CES 2023
Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas, NV
January 5-8, 2023
Attendees: 115,000 (organizer’s pre-audit figures)
Exhibitors/Sponsors: 3,200+ (including 1,000 new exhibitors)
Speakers: 930
Media/Analysts: Unavailable
Calysto’s Take on CES 2023
CES 2023 in Las Vegas kicked off the New Year in a big – or should we say “bigger” – way. Anticipated attendance of 100,000 people from more than 150 different countries did indeed materialize as expected by the organizer, CTA (Consumer Technology Association). Reportedly, 115,000 people attended in-person this year, falling short of pre-pandemic numbers (CES 2020 drew 170,000+), but far more than the 40,000 or so on-site at the 2022 convention which was a hybrid event. A healthy indication that in-person conferences are indeed coming back!
The Consumer Electronic Show has become a well-established springboard for the most revolutionary of products. The show has evolved, however, from its initial focus (launched in 1967) on the latest tech gadgetry for consumers to one of futuristic concepts and prototypes – not just for consumers, but also the enterprise. Some argue CES has become more of an auto show with futuristic vehicle technology dominating much of the show floor(s) at CES this year. Automotive tech is definitely a significant part of CES. A number of visionary concept cars were on display, including the BMW i Vision Dee (which stands for digital emotional experience) and the Ram 1500 Revolution all-electric pickup truck.
CES had a central theme this year – “Human Security for All” – designed to spotlight how technology and innovations in ESG, transportation, mobility, digital health and the metaverse are tackling the world’s biggest challenges related to food, health, economics, the environment, diversity and more.
Presentations, sessions and exhibits this year highlighted AI, IoT, private wireless networks, wireless power, robotics, digital health, EVs, metaverse, gaming, smart home tech and ESG. Web 3.0, NFTs and the “creator economy” were among new categories this year.
The Internet of Things (IoT) and sensors are at the heart of most of this emerging technology. Tractor maker John Deere made a big splash as a keynote and an exhibit with its next-gen automated farming technology “ExactShot” that uses sensors and robotics to precisely seed and fertilize crops.
In satellites (SIoT), Rick Somerton, President & CEO of eSAT Global spoke about a future of widespread satellite-connected devices made possible by cheaper, more prevalent satellite technology. Less costly satellite tracking has significant potential when it comes to communications. At the show, Qualcomm announced its new Snapdragon Satellite initiative in partnership with Iridium which will bring satellite text messaging to next-gen Android smartphones. But there will be some surprising use cases too, said Somerton, like enabling farmers to more efficiently track cows: “We believe we can put a tag on the ear of a cow, it’ll cost $10 per year, looking at on average $100 per year to ranches.”
5G was less of a focus at this year’s CES compared to previous shows, though there were some 5G-related devices and technologies on display. Samsung debuted its next smartphone, the Galaxy A14 5G. Honda and Sony unveiled a prototype autonomous vehicle with 5G-enabled sensors. TCL is developing VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality) headsets that utilize Qualcomm’s XR2 5G chip. Analysts shared that most of the innovative gadgets on display currently use wired or Wi-Fi connections as 5G remains expensive and requires too much power. Wireless power was a hot topic. Devices and capabilities of the future will inevitably become 5G-enabled with wireless power, though this is still a few years away.
Attending CES is an overwhelming, but fascinating experience for tech professionals from all industries to check out the latest technology and for tech vendors to show off their newest innovations.
Media & Analysts
The largess of CES has always provided excellent opportunities for media attention, yet this year’s show felt smaller. Analysts, of which there were few, noted that cab lines at the airport were practically non-existent, and baggage claim carousels were empty. Even CES Unveiled, the pre-show media days for previewing products launching at CES 2023, was not as crowded compared to past shows.
There were noticeably fewer people walking around with CES badges which was not unexpected as this is the first year CES was back in full swing. Or is there a trend here? Is smaller in-person attendance a sign of the post-covid times and the rise of virtual and hybrid options? Time will tell.
Coverage of the show was posted by TechCrunch, The Verge, LightReading, CNET, Fierce Electronics, IoT World Today, Forbes and dozens of others.
Twitter also played a key role in messaging, with 11.5 billion impressions for #CES2023 that reached nearly 850 million people globally, according to the free analytics tool, aka.tv.
The Buzz
Much of the CES buzz was consumer-focused around flashy smart car technology and EVs, self-driving motorcycles (and baby strollers!), 3D laptops, foldable phones and wireless 4K TVs. One of the most popular gadgets was a smart scanning device for your toilet called U-Scan (you can guess what the U stands for) which checks health stats like protein and vitamin C levels and ovulation cycles, and alerts you to potential health issues.
There were also significant announcements around IoT and the enterprise. Vendors at the show unveiled smart tracking devices, sensors for in-vehicle driving experiences and automated farming, enterprise-scale, optical data storage solutions and new products for hybrid workers.
