best TVs and latest news from day 2 of the tech extravaganza

It’s back! The world’s biggest technology show is live in Las Vegas, Nevada this January, after going on physical hiatus last year due to You Know What – and we’re super excited to see all the latest gadgets and innovations from a safe, digitally distanced vantage point. Here’s everything you need to know about CES 2022, including the key dates, best TVs and all the latest news from day 2 of the world’s biggest tech showcase.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), which organises the annual extravaganza, has been working hard to keep the in-person show on track in the face of the Omicron coronavirus variant, but we’re now looking at more of a hybrid affair this week, as many of the more than 2,200 exhibitors originally set to hit the Strip are focussing at least some of their efforts online.

In fact, many big names including Intel, Microsoft, Google, OnePlus, Meta (Facebook), AMD, Lenovo, Amazon, Nvidia and others scrapping plans to attend and exhibit in person. The CTA has also announced that the physical show will end a day early on Friday, January 7.

Those who do touch down at McCarran International are in for a treat, however, the latest cutting-edge TV tech is always one of the highlights at the Consumer Electronics Show. Launches will include new wares from the industry’s biggest players including Sony, Samsung, LG and Panasonic.

There’ll be countless new products revealed and shown off in Vegas, including laptops, smartphones, wearables, headphones, electric cars and much more. Read on for our full event coverage, including the latest live CES 2022 news, dates, press conference schedule and so much more.

CES 2022: best TVs and latest day 2 news

As has been the case for a few years now, the CES 2022 reveals started back in December last year, with official announcements now flooding in after the show opened to the press on January 3 – starting with all the best new TVs announced by the industry’s ‘big four’: Samsung, Sony, LG and Panasonic.

Front and centre in Vegas right now are the stunning new Samsung 2022 TVs, headlined by Micro LED (pictured above) and Neo QLED models that come with a host of hardware and software improvements – not least a built-in platform for the browsing, buying and trading of NFTs.

However, the new Sony 2022 TVs saw the Japanese manufacturer go one better than its Korean rival, becoming the first firm to debut a QD-OLED TV at CES. That would be the Master Series A95K, which combines Quantum Dot technology for brightness and OLED tech for flawless blacks and contrast with one aim: the perfect picture.

Elsewhere, the new Panasonic 2022 TVs we’ve seen can’t be discounted, with the company’s latest flagship being the 77-inch LZ2000, which features major improvements to its audio capabilities, gaming chops, and mid-level brightness.

Don’t forget about the new LG 2022 TVs either, because the South Korean firm made waves of it own at CES this year by introducing two world firsts: a 97-inch OLED for the G2 series, and a 42-inch OLED for the C2 series. There was also plenty of room for refreshed QNED LED TVs, but it’s the trickling down of the ultra-premium ‘Evo’ panels to the comparatively modest C2 that really caught out eye this year.

Also among the first major launches, Samsung has debuted the Galaxy S21 FE, an affordable new counterpart to the Galaxy S21 proper. It costs a comparatively modest £699 ($699) for the same 5nm processor tech, the same 120Hz refresh rates and the same 12MP main camera as the headline handset. There’s also 5G on-board, so if this is the device you’ve been holding out for, the wait is now over and you can pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE here.

Elsewhere, there’s a trio of 2022 Acer Chromebooks for anyone looking for a new laptop that won’t break the bank, while details of new TVs from LG and Samsung; fitness trackers from Jabra; and smart scales from Withings are starting to break cover.

Most recently, there’s some instiguing new gaming gear, including the JBL Quantum Stream gaming mic and JBL Quantum TWS earbuds. Many companies are also using the CES window to debut their new wares, even if they’re not going big at the show intself – the Nextbase iQ dash cam and Astell&Kern ACRO CA1000 headphone amp being two of our favourite new products launched to coincide with CES 2022.

Stay tuned for more CES 2022 coverage.

CES 2022 dates and press conference schedule

As usual, the Consumer Electronics Show is being held at the start of January, with CES 2022 open from Wednesday, January 5 through to the end of the week.

Currently, there are two invite-only CES media days, which are scheduled for Monday, January 3 and Tuesday, January 4. Tuesday will be commandeered by company press conferences, the key ones of which can be found below. Initial times stated are local US Pacific time, with East Coast and UK CES times also mentioned for convenience.

• Bosch 8 – 8:45am (11am ET / 4pm UK start)
• LG: 8 – 8:45am (11am ET / 4pm UK start)
• Nvidia: 8am (11am ET / 4pm UK start)
• Hisense 9 – 9:45 am (12pm ET / 5pm UK start)
• Panasonic 10 – 10:45 am (1pm ET / 6pm UK start)
• Intel 10 – 10:45 am (1pm ET / 6pm UK start)
• Qualcomm 11 – 11:45 am (2pm ET / 7pm UK start)
• Canon 1 – 1:45 pm (4pm ET / 9pm UK start)
• Omron Healthcare 1 – 1:45 pm (4pm ET / 9pm UK start)
• Hyundai 3 – 3:45 pm (6pm ET / 11pm UK start)
• Sony 5 – 5:45 pm (8pm ET / 1am UK start)

In addition to the press conferences and opening events, CES also features a number of keynote addresses – keep reading for details of those.

CES 2022 keynote schedule

Keynote speakers at CES 2022 include Mike Sievert, CEO and president of T-Mobile; and Jong-hee Han, Vice Chairman and CEO of Samsung Electronics.

Titled ‘Together for Tomorrow’, Samsung’s keynote, in particular, will be worth watching for gadget fans, as a new mystery product has been confirmed by the company, probably the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, or Fan Edition.

Here’s the 2022 CES keynote schedule in full.

Tuesday, January 4

• Samsung 6:30 – 7:30 pm (9:30pm ET / 02:30am UK time)

Wednesday, January 5

• CTA State of the Industry 8:30 – 9am (11:30am ET / 04:30pm UK time)
• General Motors 9 – 10am (12pm ET / 5pm UK time)
• T-Mobile 2 – 3pm (5pm ET / 10pm UK time)
• Bold Solutions for a Changing World 4 – 5pm ( 7pm ET / 12am UK time)

Thursday, January 6

• Abbott Labs 9 – 10am (12pm ET / 5pm UK time)
• Content to Commerce 11 – 11:45am (2pm ET / 7pm UK time)

Among other things, the keynotes will be highlighting some of the biggest CES trends and themes. More on that below.

CES 2022 preview: key trends for Vegas

With a keynote focused on GM’s plans for going all-electric, it’s no surprise that EVs (electric vehicles) are expected to be the talking point of CES 2022.

Hot on the heels of green wheels, expect the metaverse to pretty much dominate this year’s show thematically as 2022 is widely predicted to be the year our digital and actual selves become one.

Closely linked to that, everything cryptocurrency is going to be big at the next Consumer Electronics Show, and we’ve got our eyes on the proliferation of NFTs in particular.

It wouldn’t be CES if the latest TVs weren’t among the big-ticket reveals, so expect to see plenty of eye-popping new display technology as Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Sony and Philips all unveil their 2022 product plans.

When things move from the conference to the casino floor – and specifically the bar – expect plenty of talk about the future of work, as companies and their top brass continue to get to grips with the impact Covid-19 has had on the workforce and employee expectations.

Having finally imposed an (official) ban on so-called ‘booth babes’, CES 2022 has promised to actively promote diversity and inclusion. Here’s hoping that proves to be the case.