CES 2012 Kicks off Next Week: Gorilla Glass, Vizio, Windows Phone, Ultrabooks

The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicks off next week in Las Vegas, Nevada. The January show has traditionally introduced new products and trends in the consumer electronics market. The LA Times notes, however, that there seems to be no single theme for this year's show.

This year, though, the Next Big Thing remains elusive. Despite what is expected to be a record number of exhibitors and attendees, many analysts agree that no single device or technology has emerged to define the show.

While Apple has never had a presence at CES, their general influence on the industry has been apparent in past shows. Third party vendors, of course, will be showing their Apple-related wares in the 80,000 sq. foot iLounge pavilion.

Here are a few early items of interest that we've seen in the news leading into the show.

Gorilla Glass 2

gorillaglass2 1325800748
Corning will be showing off their next generation of Gorilla Glass at the show. Apple is known to have used the damage-resistant Gorilla Glass in its original iPhone, and the company is believed to still be using it for their iPhone products.

Corning was vague about what improvements have been made to the glass, but hinted that it would allow for thinner designs. A full product announcement is planned for Monday, Jan 9th.

Vizio

27inchdesktopimg0230 aio with accy
The Wall Street Journal reports that television manufacturer Vizio Inc is planning to enter the PC market this year to compete against Apple on both price and looks.

Vizio, which also produces Blu-ray players and a tablet, says it worked on its computer designs for two years in attempts to offer an aesthetic that competes with Apple Inc.'s popular products but at a lower price.

Vizio says it spent months, for example, shaving millimeters from its desktop computer so the central processing chip could hide in a sleek base while the screen stands attached to its thin aluminum neck.

The company plans on unveiling 24- and 27-inch desktop models, a 15" laptop and 14 and 15-inch ultralight models at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Engadget has a full gallery of their upcoming product line. The company claims that their products will be priced 'substantially less" than corresponding Apple products.

Nokia's Windows Phone

Nokia is expected to unveil their new Lumia 900 Windows Phone.

A NYTimes article details some of the challenges and sees 2012 as a crucial year for Microsoft's Windows Phone strategy.

Ultrabooks

Intel's Ultrabook initiative is expected to be highlighted at CES with new models being introduced. The MacBook Air-like design is expected to make up a large percentage of laptop designs in the near future.

Top Rated Comments

hegor Avatar
155 months ago
If Vizio's PC is anything like their TVs, Apple has nothing to worry about. Neither do other PC vendors.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tres Avatar
155 months ago
The LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-consumer-electronics-show-20120107,0,2381286.story) notes, however, that there seems to be no single theme for this year's show.
Are they joking? The theme of CES since like 2008 has been terrible android devices.

CES 2012: What else can we cram Android into this year?

Personally I'm looking forward to about 150 new android tablets being announced, 15 of which will actually be produced and none of which will be any good.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
candybaws Avatar
155 months ago
.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DroidRules Avatar
155 months ago
If Vizio's PC is anything like their TVs, Apple has nothing to worry about. Neither do other PC vendors.
So what is your issue with Vizio t.v.'s? I have a few and am very happy with them. Picture quality v/s price is top notch IMHO.

I wouldn't buy a computer by them because I build my own but I see this thread turning into "vizio sucks, their computer looks like apple's" thread. It's ok to compete with apple, don't cry guys.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ljohnson72 Avatar
155 months ago
Hopefully the Lumina 900 won't look as trashy and cheap as pretty much every other Nokia phone I can remember. Metro is a great interface; cheap handsets would ruin it pretty quick.
I'm going to go on a limb and say that it will probably look similar to the very well designed Lumia 800 ;)
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vitzr Avatar
155 months ago
The stuff there looks good to me, I don't know what you guys are talking about.

Remember this is an Apple forum. It's very fashionable to hate, trash, and generally act arrogant or condescending (you're holding it wrong) like the former CEO.

It's the Apple culture. While not practiced by everyone, it's still far too predominant for a successful influential company like Apple.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Will Add These 12 New Features to Your iPhone

Friday December 1, 2023 12:19 pm PST by
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
iOS 17

28 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in December's iOS 17.2 Update

Friday December 1, 2023 2:57 am PST by
Apple made the first beta of iOS 17.2 available to developers in October. Since then we've seen three more betas, and with each iteration Apple continues to add more new features and changes, many of which users have been anticipating for quite a while. Below, we've listed 28 new things that are coming to your iPhone when the finalized version is publicly released this December. 1. Help...
anker new xmas

Anker's Cyber Week Sale Enters Final Days With Up to 60% Off Sitewide

Friday December 1, 2023 12:05 pm PST by
Anker's Black Friday/Cyber Week event is entering its final days this weekend, and it's still offering up to 60 percent off sitewide. There are also a few "mystery boxes" that can include hundreds of dollars in savings, if you're willing to risk not knowing what you're buying ahead of time. All of these sales will end on December 3. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Anker. When you...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.1.2 With Security Fixes

Thursday November 30, 2023 10:12 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 17.1.2 and iPadOS 17.1.2, small updates to the iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 operating systems that Apple introduced in September. iOS 17.1.2 and iPadOS 17.1.2 come a few weeks after the release of iOS 17.1.1, another bug fix update. iOS 17.1.2 and iPadOS 17.1.2 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update....
iPhone 16 Mock Header Updated 1

iPhone 16 to Include Action Button Across Entire Lineup

Thursday November 30, 2023 4:08 pm PST by
The release of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max saw the introduction of an entirely new user-configurable button known as the Action button, and now, MacRumors has seen extensive evidence confirming Apple is planning to include the Action button on the entire iPhone 16 range. Designs and plans for the Action button date back to at least 2021, as the button was intended for release alongside hapt...
top stories 2dec2023

Top Stories: iOS 17.1.2 Released, NameDrop Misinformation, and More

Saturday December 2, 2023 6:00 am PST by
Apple employees are back to work following a Thanksgiving break, and that means this week saw a number of new operating system updates for both public release and beta testing. This week also saw some misinformation about Apple's new NameDrop feature making the rounds, while Apple and Goldman Sachs appear to be on the verge of a break-up in their Apple Card and savings account partnership,...
paramount plus logo

Apple and Paramount Considering Discounted TV+ Streaming Bundle

Friday December 1, 2023 4:40 am PST by
Apple and Paramount have discussed bundling their TV streaming services at a discount, according to a new report by The Wall Street Journal. The companies have talked about offering a combination of Paramount+ and Apple TV+ that would cost less than subscribing to both services separately, according to people familiar with the discussions. The discussions are in their early stages, and it is ...
General Apps Messages

Green Bubbles on iPhone to Gain These 7 New Features Next Year

Thursday November 30, 2023 9:00 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple announced that it will finally support RCS in the Messages app on the iPhone starting later next year. This change will result in several improvements to the messaging experience between iPhones and Android devices. RCS will become the new default standard for messaging between iPhones and Android devices, but these conversations will still have green bubbles like...