CES 2020: Top Tech & Lifestyle Trends

5G, the smart home and next-gen food; these are just a few of the top consumer tech trends straight from the show floor at CES 2020 in Las Vegas – the biggest and most influential technology trade show in the world.

5G

While the tech industry has teased 5G for years, the next generation of wireless will be rolled in earnest in 2020. At CES, major US carriers, including AT&T and Verizon,  promised their 5G networks would be accessible nationwide this year. Granting consumers access to 5G’s ultra-quick speed, radically faster streaming and downloading, and reduced latency (lag).

Anticipating the 5G era, brands across CES showcased 5G-enabled smartphones ranging from the high-end Huawei Mate 20 X 5G, Galaxy S10 5G and OnePlus 7 Pro, to the more affordable TCL 10 5G and Coolpad Legacy 5G.

While it’s still early days for 5G, its long-term impact will be huge, enabling true wireless gaming, seamless Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, self-driving vehicle tech and more.

The Smart Home

Connected smart homes are creating “intelligent living spaces that take care of us, instead of the opposite,” said Steve Koenig, vice president of market research at CTA in a show floor speech. As highlighted in our 20 Trends for the 2020s report, networks of connected home devices will  combine data and AI to create intelligent interiors that elevate everyday experiences and offer new levels of functionality in the home. These smarter and more efficient living spaces will boost convenience and comfort, offer security monitoring and facilitate customised access to climate control, appliances, lighting and entertainment preferences that learn from and react to their users.

AIX from LG Electronics is an AI-powered IoT ecosystem that ties together its smart products and services to make “anywhere feel like home”.

Its Smart Door verifies visitors with both facial recognition and vein authentication before unlocking, while biometric IDs also grant access to a fresh food storage facility, a secure space for delivered groceries. When leaving, a screen on the inside of the door displays useful information such as weather and traffic conditions, and sets appliances to go into low power mode when all residents have left the house.

The ThinQ air conditioner senses peoples’ presence in the room and adjusts the temperature and airflow accordingly, while a range of devices are streamlining household chores. The R9 robot vacuum cleaner learns from its mistakes (such as getting stuck in gaps and corners), while the ThinQ Washer detects different fabrics in the laundry to recommend the most appropriate washing and drying cycles.

Smart home tech is even helping future consumers get dressed. The ThinQ Fit smart mirror scans household members to generate a realistic avatar for virtual clothes fittings, even offering style suggestions and direct clothing purchases via its touch screen.

In 2020, the CTA expects smart home technologies to reach $5.1bn in factory sales, an increase of 12.8% from 2019.

Next-Gen Food

After being the surprise hit of last year’s CES with the launch of the plant-based Impossible Burger 2.0, Impossible Foods again grabbed the spotlight at this year’s show with its plant-based pork meat substitute, Impossible Pork.

The buzz around the product – which had a convincingly realistic taste and texture – proved that CES has truly accepted food innovation as a valuable part of the tech industry.

Meanwhile, DnaNudge analyses genetic information via a mail-in cheek swab to create a personal DNA-based profile. The brand’s wrist-worn DnaBand then lets wearers scan food products and send alerts about whether a food should be avoided or embraced based on how its macronutrients work with your body’s needs.

Subscribers can look out for all of our reports from CES, from key tech trends to product design and colour, material and finish, coming to the site soon.

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