Updated: CES 2015: all the latest from the biggest tech show of the year

CES 2015: Day 2

We are hammering away at CES 2015, posting news and reviews at a lightening pace.

Check out what's happening in Las Vegas on Day 2 (yes, it's only Day 2!). And if you missed our Staff Picks for CES 2015, take a gander. This is the best tech at the show!

Curious about LG's Quantum Dot TVs? Nick Pino, associate editor, home entertainment, learned more about the tech straight from the horse's mouth.

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQjMjgQTaUo
And be sure to check out our first look at the LG G Flex 2 and Lenovo LaVie Z laptop below!

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WShs_3tWB6IYouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw4xl6sLvQs
CES 2015: Day 1

Update: We've awarded our TechRadar Staff Picks to the best tech at CES 2015! Check out the full list of winners.

CES 2015 is officially under way! Of course, if you followed along with us Monday, then you'd know a ton of tech has already been announced (just check out page 2).

Today marks the official opening of the show floor, and our editors are spending the day scouring the booths for the coolest tech around. We'll be bringing you more news, first looks and hands on reviews as the day goes on.

Mobile Editor Matt Swider found out just what makes the LG G Flex 2 different from LG's first flexible phone. Check out his first look below:

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WShs_3tWB6I
TechRadar Pro Senior Editor Juan Martinez spent some time checking out Lenovo's LaVie Z, what the company claims is the lightest laptop on the market. See what he thought of the LaVie Z, flaws and all.

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw4xl6sLvQs
And Nick Pino, associate editor, home entertainment, found out just what makes LG's new Quantum TV tech tick.

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQjMjgQTaUo&feature=youtu.be

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CES 2015 press day

The pre-show festivities got off to a band with Monday's press day. LG, Sharp, Sony, Samsung, and a host of other companies dropped product announcements left and right. The LG G Flex 2 showed its curves, Misfit announced a fancy new wearable, Nest wants to take over your home, and the Galaxy S6 may be lurking behind closed doors.

Want more? Check out the links below!

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YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA5gnSyFgyo#t=21

We have our own predictions for what this week will hold, so check out Nick Pino and Cameron Faulkner's first look at CES 2015!

TechRadar's coverage of the future of tech at CES 2015 LIVE is brought to you courtesy of Currys PC World. Keep up to date with all the latest tech at Currys here

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay8Wsd-MKo8
Pre-show news and rumors

Read on for a company-by-company breakdown of what we expect to see at CES 2015.

Samsung

Update December 29: Samsung's CES MO? IoT. A report out of Korea revealed the firm will use its keynote to lay out its Internet of Things strategy, one that will bolster its slipping hold on the smartphone and tablet spaces. In addition to IoT, Samsung will reportedly lay out a common platform for connected home apps as a short term solution.

Update December 16: It's a very long shot, but there are whispers the Galaxy S6 may in fact show its face at CES 2015. Why is it a long shot? The reasons are almost innumerable, so here's just one; Kim Hyun-suk, Samsung's head of visual display, was quoted as saying "there will be no surprise shows [at CES]." We take that to mean no S6, though of course, anything is possible.

You can certainly look forward to the Galaxy S6 in 2015

Update December 11: One thing is for sure; Samsung plans to bring Tizen TV to CES. Kim Hyun-suk revealed a Tizen TV will be there for people to "meet," though per his above quote, we doubt we're in for any earth-shattering announcements.

Update December 5: Samsung has sent out formal invitations to its CES 2015 keynote and press conference. The press conference will be "a journey to discover Samsung's latest innovations that will create new possibilities and shape the future," and the place we'll likely see most if not all of Samsung's announcements. It goes down at 2 pm PT on Monday, January 5. The keynote begins at 6:30 pm PT on January 5; President & CEO BK Yoon will discuss the Internet of Things and "how it will transform our lives."

What else we expect to see from Samsung...

Samsung's CES 2014 press conference will live on in infamy thanks to Michael Bay, but this year we expect the Korean firm to rebound with products that steal the show, not stage-ditching directors.

It's par for the course Samsung will unveil its latest TV line at CES, and we expect a follow-up to the bendable TV unveiled last time around (maybe one that folds in half!). Some of the firm's CES '14 televisions had gorgeous curves, making a repeat of sloped screens highly likely.

