2016 Consumer Electronics Show preview

The Consumer Electronics Show has been running in Las Vegas since 1967, and the 2016 edition of the show looks set to continue the trend of CES being one of the world's most renowned international electronics and trade shows.

The 2016 edition of the show is set to be the largest ever, taking up a floor space of 2.3 million feet. Some 3,600 companies will take part in the event, and up to 170,000 people are expected to attend.

This year's CES is in Las Vegas on 6-9 January. What can we expect?

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The Tech

Venturebeat recommends keen technology fans keep an eye on five different trends likely to be popular at this year's show: emotive robots, gesture-based interfaces, flexible displays, virtual reality, and holographic computing.

"What marketers should be looking for on the show floor are connected devices that have the potential to drastically shift consumer behaviour and the way consumers and brands interact," they say.

Cnet focuses on the new products we can expect to see at the show rather than new technologies. For starters, the new HDR (High Dynamic Range) televisions will be the talk of the show. HDR televisions improve on 4K sets not just because they up the pixel count, but because the pixels themselves can display a greater range of colour and contrast. Cnet also expects to see the introduction of many now affordable 4K television sets, as well as 4K Blu ray players.

Folding and flexing displays usually feature in the show and Android Headlines reports that LG, a company known for its interest in the technology, will reveal a 77-inch rolling OLED display.

The Telegraph outlines some of the dominant themes expected at this year's show. One of the main areas of focus will be 'ambient sensors.' These are electronics that connect elements of day-to-day life to the internet, usually in the form of some sort of monitoring. They also say that 'aggregated learning' – technologies that can collect data and learn from mistakes, and predictive customisation – to feature heavily.

Like Venturebeat, they expect Virtual Reality to be a recurring theme. VR headsets from Oculus Rift, Sony's PlayStation VR headset, as well as VR products from Samsung and HTC are expected early in 2016.

Pocket Lint has a comprehensive company-by-company rundown of new things to expect at the show. Information about exact products is still very limited, but there are rumours that several new smartphones will be revealed at the show, alongside many larger and home-based electronic goods.

The Cars

As the motor industry begins to focus on electrification and autonomous cars more and more, the show's importance to automotive manufacturers is increasing every year.

"It's not just a consumer electronics showcase anymore. Carmakers want to turn the next iteration of the Consumer Electronics Show, scheduled to kick off on January 6, into part auto show, part technology showcase," says PR week.

This year, CES will see car companies such as Ford, Volkswagen, BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Toyota, and Hyundai use the show as an opportunity to highlight new technologies, such as ever more efficient electric powertrains, the latest developments in self-driving cars, and new in car connectivity features.

It is rumoured that Audi may be bringing an example of production-ready autonomous driving technology to the show this year. The company has said in the past that it aims to have autonomous cars on sale by 2025.

Volkswagen looks set to bring a new all-electric minivan concept along to the show. But one of the more interesting reveals will be from the brand new electric car start-up Faraday Future. The firm is a mysterious new $1 billion California-based car company. The secrecy surrounding their operations, combined with a look and feel reminiscent of a certain large technology company also based in California initially led to reports that the company was a front for the long-rumoured Apple car. They will be revealing their first concept car at the show.

There will be two different BMW i8s on display, but only one of them sanctioned by the Munich-based manufacturer. BMW themselves look set to bring a concept previewing a convertible version of the i8, whereas Swiss tuner Rinspeed will show off a new creation spun from a current road-going version, complete with autonomous capabilities and a drone.

Autocar reports that Aston Martin could make an appearance at the show, showing off a Rapide S 'Connected Car' built in collaboration with the Chinese internet firm Letv. Aston Martin could eventually produce an electric car for the company.

The News

The show isn't just an opportunity to show off new gadgets and concept cars. Several high-profile announcements are expected during the show.

The news that Ford will partner with Google to create self-driving cars is one such announcement expected. Ford's presentation should feature an announcement that the two companies will join forces and pool their expertise, with Ford making use of Google's vast banks of data and Google taking advantage of Ford's manufacturing ability.

More key tech and motor industry announcements are expected at the show.