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.

Popular Stories

apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
top stories 2025 07 12

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, iOS 26 Beta 3, and More

Saturday July 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
The iOS 26 public beta release is quickly approaching, while developers have recently gotten their hands on a third round of betas that has seen Apple continue to tweak features, design, and functionality. We're also continuing to hear rumors about the iPhone 17 lineup that is now just about right around the corner, while Apple's latest big-budget film appears to be taking off, so read on...

Top Rated Comments

hegor Avatar
176 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
176 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
176 months ago
.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DroidRules Avatar
176 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
176 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
176 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)