But that leaves us wondering, what else? Will we see the next iteration of Galaxy Pro tablets? It's possible. A new laptop? Slightly less likely, though not a stretch. More washing machines? Oh, you know it.

What would really knock our socks off is an update to the company's smartwatch and fitness tracker line-up and, if we can be so bold, some talk around Gear VR. That's all speculation on our part, but not out of the realm of possibility.

LG

Update January 4: Are you ready for 2015 to be "the breakout year for OLED TVs?" Even if you aren't, LG Display sure is, and the company plans to introduce a number of OLED products at CES to prove it. Among them is a 55-inch UHD curved OLED panel for television sets and various sizes of UHD OLED displays. The Art Slim series, an ultra-light and thin set of 55- and 65-inch UHD panels, also made the CES cut.

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LG Display's wares won't stop with TVs; the Advanced In-cell Touch (AIT) technology will make its CES debut. The tech is designed for larger IT devices, such as a 15.6-inch notebook panel. Curved Plastic OLED displays for wearables and automotives are set to get a crack at CES, though this along with a 55-inch transparent Full HD LCD display were labeled "future display market" technologies by the company.

Update December 29: A steady flow of pre-CES LG news has surfaced in recent weeks, and the latest is a set of Wi-Fi speakers that will join the company's Music Flow system. Two sound bars, a wireless speaker and a 3D streaming Blu-ray player are now part of the Music Flow mix.

Update December 18: LG dropped another pre-CES tidbit the week before Christmas by announcing webOS 2.0 will be unveiled during the Las Vegas event. The updated Smart TV platform is said to be simpler and more intuitive than the first iteration. A better UI is matched by more services like Amazon and Netflix. webOS 2.0 is due to show its face on a new line of TVs revealed at CES.

Update December 16: LG unveiled a new line of 4K UHD TVs in the pre-CES build up that use quantum dot technology for improved color saturation and wider palette. Nano-sized crystal dots are used to emit various colors, depending on their size, can help improve the picture color reproduction rate by more than 30%. What's more, the quantum dots (the coolest TV tech name ever?) are also said to improve the screen's overall brightness. Look out for the new Quantum Dot TV line at CES.

Update December 1: Well, things just got a little more interesting for LG. Word from some Android Authority sources is that the company will go on a Vegas bender, literally, and show off the LG G Flex 2. While the first G Flex was more gimmick than gimme product, the second gen is said to be a major upgrade over the original. In addition to its signature curve, the G Flex 2 will reportedly have a high-res OLED screen and small form factor. What's more, the phone can apparently self-heal even better than before.

Sony

Update December 29: According to a report from late December, Sony plans to launch the Xperia Z4 Tablet Ultra in the first half of 2015. If the slate, rumored to measure 12.9 inches, is to launch in early 2015, it seems plausible it could make its first appearance at CES.

Update December 19: Talk about a beautiful nightmare - Sony has released a very surreal teaser trailer for CES 2015. From a pregnant woman to a painted face to an all-eyeball closeup, Sony's clip has us scratching our heads. There are some hints to be gleaned; the "5" in the elevator and lollipop are likely references to Android 5.0 and a possible glimpse at a super slim TV.

Check the teaser out for yourself:

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gC_NIVpXf4
Update December 16: Or maybe we won't see the new Xperia line at CES? A mid-December report has the Xperia Z4 Compact and Z4 Ultra rocking Snapdragon 810 processors, a chip set that's reportedly in short supply. If the new phones are set to sport the 810s, it may not be until later in 2015 we actually lay our eyes on them.

What else we expect to see from Sony...

Sony always comes out swinging at CES, and we expect this year to be no different.

The company is hosting the prerequisite press conference on January 5, and there it plans to parade "the latest products and technology in 4K UHD, Hi-Res Audio, Digital Imaging and Mobile." If that doesn't spell it out for you, we're not sure what will.

While the thought of more (affordable?) 4K TVs is certainly tantalizing, the possibility of seeing the Xperia Z4 onstage is what really piques our interest. The firm announced its new Exmor RS IMX230 camera sensor in mid-November, and though it packs the same 21MP resolution as the Xperia Z3's camera, it has a number of new features, including a CMOS image sensor that can track rapidly moving subjects.

