CES 2020 in 250 Words

This year’s Consumer Electronics Show showed off everything you’d expect — all the TVs, VR tech and smart home products — along with a few surprises.

Brands in Motion predicted the need for brands to be human to the core, to take consumers’ whole selves into account and for technology to be used as a conduit for human connection. We saw all of that on display at CES.

Here are four trends pointing toward a warmer, more human future for consumer tech.

1. Accessibility tech is huge

From robot finger prosthetics to dyslexia solutions, CES was full of products designed to make the world a more equitable place. These brands understood that when tech can solve problems for specific markets, all consumers benefit.

2. future tech's ageless design

There were fewer products built for specific demographics. Those that were, like AARP’s VR-powered living room for seniors, were designed with use cases for everyone, not just their target audience.

3. The future of robots is warm and fuzzy

Robotics at CES was less about replacing jobs or taking over industries and more about providing companionship, caregiving, and assisting with learning. Lovot, a robot designed to be loved, was a standout.

4. Tech blends into the background

Screens are bigger, speakers louder, robots ubiquitous, yet technology is less intrusive than ever. Now, it’s designed to hide unless in use — like Samsung’s “lifestyle TVs,” which look more like art objects than chunky blocks of plastic.

What do you think the future holds for consumer tech?

For more on technology, consumer sentiment and how brands can be human to the core, explore our Brands in Motion research.