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CES 2015 countdown: the best mobile tech launching January 2015

We take a quick look at the Consumer Electronics Show 2015 build-up, with the biggest new phones such as Sony’s Xperia Z4 and Samsung’s new Galaxy A7 expected to launch in just two days…

What is CES 2015?

The Consumer Electronics Show, or good ol’ CES for short, is an annual event that hits Vegas every new year. The biggest global tech firms usually launch their latest phones, tablets, TVs, smartwatches, gadgets, electronic toothbrushes and anything else techy that you’d expect to see on the high street.

When is CES 2015?

In 2015, the Consumer Electronics Show kicks off on Monday January 5th with a bunch of massive launches from the likes of Sony, Samsung and Asus. CES then runs for the rest of the week, with thousands of journos from all over the world cramming themselves into the sweaty, heaving halls of the Las Vegas Convention Centre to get hands-on time with all the sexy new tech.

So what will we see at CES this year?

We’ll see some slick and super-powerful new phones and tablets launched at the expo, but we’re expecting this year’s CES to be mostly about consumer accessories and wearables. The likes of the Apple Watch and Samsung’s Gear range have massively ignited interest in smart devices that you strap to your body and we’re expecting the little buggers to be massively popular in 2015 – even if we aren’t too keen on them just yet. Check out our Five Reasons We Hate Wearables feature.

Here’s a run-down of the biggest manufacturers that will appear at CES 2015, and what we expect to see from them…

Sony

On January 5th at 5pm Vegas time (midnight UK time), Sony will likely launch its next big flagship phone, the Xperia Z4, alongside new cameras and 4K UHD TVs. The Xperia Z4 is expected to be Sony’s best Xperia smartphone yet, packing all-new camera tech and the usual gorgeous Sony design – check out our full Xperia Z4 preview for more.

Sadly we most likely won’t be seeing the Xperia Z4 Compact, a more dinky version of the flagship. We’re also unlikely to see the Xperia Z4 Ultra, a massive phablet model that will probably be big enough to batter a human to death. Those handsets will likely emerge at MWC 2015 in March time instead.

Samsung

Samsung’s CES 2015 event kicks off on January 5th at 2pm Vegas time (9pm UK time).

We’d be shocked to see Samsung’s new flagship phone, the Galaxy S6, emerge at CES 2015 – expect that bad boy to be launched in March at a separate ‘Unpacked’ event of Samsung’s own creation. Instead, we’re banking on the slim and sexy Galaxy A7 to be made public. This gorgeous metallic phone boasts a seriously slim design and yet still packs in some strong specs, to tide us over until the main event in March.

Samsung’s major CES focus will likely be its 4K UHD TV range, however, so expect a lot more ridiculously huge, room-filling curvy displays. And could we possibly see a pointlessly flexible TV emerge?

HTC

Word is that HTC will unveil a mysterious new wearable at CES 2015, which apparently will be unlike anything we’ve seen before. Highly intriguing stuff and we can’t wait to see what’s on offer. Considering we’ve seen all manner of random wearables this year, including a smart sex toy and a rubbish gesture ring, we can’t even imagine what this could be. 

Asus

Asus’ CES 2015 launch takes place on January 5th at 11am Vegas time (6pm UK time). We’d be shocked if we didn’t see a lot more innovative tech, including new tablets that turn into laptops, phones that turn into tablets and lord only knows what else.

Nvidia

Nvidia is jumping the gun on everyone else with a huge launch at 8pm Vegas time (3am UK time) on Sunday 4th. However, while we expect them to big up the Shield Tablet and the awesome new GRID game streaming service, the main focus will be auto tech.

Last year, we saw some really smart stuff from Nvidia including a self-driving car, so we can’t wait to see what these guys come up with in 2015.

LG, Huawei

We’ve heard very little from LG in the run-up to CES 2015, while Huawei has told us that no new mobile kit will be unveiled at the expo. We’d be surprised if LG didn’t sneak out a bit of new tech however, most likely some lovely new TVs.

Check back from January 5th for all of our hands-on reviews, videos and more, live from the show!

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