World's largest technology fair to start this week
An LG Electronics employee introduces the company’s smart home platform in Germany, last September. The company will unveil its Web OS 3.0 smart TV platform at CES 2016, which starts in Las Vegas, Wednesday. / Courtesy of LG Electronics
Smart home, wearables to take center stage at CES 2016
By Lee Min-hyung
LAS VEGAS -- The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) is in full swing to host the world’s largest technology trade show, CES 2016, starting here in Las Vegas, Wednesday.
The annual tech fair, which runs through Saturday, is expected to attract between 150,000 and 170,000 visitors, with about 3,600 exhibitors showcasing products and services, according to the show organizer.
Although some industry titans, such as Apple and Microsoft, stay away from the event, CES still remains the most powerful sales pitch not for just conglomerates, but also aspiring startups.
But the days appear to have gone when one or two keywords define the show, because the Internet of Things (IoT) is blurring the lines between devices and industries.
Key themes for CES 2016 will not see drastic changes, compared to last year -- which was all about the IoT, connected vehicles and high-resolution televisions.
Despite such a trend, global technology giants, such as Samsung and LG, are expected to share a glimpse of their next cash cows -- among which the “smart home” looks to be most in the spotlight.
Samsung Electronics’ WELT smart belt. The company plans to unveil wearable devices developed by its C-lab in-house venture team. Embedded sensors allow users to monitor their health condition. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics
Smart home, wearables to draw attention
Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are expected to compete fiercely to take the lead in the budding smart home market, with each company promoting their own platforms.
“The market for smart home devices is still in its infancy, and manufacturers do not even have a clear sense of how far it can grow and be applied to our lives at the moment,” said an industry source.
“That is why Samsung and LG are seeking to gain a leading position in the smart home market. The smart home is not hype for their technical edge, but for users’ convenience, which is why the market will grow even bigger down the road.”
Last week, Samsung Electronics unveiled its plan to equip new super ultra-high-definition (SUHD) televisions with its own smart home platform, and will showcase what it calls the IoT-ready TVs at CES 2016.
Samsung’s bitter rival LG Electronics also released a series of press releases on its smart home platform -- based on its own operating system (OS). The company will showcase its new television OS platform, Web OS 3.0, at the fair.
“We are going to show how televisions can control and monitor home appliances,” an official said.
Wearable devices, ranging from healthcare to fashion, have also become one of the main topics at CES in recent years. And the trend is expected to continue this year.
Samsung Electronics’ recently announced that it started mass-producing bio-processors in its bid to expand its presence into the healthcare wearable market.
In particular, Samsung C&T is expected to be in the spotlight for its wearable devices to be unveiled at its booth.
“The wearable devices market is growing each year, and that’s what made us participate in CES this year,” a Samsung C&T official said.
Samsung Electronics also plans to showcase the so-called C-Lab projects, which refers to its in-house venture program. The project group was established in 2012 to foster employees’ creativeness.
The company will showcase wearable items developed by the C-Lab project team, including the WELT obesity-care belt. Sensors in the belt analyzes users’ eating habits and waist size.
Wearable gadgets that are expected to draw keen attention during the four-day event range from smart watches, virtual reality headsets and three-dimensional printing to hearing devices.
James Park, co-founder and CEO of Fitbit, will give keynote address at the Leaders in Technology Dinner.