Round roll out, and possibly more on Samsung's foldable phone-to-tablet and fold-in-two handset.
With LG nipping at its heals with the G Flex, Samsung's turn at CES should show us more on the flexible display front.
And tablets and curved 4K TVs, too
There's a good chance we're in for some Samsung tablet tech, as reports indicate the company is prepping a Galaxy Note 12.2 slate that's already cleared the FCC.
Additionally, a December 18 report from Korean media suggested Samsung has a 10.5-inch AMOLED tablet stowed in its CES carry-on.
Word from SamMobile seems to suggest that the Korean company will release the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4, Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1, Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 and Galaxy Tab 3 Lite before March next year - though we may see a preview of the line up in Vegas.
As for the rest of the tech, Sammy will likely unveil its latest and greatest television sets (Vegas turns into TV town during every CES), cameras, home appliances and laptops.
In fact, the company announced on December 18 that it plans to unveil a whopping 105-inch curved Ultra HD TV come January. That means a rounded screen packed with 11 million pixel (5120 x 2160) resolution is about to make it into Samsung's wheelhouse.
The company is calling the 105 incher the "world's most curved" TV, and whether that actually means anything to viewers (good or bad) is something we'll see in Vegas.
Does ZTE have Grand Vegas ambitions?
It seems like the ZTE Grand S II, the follow up to the Grand S, will be making an appearance alongside the other phone offerings during the show.
The Grand S II will come with an even larger 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 screen. Despite the small bump in screen size, it will remain relatively thin at 154 x 77 x 7.9mm and pack Qualcomm's Snapdragon 600 chipset with 2GB of RAM.
If we don't get a peek at the S II during CES 2014, it may show up at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona instead - or heck, it may get party-happy and pop up at both events.
Holler at AMD's Kaveri APU, desktops and more
AMD revealed during its November APU13 Developer Summit that it has big plans in store for CES, specifically around its next-gen Kaveri APU.
The chipmaker said the HSA-featuring A-Series APU will have its "big coming out party" at the Vegas shindig, and we suspect AMD is planning plenty for its pre-show tech day.
Kaveri promises more compute power, namely by shifting more workload to the GPU. Running up to four Steamroller x86 CPU cores and up to eight Graphics Core Next GPU cores, Kaveri is AMD's biggest push yet into the heterogeneous system architecture space.
With the first Kaveri desktops launching January 14, we expect AMD and its OEMs to out a number of devices at the Vegas show, too.
What's more, the company has also unveiled the Beema and Mullins APUs. Designed for fanless tablets, 2-in-1 and notebooks, the APUs promise double the performance per watt than their predecessors. AMD said both chips will be on hand at CES 2014, so look for more on their performance (and how they stack up to competitors like Intel's Bay Trail), then.
64-bit chip madness
AMD's biggest chip making competitors will also be on site to make sure Kaveri doesn't hog all the love.
According to IBT, Nvidia and Broadcom will reportedly reveal brand new 64-bit processors. Analysts note that the three companies are set on releasing the new chips early in 2014 so a CES unveiling seems to make sense.
Qualcomm already announced its 64-bit processor, the Snapdragon 410, on December 9, so chances are high we will see the new dragon in action at CES. Look out for phones, if only reference designs, running the 64-bitter come January.
As for what else the silicon slingers may show, we expect to hear more on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 805 Ultra HD, 4K-supporting mobile chip, and it may even go so far as to out Snapdragon 900 (or whatever its next-gen processor will be called).
We wouldn't put it past Nvidia to lay on some Shield news, so keep an eye out for gaming gumbo to be cooked up in Las Vegas.
Microsoft's bigger presence, but not triumphant return
"Microsoft is back at CES!" or so was the flavor of many headlines in early October. Turns out the company isn't making the spectacular CES splash it was made out to be, as it quickly downplayed its plans for the 2014 show to The Verge.