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A report from PhoneArena has the handset, said to come equipped with a larger QHD screen, joined at CES by an even heftier Xperia Z4 Ultra. Among the rumored upgrades, both new phones could sport a heaving 4GB of RAM. What those extra GBs will bring is anyone's guess, but they'll sure look good on a spec sheet.

We also expect Sony to return to the wearable conversation; the tech is poised to be a major focus of CES 2015, and Sony should have more to say on its Core fitness tracker and other wearable goods.

Asus

Don't sleep on Asus; the firm released two trailers for a new ZenFone set for a CES unveiling.

Though short, the trailers (viewable on Asus' Facebook page) offer a number of clues. The first flashes what looks like two rear cameras. The second, longer teaser gives another fervent glimpse at dual rear camera lenses as well as a dual flash. The tagline "See what others can't see" also points to added camera functionality.

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The second video also spends an odd amount of time on what appears to be a button, indicating a new one (with added functionality) is situated on the next ZenFone.

HTC

HTC, it seems, does have CES 2015 plans after all.

A company spokesperson said in early December the One M8 maker planned to debut a new wearable in Las Vegas, though it won't be a smartwatch, as has been previously rumored. The product is said to be "very different from anything currently on the market," though of course HTC would say that.

For the device, HTC will reportedly work closely with firms who have already made headway in the activity app space, signalling we could be in for a fitness tracker or something else along those lines.

HTC also used CES week to announce the Desire 320, its latest budget blower.

Techradar's coverage of the future of tech at CES 2015 LIVE is brought to you courtesy of Currys PC World. Keep up to date with all the latest tech at Currys here

More pre-show news and rumors

Kodak

Talk about a Kodak moment; the photography firm is set to launch an Android phone at CES 2015. It doesn't end there - after Kodak reveals the handset, built by Bullitt, it plans to announce a 4G phone, a tablet and a connected camera later in 2015.

The new phone will let users "take great pictures and edit, share, store and print them in an instant," and it supposedly looks sleek as well (not like what you see below).

Sharp

Details are few and far between for Sharp, but an invitation to the company's January 5 keynote is something, at least.

The firm's presser kicks off at 9 am PT and is titles "Life Inspiring Imagination." What will we see there? The surest bet is TVs, but perhaps Sharp will have a few surprises up its sleeves?

Nvidia

As it did for CES 2014, Nvidia is going early with a press conference schedule for January 4 at 8 pm PT. It's here CEO Jen-Hsun Huang will unveil new mobile and automotive technologies, which is pretty much what we got the last time around.

We're likely in for the company's latest and greatest processor post-Tegra K1, and it's interesting to see that Nvidia's auto obsession continues beyond last CES.

Valve and other Steam Machine makers

About the only thing you can expect from Valve is that it won't be at CES 2015, despite having a huge presence during the 2014 campaign.

The Portal maker informed TechRadar it won't be attending CES in the New Year, saving its Steam Machine mojo for March's GDC 2015.

Although the progenitor behind the Steam Machine movement is sitting this CES out, other companies like Alienware, Maingear and Gigabyte could be present to show off their PC-gaming-in-the-living-room wares. We haven't heard anything definite, but we don't expect CES 2015 to be totally Steam Machine silent.

Hyundai

Yes, a car maker makes the cut, in this case Hyundai and its new Display Audio system. The infotainment system is due to be showcased at CES 2015. What really sets Hyundai's solution apart is it works with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. We're intrigued to see how it performs given the system's almost complete dependance on a user's phone - everything from music streaming to remote start to maintenance alerts all emanate from your mobile.

Techradar's coverage of the future of tech at CES 2015 LIVE is brought to you courtesy of Currys PC World. Keep up to date with all the latest hot tech at Currys here

What we want to see: #1 - #5

The ramifications of CES 2014 are still being felt in everything from TVs to processors to wearables. CES 2015 promises to be an even bigger show, full of the innovative, the inspiring and the impossible.

We've put together a list of what we want to see at CES 2015, so read on for our hopes and best guesses for the show. And don't forget to let us know what you're pining for come January, too.

1. TV innovation beyond the bend and curve

We get it. You can bend and curve (see here and here) a TV. Big whoop. How about revealing some television innovation that truly improves our viewing experience?

CES 2014 was all about the curved TV screen for big guns Samsung and LG - who could make it bigger, thinner and curvier without folding? The problem was, was there even a problem for these concave couch curlers to solve?

