Smart home tech, AI and cars among central themes as CES 2025 prepares to open

7 January 2025, 18:24

People walk by the Las Vegas Convention Centre
Gadget Show. Picture: PA

The annual technology trade show is opening in Las Vegas.

AI-powered smart homes and new waves of technology-packed cars will be among the big draws for attendees at the CES tech show in Las Vegas.

The annual convention, which is expected to draw more than 100,000 visitors over four days starting on Tuesday, will see thousands of firms showcasing their latest devices.

The biggest themes will include new technology to make homes smarter, with hundreds of firms bringing out products and services to make residences smarter, safer, easier to manage and cleaner.

Robotic vacuum cleaners have been a popular theme at the convention for some years, and 2025 will continue that with the latest gadget from Chinese firm Dreame offering one of the most striking examples.

Its new X50 Ultra robot vacuum includes two small retractable legs which can help raise the device and ensure it clears small obstacles.

Many of the bigger firms at CES, most notably Samsung and LG, have made a string of announcements and concepts around artificial intelligence in appliances around the home, linking them together and allowing users to personalise them more.

Big name firms are also using CES to branch out into new areas.

Sony’s move into cars as part of a partnership with fellow Japanese firm Honda is taking a step forward at CES with confirmation that the firm’s first vehicle, the Afeela 1, is accepting reservations in California ahead of deliveries starting in 2026.

Yasuhide Mizuno of Sony Honda Mobility speaks about the Afeela 1 EV
Yasuhide Mizuno of Sony Honda Mobility speaks about the Afeela 1 EV (John Locher/AP)

The Afeela 1 is an electric vehicle which Sony said will start at just under 90,000 dollars (£72,000), which includes a three-year subscription to a range of in-car features including semi-autonomous driver assist and an AI-powered personal assistant.

Agricultural machinery maker John Deere has announced a new range of fully autonomous vehicles aimed at helping ease labour shortages in the world of farming.

The range includes two driverless tractors, a lawnmower and a truck for construction sites, with John Deere saying it hopes to improve safety and productivity by removing the need for humans to carry out some monotonous tasks.

The vehicles include an array of sensors and cameras to navigate safely, and farmers can used the connected app to oversee and remotely control some aspects of the vehicles as well as see live video, images, data and metrics.

By Press Association

More Technology News

See more More Technology News

Ellen Roome with her 14-year-old son Jools Sweeney

Parents suing TikTok over children’s deaths ‘want answers’

The Apple logo in the window of an Apple store

Home Office orders Apple to let it access users’ encrypted files – report

Ellen Roome with her son Jools Sweeney

Bereaved families file US lawsuit against TikTok over access to children’s data

The OpenAI logo appears on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen with random binary data

OpenAI taking claims of data breach ‘seriously’

There are concerns over how technology is aiding the abuse of women (Alamy/PA)

Deepfake abuse crackdown a ‘really important blow in battle against misogyny’

The Football Manager 25 logo on a light purple background

Football Manager 25 cancelled after delays

Football Manager 25 has been cancelled after being hit by delays

Football Manager 25 cancelled after several delays

Carsten Jung, head of AI at the IPPR, warned that politics 'needs to catch up' with the implications of AI (PA)

AI could replace 70% of tasks in computer-based jobs, study says

General view of IMI headquarters at Lakeside, Birmingham Business Park, Birmingham.

Engineering group IMI latest UK firm to be hit by cyber attack

A person's hands on the keyboard of a laptop

PSNI exploring use of AI to analyse mobile phone evidence

A screenshot of the homepage of AI chatbot DeepSeek, showing a warning message about new users being unable to register for the app

DeepSeek reopens new user sign-ups despite ongoing security concerns

A Google logo on the screen of a mobile phone, in Londons

Google axes diversity hiring targets as it reviews DEI programmes

A person’s hand pressing keys of a laptop keyboard

UK to get new cyber attack severity rating system

People working at computers

Capital raised by tech start-ups under Government scheme doubles

Xbox Series X and S games consoles

Currys launches Xbox console repairs programme

Hands typing on a keyboard

Military to fast-track recruitment of ‘cyber warriors’ as online threat grows