That's not to say Microsoft won't be out in force in LV, as the company confirmed it will have "a substantial set of rooms for meetings with our partners." It's in these rooms we expect OEMs and press alike to learn more about the adoption of Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 RT, sales of Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, what's the score with Nokia, how the Xbox One release is playing out and much more.
During CES 2013, Microsoft showed off a pre-production Surface Pro, and we'd be hard pressed to think it won't have a new tablet, smartphone and/or phablet to generate some pre-release buzz.
Let's not rule out Microsoft hosting a press event or two, even though it's staying off the main keynote circuit.
Sony speaks to next-gen gadgets
Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai is slated to deliver a keynote address as part of the Tech Titans keynote series, "where CEOs from the most powerful companies in technology present their vision for revolutions in products, services and networks."
Sony will be coming off a holiday season high where it saw the release of the PS4, and with a few high-powered phones rumored for release before long, look for Hirai to drop sales figures and talk about Sony's role in pushing hardware innovation forward.
More to that point, the company is reportedly working on a virtual reality headset modeled in the vein of the Oculus Rift. According to Eurogamer, Sony's targeting a 2014 release for its VR dream.
A keynote where he's supposed to talk about his "vision for revolutions in products, services and networks?" Sounds like CES 2014 is a plausible place for next-gen PS4 accessory to rear its head.
The company dropped some heavy hints in early December that its CES will focus heavily on 4K tech, so keep an eye out for camcorders, TVs and even smartphones and laptops sporting Ultra HD.
Asus prepping to pull double duty?
It's tenuous, but a teaser video released December 23 strongly suggests Asus is planning a new tablet that will pull double duty. More specifically, it seems the company is plotting a slate that can dual-boot Android and Windows.
The device in a questionable Statue of Liberty-led video may also be a tablet/laptop hybrid, or some other creation Asus' mad scientists have cooked up in the lab.
We've recently learned that a manual published on Asus' website confirms a VivoTab Note 8 is in the offing, and will probably be Asus' hot ticket item in Vegas (or at least one of them).
Yahoo's rock star heading to Vegas
Marissa Mayer is another notable name, and so far the only woman, who will be joining Sony's Hirai and Intel's Brian Krzanich for a Tech Titan keynote.
It's likely she'll expand on her previous talks about Yahoo's mobile user growth, and imminent changes to Yahoo in general.
With all the new rollouts the company has already issued - like the new logo and email interface - we might even hear about a brand new project.
Time for LG to flex, go pixel-crazy
We don't expect LG to deviate too far from this script, but there's one smartphone topic to keep an eye out for.
As we mentioned before, the company has announced its G Flex phone, a handset that actually bends when pressure is applied (and doesn't break - that's key). Look for a some chest-thumping on that front, especially as it didn't make much of it last year while Samsung wowed us with Youm. This time, the opportunity shouldn't be missed.
LG is slowly releasing the phone outside of South Korea, with pre-orders going live in Singapore and Hong Kong in December. Will CES hold broader release details for the G Flex? Say, for the UK, US and Australia?
It's probably still early for the LG G Flex 2, which will reportedly bend 90 degrees, but things do tend to get twisted in Las Vegas.
Interestingly, LG revealed some of what it has in store for CES in mid-December, focusing primarily on the PC front. The company will showcase a number of desktop monitors, including ones with 2K and 4K resolutions.
Also on December 17, LG announced the Chrombase, its Chrome OS all-in-one that will definitely be on the CES docket. The 21.5-inch comp is primarily business focused, and more details are due in January.
As much as we like the thought of sentient dishwashers, we'll be paying attention to what LG has to say on its CES bread-and-butter - TVs.
Speaking of ...
LG takes aim at TV dominance
Beating Samsung to the punch by mere hours, LG also announced December 18 that it's taking a 105-inch curved 4K Ultra HD TV to CES. The aspect ratio is marked at 21:9 - what LG calls "CinemaScope," but we'll see how it stacks up to Sammy's at the show.
The company also said December 19 that it plans to show its first smart TV featuring HP's cast-off webOS at CES 2014.