As Dan Grabham asked in his CES hands on review of the 105-inch curved Ultra HD TV from LG, "do we really need curved TVs?"

The answer, from looking at the market, is no. Yes, there was an awe factor when unveiling these futurist devices in front of ravenous consumer-tech crowds, but when the lights faded and everyone went home, we weren't buying these sets.

Instead of trying to lure us in with more bends and curves, we want Samsung, LG and others to announce more 4K content and a viable system to deliver it to consumers at CES 2015. We know it's not the sexiest subject, especially since we've already seen 4K-and-beyond TVs, but why not give us stuff to actually watch on the growing field of ultra high-res screens?

There's currently no reason for the average person to buy a pricey 4K TV because there simply isn't that much 4K content to watch on them. If Samsung, LG, et al can come up with the content and fast, reliable ways to get it to consumers, we may leave Las Vegas truly impressed and excited for the living room screen's future.

The TV that impressed us most at CES 2014 wasn't curved

Update: LG gave us a taste of what its future TV innovation has in store. In mid-July, the company posted a YouTube video of its flexible 18-inch OLED display. It's a neat trick and one that could have actual benefit to consumers, like fitting larger screens in unconventional spaces. Might we see the tech at CES 2015? We'd sure like to.

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxbHpXE4VM0
2. Stop the 4K TV price madness

It's no secret that 4K TVs are astronomically expensive, but on July 22 Samsung took it to a whole new level by revealing the price of the 105-inch curved 4K TV it showed off during CES 2014. The damage? A whopping $120,000 (about £70,333, AU$127,732).

Talk about going from wow factor to ow factor.

We understand the parts for these high-res beasts are expensive, but it'd be fantastic if Samsung, LG and other makers of 4K TVs could lower the price of their products in addition to giving us stuff to watch on them.

It may take years before 4K TV prices are within most people's budgets, but the movement could start at this upcoming CES. We want to see top-tier TV manufacturers like Samsung reduce the price by one digit with a $999 price tag for a 50-incher.

This may be wishful thinking, but it's not unreasonable to want TV makers to begin to bring down the prices of the technology it carts out to amaze us.

3. More than just more tablets from Samsung

Director Michael Bay's meltdown was the most memorable moment of Samsung's CES 2014 press conference. Unfortunately for the Galaxy tablets also wheeled out during the presser, they were upstaged. Hard.

Samsung has unveiled even more tablets since CES, leading us to plea, "Enough!" We're heading into the pre-CES months hoping Samsung can cook up a mobile device (yes, just one) that will hold its own next to celebrity implosions and smart laundry machines.

The Korean firm intrigued with its Youm flexible phone screens during CES 2013 - perhaps it will be ready to unveil a consumer-ready foldable phone or tablet during 2015's dance? With LG revealing roll-up displays (destined for TVs, to be sure), Samsung may be feeling the heat to bring a bendy phone/tablet to market.

4. Steam Machine pricing and availability

No doubt the people's favorite at CES 2014 was Valve and its army of Steam Machine partners, not to mention the Steam Controller.

Valve hasn't kept quiet; since January, the company held a developer conference, showed off its VR headset and, in not so good news, announced Steam Machines won't arrive in consumer homes until 2015. It's the last point we want addressed at CES.

While at least one non-Valve Steam Box - the Alienware Alpha - should be out this year, we want the release date and price questions resolved for everyone else. In other words, we want CES 2015 to be brimming with Steam Machine news, including word of a truly affordable one.

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YAf5S4LSJQ
Aside from Alienware, the rest of the pack, led by Valve, should get its act together by CES 2015. Of course, anyone familiar with Gabe Newell's crew knows speed is not their calling card, so while we can hope, we won't hold our breath.

5. LG and Huawei deliver standout smartphones

It's a long shot to think LG will actually unveil a smartphone during CES as it hasn't the last two years and typically saves such unveilings for MWC. Nevertheless, this is a list of what we want to see, right?

Along with Huawei, LG could use CES to gain massive exposure with a knockout smartphone. The LG G3 isn't chopped liver, but perhaps LG could put its foldable display tech to work bending like a Cirque du Soleil performer?

