The tech industry reveled in its global spotlight during CES 2025, a forum hyped as the “global stage for innovation.”
It didn’t disappoint.
A team of experts at CRS Technology Consultants, which is always a step ahead of tech trends impacting businesses and consumers, had its eyes on CES 2025 in search of new opportunities on the tech front for the company’s Partners.
A trio of tech experts – CRS Co-owner John Joyce, Information Security Lead Eric Sargent and Systems Engineering Team Lead Cody Toscano – covered CES 2025 during a recent episode of Solid State Podcast. John also offered his expert opinion during a TechBytes segment on ABC7.
Below, you’ll find highlights from CES 2025.
CES 2025: The details
CES is “powered by CTA,” an acronym for the Consumer Technology Association. CTA is a trade association that represents the U.S. consumer technology industry, a $505 billion industry that supports over 18 million jobs in America.
CES 2025 was a four-day event held Jan. 7-10 in Las Vegas. According to CTA, CES 2025 attracted:
- 141,000+ attendees
- 4,500+ vendors
- 6,000+ global media, content creators and industry analysts
“It is the nexus point of the technology world,” John says.
Each year, the trade show showcases manufacturers, developers and suppliers of consumer technology hardware, content, technology delivery systems and more. The conference portion features business leaders and pioneering thinkers who address the industry’s most relevant issues. During the Solid State Podcast, John describes CES as “Gadgetpalooza in the Desert.”
CES highlights this forward-looking statement: “Today, we stand at the intersection of possibility and reality, where groundbreaking advancements are no longer just ideas but tangible achievements that enhance our everyday lives.”
Below are some of the tech topics covered at CES 2025: 3D printing, 5G, accessibility, accessories, AgTech, AgeTech, AR/VR/XR, Artificial Intelligence (AI), audio technologies, beauty tech, blockchain, cloud, computing/data, construction tech, cryptocurrency, cybersecurity, digital health, drones, education tech, energy/power, enterprise, entertainment and content, family and lifestyle, fashion tech, fintech, fitness, gaming and Esports, retail/E-commerce, home entertainment and office hardware, investing, IoT/sensors, marketing and advertising, Metaverse, NFT, quantum computing, robotics, smart home and appliances, sourcing and manufacturing, space tech, sports, startups, streaming, supply and logistics, sustainability, travel and tourism, vehicle tech and advanced mobility, and video.
READ MORE: 2025 Tech Trends: AI and Smart Devices
Key Takeaways from CES 2025
Items listed below caught CRS’ attention at CES 2025:
- Unofficial product launches and teases: Manufacturers pay to exhibit their products, but some companies will drop teases without formally being part of CES. This year, a tech executive seems to have “leaked” a message regarding Nintendo Switch that foreshadows some type of reveal coming in March or April. “Nintendo wants this thing to hit, and they want it to hit hard,” John notes.
- Unusual mashups: Major companies often collaborate when rolling out new technology, like Ray Ban and Meta teaming to produce smart glasses. Sony and Honda are now collaborating to develop an electric sedan that is now available for pre-orders. Although John isn’t sold on the design (“It looks like a $100,000 Camry”), he is encouraged by tech creeping further into the automotive industry. “There are things coming to the motoring space in the next few years that are going to have dramatic implications for the next few decades,” John notes.
- Automotive technology: Manufacturers are banking on integrated features to sell cars, one of which is a Zoom app. “My car is my rolling office. I spend an enormous amount of time in my car going from place to place, and I do a lot of meetings in between… while parked,” John says. However, he’s not sold on integration of the Zoom app: “I don’t need the car to do that – I have a phone, I’ve got an iPad, I’ve got a laptop. This is a solved problem.” John suggests auto manufacturers focus on making good cars. “All of these apps are banking on a self-driving future that we’re not at yet,” he says.
- Gaming devices: Two gaming items in particular caught CRS’ attention: an 11-inch Acer Nitro Blaze 11 gaming handheld (“I want it so bad,” John notes) and Lenovo Legion Go S with an 8-inch screen and higher-efficient chips. Many devices now give users options for operating systems (“Choice is good,” John adds). However, new graphics cards that enhance gaming experience for PCs come with exorbitant price tags.
- Evolutions of TVs: Hisense is developing a micro-LED 136-inch screen that claims to have everything you’d ever imagine in a device, including AI. “Of course it does,” John says, “that’s the byline of everyone’s TV at CES this year.” John is especially interested in the Samsung The Frame Pro TV as an occasional TV for football Sundays or when friends come over to play video games. The rest of the time, though, he doesn’t just want a “black rectangle on the wall.” He is looking for a TV that doubles as artwork, not necessarily artwork where the TV is an afterthought. “Is this TV finally going to be good enough at being a TV while still being what the frame made being useful to people?” John asks.
- Marketing to sell products: Technological innovations keep products advancing, but marketing gets products off the shelves and into businesses and homes. As noted above, tech manufacturers – which once used the term “smart” to drive TV sales – now build AI into everything, especially TVs. “There needs to be an ‘off’ button for this stuff,” John explains. “Sell me a good screen… That’s all I want.” The same holds true for a Zoom app in a vehicle; John says that just gives manufacturers “something to slap onto the box” that makes it sound new and different.
- New tech revenue model: Tech manufacturers must offer products at an attractive price point. That means a lower per-unit profit margin. Instead, manufacturers have turned toward subscriptions and other ongoing services in their pitches toward shareholders. “It’s ‘Look at all these TVs we sold and the pennies per day per user that we’re going to scrape in recurring revenues,’ and that’s what gets people to invest in their companies,” John says. Unfortunately, placing so much attention on collecting monthly fees is having an adverse impact on devices: “That’s what is destroying the gadget.”
CES attendees and fans also get their first looks at devices that can leave them scratching their heads. Eric points out two devices from CES 2025 that fall into this category:
- Lenovo Thinkbook Plus Gen 6: This laptop features a button allowing users to make the computer screen vertically taller by about 2 inches. That means users can view a full page without having to scroll down. “No one cares,” Eric notes.
- Roborock Saros Z70: This robo-vacuum has a foldable five-axis mechanical arm that can pick up and move clothing on the floor without sucking up socks or underwear in the way. “Who needs this?” John asks.
Another item that drew a healthy dialogue during CRS’ Solid State Podcast was Halliday’s smart glasses. They are more stylish than other glasses, but critics have pointed out that the device technically projects a screen onto your eyes. Still, John is encouraged by its design and features: “I am so excited to see this space heat up. This is the most excited about wearables I’ve been since the smart watch got ‘good-ish.’”
LISTEN: Solid State Podcast: This year at CES 2025
Why Businesses Watch CES
Although tech consumers certainly appreciate the sneak peek that CES provides, tech-savvy businesses also benefit from the preview. Below are three business-focused reveals that drew attention at CES 2025:
- Forbes noted an Ascend Maxim rollup screen that is perfect for digital presentations on the go. The 100-inch display comes with 60-watt speakers.
- Billboard Insider highlighted Universal Ads by Comcast. This platform targets small- and medium-sized businesses that want to purchase streaming video advertising.
- Yahoo Finance pointed out that AMD, Intel, Nvidia and Qualcomm each announced new consumer and enterprise chips at CES 2025. Better chips equate to better computing, which increases productivity in the workplace.