We wouldn't be surprised if LG shows some sort of 8K TV prototype as well (Sharp did such a thing last year). It'd be nice if we saw a price drop on the 4K TV front, but we won't hold our breath that LG or any other manufacturer is ready to do that just yet.
LG and Samsung to unveil flexible TVs?
Both LG and Samsung have been pegged to show off flexible OLED TV prototypes at CES, with one LG executive telling the Korea Times that the company's head of TV "will meet with clients and reporters ... and will promote something new" plus "unveil a remote bendable OLED TV that hasn't been seen before."
It doesn't get much clearer than that.
Samsung's flexible TV is said to have a "huge" display, and it too will have a remote that controls its bends.
Steam Machines to become more than vapor
After much teasing throughout the years, Valve finally unveiled its concept for the game console, called Steam Machines. After giving us previews of the Steam controller and SteamOS, Valve showed the first Steam Machine prototype on November 4.
Valve is sending the machine (with varying specs) out to 300 lucky beta testers this year, and word is CES 2014 will be the console's (make that consoles) biggest coming out party yet. The Seattle Times has word that various Steam Machines will be on display at the tech show, meaning we're in for not just one but several hands ons with these PC gaming wunderkinds.
Valve itself has said information on the commercial Steam Machines is due at CES, meaning we'll have plenty of data to crunch and hands on reviews to write in early January.
In addition to Valve's own creation, Steam Machine partners are coming out of the woodwork with word they plan to show their Linux-based consoles in Las Vegas as well.
iBuyPower has already shown off its own versions of the boxes, which we're betting will make an appearance on the Vegas show floor.
Digital Storm revealed on December 11 that it plans to unveil its Steam Machine at CES, a hybrid that runs both the SteamOS and Windows and has a starting price of $1,469 (about £896, AU$1,620).
Oppo may launch the first 2K smartphone
It's not the most well-known phone maker, but Oppo may just drop a next-gen bomb on the LVCC with the introduction of the world's first 2K smartphone.
The company teased on Twitter December 17 that its Find 7 will feature a 2K display. Oppo was first out the gate with 1080p tech, and now it looks like it has another title in its sights. Nothing is confirmed as far as a launch goes, but look for the Find 7 to grace us with its high-pixel count next month.
Wearables and fitness tech ahoy
If the thought of computers and exercise seems like an oxymoron, you couldn't be more wrong. In fact, fitness tech will see a much bigger presence during CES, with the Digital Fitness Area being expanded by 30% to include more space for new tech.
Though fitness bands like the Fitbit Force and Nike Fuelband are already familiar faces, we'll probably see more bands and other types of wearable tech battle it out for our attention.
Speaking of wearable tech, the Pebble made a splash at CES 2013 where its release was finally announced - cut to fall 2013 and a wave of others like the Sony SmartWatch 2, Samsung Galaxy Gear and Qualcomm Toq have joined the fancy watch scene. With rumors of the Google watch and Apple's iWatch hot on their heels, we definitely expect to see more smartwatches pop up during the show.
Seems like CES 2014 read our minds: There will definitely be an explosion of smartwatches on the Vegas showfloor in the form of a "WristRevolution" where everything from app-based programs to music players, health monitors and more will be shown off.
A few confirmed watch exhibitors will be Burg Limited, COOKOO, Dennco Brands, Kronoz LLC, MetaWatch, Neptune and Qualcomm Toq.
Beyond the wrist, high fashion - or just fashion in the form wearable tech - will also make waves. Karen Chupka, senior vice president of CES, said to look out for "... jackets that adjust based on outside temperatures to solar-charging handbags and more, innovations in wearable technology are shaping the [tech] industry" at the 2014 show.
Perhaps we'll see and try out functional and fashionable tech that we won't be too embarrassed to wear (looking at you, Google Glass).
Epson, best known for its printers, has revealed that it will be announcing "several new innovations in the wearable tech space," with a press conference planned for January 6 at 4 p.m. PST. The company already has some eyewear offerings, so we're intrigued what these new innovations could be.