Keynotes
In all, there were two dozen keynotes in the days leading up to CES 2023 and during the event. All were livestreamed and available in the organizer’s digital venue through the end of February.
The organizer CTA kicked off CES 2023 with a State of the Industry address about how technology is helping to tackle the world’s most challenging issues – this year’s show theme “Human Security for All.”
John May, Chairman and CEO of John Deere, shared how advancements in technology and sustainability are addressing a growing global population and world food challenges. This was the first keynote to feature agtech in CES history.
Ed Bastian, CEO, Delta Air Lines and Michael Kassan, CEO, MediaLink engaged in a keynote conversation called “Building Connection & Community in a Non-Stop World,” discussing how brands are combining technology with ingenuity to captivate and delight customers,” such as with in-flight experiences and on-demand entertainment.
Exhibition
As always for this show, the exhibition was huge and scattered. CES 2023 hosted more than 3,200 exhibitors across 11 “official” venues within Las Vegas, comprising two million net square feet of exhibit space – reportedly 70% more than at CES 2022.
Not surprisingly, there were hundreds of automotive tech exhibits (an estimated 300) that showcased self-driving technology, electric vehicles and various in-car connected experiences that dazzle with AR and VR capabilities. Another large swath of exhibits featured digital health technologies and innovations in “sustainability” and ESG related to energy conservation, smart cities and cleaner water.
New at CES this year was a dedicated space for visionary technologies related to the metaverse and Web3 such as Ixana’s haptic VR technology. For the tech-savvy, Samsung and LG showcased smart TVs that integrate Web 3.0 features like NFT marketplaces and metaverse platforms.
Start-ups had their spotlight at Eureka Park, a section at the Venetian Expo Center where 1,000 young companies and inventors from all around the world displayed new ideas, smart gadgets, wearables and other cool innovations to solve real-world problems. These startups use the CES mega-opportunity to raise funding or sell their technology to larger companies.
Awards
The CES Innovation Awards annual competition honors outstanding design and engineering products across 28 technical categories. Qualified products must have general market availability by April 1, 2023. Among the honorees in the IoT area were WithBecon AI Mobile APP & IoT Scanner from Becon co., Ltd, an ECG device with wearable and IoT technology from Healthrian, and the NoTraffic Mobility IoT Platform.
Best of Innovation awards lined up with the show’s theme “Human Security for All.” Five winners included ACWA Robotics’ Clean Water Pathfinder, Bosch’s RideCare Companion, the AeviceMD smart wearable stethoscope, Canon’s AMLOS hybrid meeting software and Dell’s Alienware 500Hz Gaming Monitor.
Next up: CES 2024 will take place in Las Vegas, January 9-12, 2024.
Articles of Interest
Long Lines, Many Handshakes and Few Masks: It’s Business as Usual at CES 2023
Media Play News
Thomas K. Arnold
January 5, 2023
CES 2023’s Wildest Highlights: Stunning Cars, 3D Laptops and Shape-Shifting Screens
CNET
Karisa Langlo and Daniel Van Boom
January 4, 2023
IoT grabs early attention before CES 2023 gates open
Fierce Electronics
Dan O’Shea
January 3, 2023
Why the telecoms industry should care about CES 2023
telecoms.com
Andrew Wooden
January 3, 2023
Notes from CES: A smaller show and the wrong kind of tech
Stacey on IoT
Stacey Higginbotham
January 10, 2023
In-car tech and EVs dominated CES 2023
TechCrunch
Kirsten Korosec
January 9, 2023
CES 2023: 3 key trends that reveal how tech is getting smaller and smarter
Interesting Engineering
Mike Brown
January 8, 2023
Robots, Connected Cars, Smart Things Featured at CES 2023
IoT World Today
Chuck Martin
January 3, 2023
Where was 5G at CES?
The Verge
Allison Johnson
January 7, 2023
I went looking for 5G at CES, and here’s what I found
LightReading
Mike Dano
January 6, 2023
Don’t Write Off The Metaverse Just Yet, Tech Show Official Says
Investor’s Business Daily
Patrick Seitz
January 4, 2023
CES 2023: How 5G Will Bring the Metaverse and Future Commerce Into Focus
Consumer Goods Technology
Lisa Johnston
January 4, 2023
CES 2023: All the Major Announcements From Samsung, Nvidia, LG, Panasonic and TCL
CNET
Ian Sherr
January 3, 2023
Las Vegas expected to welcome 100K CES attendees next week
Fox5Vegas.com
Drew Andre
December 30, 2022
A CIO’s Guide To CES – And What’s Next In Enterprise Tech
Forbes
Diane Brady
December 29, 2022
Top Moments on Twitter #CES2023
