Bigger, better screens

Maybe more than anything else, CES is a wonderland for people who obsess over screens. (It doesn't hurt that intense industry rivalries lead to ever-flashier spectacles.) From big to small, we're going to get a sense of what the displays of the future will look like. For the most part, though, expect to see screen technologies pioneered in the past to make their way into more mainstream products.

Consider 8K: Does anyone need an 8K television? Almost certainly not, especially when you consider the near-total lack of valuable 8K media out there. Still, that won't stop the LGs, Sonys and Samsungs of the world from showing off huge, insanely pixel-dense screens at CES, along with some more-measured 8K models people might actually be able to buy. That's right: 2019 is shaping up to be the year when you'll actually be able to walk into a store and buy an ultra-high-res TV. Of course, whether you'd truly benefit from one in 2019 is another question entirely.

Samsung is also expected to release a consumer-ready MicroLED television based on the absolutely bonkers Wall display we saw last year, and we can't imagine not seeing it at CES. For those not in the loop, MicroLED screens like Samsung's pack all the same benefits (like punchy colors and pure blacks) as traditional OLED panels but have better longevity. The early model we got up close with last year wasn't exactly perfect (a telltale checkerboard pattern was visible on the screen when we got right next to it), but this year we'll find out if Samsung was right to dodge a more traditional design.

Oh, and let's not forget that displays are getting more flexible too. Samsung wowed with its foldable-phone concept earlier this year, but a Chinese company called Royole plans to show off its own at CES. If you're the type to buy into rumors, LG might even have a folding-phone announcement in store for the show, though we wouldn't be surprised if the company saved it for another time. Regardless of what actually appears in Vegas, though, it's clear this once-crazy idea isn't so outlandish anymore. In fact, we wouldn't be surprised if CES 2020 was full of bendy phones and laptops.