Speaking of Google...
It looks like we'll be seeing new tech from the search engine giant at CES.
Recent announcements from video compression company Ambarella state Google will jointly demo new new wearable cameras for use with Google Helpouts on the show floor.
The cameras record full HD video and then stream it live in real time to the Google Helpouts server over Wi-Fi or via mobile hotspots.
Intel on tablets, Haswell and Windows 8.1
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich is on tap to deliver an opening keynote at 6:30 p.m. PST on January 6. With LG at 8 a.m. and Audi's Rupert Stadler at 8:30 p.m., it's going to be a long day.
But! Back to Intel and not thoughts on all the coffee we'll be drinking. We expect Krzanich and the Intel floor team to focus heavily on Haswell, Ultrabooks housing the battery-saving, power-boosting processor, and Windows 8.1 tablets bandying Bay Trail.
In short, Intel should have quite a few new tablets as well as Ultrabooks, all centered around its own innards and Microsoft's latest OS.
Intel is also looking to shake up the wearable space with a bit of its own wearable tech. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich didn't tip his hand as to what we should expect from Intel's wearable technology, but he did hint at the processor behind it.
The company is preparing a new family of Quark chips. The low-powered System-on-a-Chip is expanding from household items to all sorts of Internet of Things devices, including wearables.
"Our view is that Quark can make almost everything smart," said Krzanich.
"We'll show you some things that you would never have thought could become smart and communicate."
The 3D printing explosion
It's not a tech expo without a 3D printing demo going on somewhere (see: IDF 2013), but CES 2014 is taking it to a whole new level with a larger-than-ever area dedicated to the machines that let you print your own bowls and vases.
According to CNET, Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Electronic Association, said on October 1 that the 3D printing tech zone is sold out for exhibitors. The area is meant to complement others dedicated to motion tech, robotics and more.
Bre Pettis, CEO and co-founder of MakerBot, will deliver a keynote address during the Leaders in Technology Dinner. Shapiro says we can expect, "... his [Pettis'] vision for how 3D printing will transform entrepreneurship, business and consumer opportunities in the year ahead."
Will we see the tech expand beyond printing do-dads, guns and heart valves? We hope to find out in Vegas.
Did we mention there will be TVs?
If there's one thing you can always count on seeing at CES, it's the beastly TVs that get bigger - and better - every year.
Ultra HD 4K TVs will be back on hand to look at (or look up at) during the 2014 edition. A quick refresher: Ultra HD aims to deliver four times the resolution of today's full high-definition TVs, with more than eight million pixels of resolution. And because one-upmanish is always to be expected, 8K resolutions are sure to give the lights on the Strip a run for their money.
We expect the bigwigs - Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, LG, Toshiba, Sharp - plus smaller guys like Hisense to return in full form to show off bigger, better and brighter Ultra HD TVs.
We're prepped for just about every TV presser, though pay close attention to Hisense as it will likely also discuss its foray into new devices, namely tablets.
We'll be seeing some new TV imaging tech from Dolby in Vegas as well.
At a recent event TechRadar attended, Dolby reps informed us that five of the latest OEM glasses-free 3D screens will be on the floor, and a new super intense television display - one with "better pixels," wider dynamic range and contrast sensitivity to allow for more realistic colors.
For the audiophiles
Headphones are getting better every year, including fancy celebrity endorsed ones that will set you back quite a bit.
But we're sure there are bound to be cheaper headphones - and quite a lot of them - in Vegas.
In fact, we already know Soul by Ludacris will be on hand to demo athletic headphones "fit for professional athletes and active lifestyles," and might show up with a star or two.
Monster will also show off its headphones along with speaker docks and mobile accessories.
Michelle was previously a news editor at TechRadar, leading consumer tech news and reviews. Michelle is now a Content Strategist at Facebook. A versatile, highly effective content writer and skilled editor with a keen eye for detail, Michelle is a collaborative problem solver and covered everything from smartwatches and microprocessors to VR and self-driving cars.