As for Huawei, the Chinese firm is trying mightily to break into the US market. What better way to re-re-introduce itself to US buyers than with a carrier-backed, affordable and better-than-average phone announced in Sin City? Hell, trot out AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega or, better yet, T-Mobile CEO John Legere to say a few words. Even better, bring them both onstage and see what happens.

We digress, but the point is CES has become stagnant on the smartphone announcement front. We'd love to see LG and Huawei liven up the proceedings with a phone that makes us drool.

Techradar's coverage of the future of tech at CES 2015 LIVE is brought to you courtesy of Currys PC World. Keep up to date with all the latest hot tech at Currys here

What we want to see: #6 - #9

6. Next-level wearables

Wearables are here, and they're beyond what even Dick Tracy could have imagined. CES 2014 saw its share of fitness and activity trackers, but in the subsequent months the market has exploded (relative to what it was, at least).

Android Wear has ushered in a new era of wearable tech, and there's more than a fair chance we'll see the Apple iWatch announced before CES 2015 gets off the ground.

Although wearables are gaining steam, there's always room for improvement. Our wish list for CES 2015 wearables includes waterproofing, more with heart rate monitors, standalone smarties that don't need a mobile device and more full-featured smartwatches that are compatible with different OSes.

The last one is another long shot, but as TechRadar's resident wearables expert Matt Swider opines, it'd be nice to be able to have an Android Wear smartwatch that worked with an iOS device, and vice versa.

There's little doubt CES 2015 will be filled to the walls with wearables. One manufacturer - Lenovo - has confirmed it plans to unveil new wearable devices during the Vegas gathering.

The question is, will the new batch of wearables be much of an improvement of the ones we already have?

7. Virtual reality in Las Vegas

Just like wearables, we're no longer speaking of VR as a far-off possibility. There are a number of big-name contenders that, while not quite ready for consumers, are pretty **** close to being released. Oculus Rift is eyeing 2015, Sony's Project Morpheus is moving along and Samsung Gear VR is looking increasingly ready to reveal itself.

That's not to mention the other smaller firms working on virtual reality gear (like the Virtuiz Omni) and the gaggle of developers likely to spring up after Oculus' VR conference in September.

CES is as much about entertainment as it is anything else, so VR-related innovations are well within the scope of the show. We want to see more VR content (games, apps, movies, etc.), more polished products and, if it's not revealed at IFA 2014, Samsung's VR headset.

Gear VR will likely be a serious Rift and Morpheus competitor, so come CES, we hope Samsung and anyone else dabbling in virtual reality are ready to bring it on.

8. Truly good 2-in-1s

It's not CES unless a cacophony of computers make their voices heard. There will be PCs of every stripe at CES 2015, but we're looking specifically at 2-in-1s for right now.

HP, Dell, Acer and Asus are just a few of the notable names we're putting money on to unveil new tablet/laptop hybrids, so it's not a matter of if they'll be announced but rather of how good they'll be.

There's a chance Windows 9 will release this fall, which would already be an improvement over Windows 8.1. Even if we don't go all the way up to nine, Windows 8.2 may be ready to rumble come January 2015.

Aside from a souped-up OS (assuming most of the hybrids will run Windows), the advances in processors like AMD's Beema and Mullins APUs and Intel's Core M could make the 2015 crop of 2-in-1s the best to date.

If the build quality matches better internal specs, 2-in-1s may be the sleeper hit of CES 2015.

9. Smarter cars than ever before

Toyota ran away with our Best of CES 2014 awards thanks to its hydrogen-powered car. Part of our reasoning in giving the FCV the top spot was because of its industry-changing position as the first mass-produced fuel-cell vehicle. Its impact, we reasoned, would be far reaching and vastly positive.

Next CES, we want more of the same. We want cars that run on next-gen energy sources and we want cars that don't need a driver at all. Google typically doesn't drop by CES, but that doesn't mean automated cars from different venders can't make an appearance.

Speaking of Google, we fully expect automakers to show off their Android Auto as well as Apple CarPlay-equipped models. For those who haven't picked a side, CES 2015 is the perfect time to call shotgun.

Car infotainment systems are in some ways still in their infancy, so we're excited to see what solutions await. Especially if it means going for a test-drive.

Techradar's coverage of the future of tech at CES 2015 LIVE is brought to you courtesy of Currys PC World. Keep up to date with all the latest hot tech at Currys here.

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Updated: CES 2015: all the latest from the biggest tech show of the year

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