25 Hot Items At CES 2014

Viva Las Vegas

The 2014 Consumer Electronics Show will officially kick off on Sunday, and this year's event is sure to be chock-full of new smartphones, tablets and phablets, not to mention the latest processor technology, Ultra HD televisions and wearable computing devices, among other gadgets. Here's a look at 25 hot products scheduled to appear at the event.

Asus Incredible

Asus likes to tease out some new products just before CES, and this year is no different. Before the holidays, the computer maker released a short video featuring the Statue of Liberty, promising something "Incredible" at CES 2014. And it appears that product will be a dual-boot version of Asus' Transformer Book Trio tablet-notebook hybrid; Lady Liberty is holding both a blue tablet and a green tablet, suggesting the device will be able to boot both Windows and Android, respectively.

Huawei PhoPad

There was plenty of speculation last month when news broke that Huawei trademarked the "PhoPad" name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Another phablet device? Huawei's Consumer Business Group confirmed the company's Monday press conference will feature "major mobile device news." While no details have been announced about a potential PhonePad, it's clear Huawei has real ambition for North America's smartphone and tablet market.

Huawei Ascend Mate 2

Another Huawei device that's rumored to make an appearance in Las Vegas is the sequel to the company's Ascend Mate. The 6.1-inch Android smartphone was officially introduced at last year's CES, and the specs of the Ascend Mate 2 were leaked recently. The new device will reportedly sport the same 6.1-inch display bit with a full 1,080p resolution, plus a new quad-core processor with 2 GB of RAM. Again, Huawei has a big mobile device press conference lined up for Monday, so keep your eyes peeled.

Samsung Galaxy Note Pro

Just as in past years, CES 2014 is sure to have a ton of Samsung products introduced and on display. The big noise this year is around Samsung's Galaxy Note Pro, which is rumored to be a 12.2-inch Android tablet and will make its debut in Las Vegas, according to ZDNet Korea. The tablet reportedly will sport a 2.4GHz processor with 3 GB of RAM and a 2,560-×-1,600 LCD display. Will a bigger Galaxy Note tablet be better? Time will tell.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Lite

Samsung reportedly has more tablets poised for CES, and that includes the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Lite. According to Gotta Be Mobile, a smaller and more affordable (read: cheap) version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 (pictured) will be introduced in Las Vegas. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Lite will reportedly have a 7-inch display with an older 1.2GHZ-processor and just 1 GB of memory and 8 GB of internal storage. Will the aggressive pricing -- around $129 – make up for the lower specs?

Google Nexus 10.2

Google will reportedly have the second generation of its popular Nexus 10 tablet (pictured) ready to show off at CES 2014 (the company already launched its second generation Nexus 7 last summer). So what will the next Nexus 10 have to offer? According to Netherlands-based Tablets Magazine, the device will feature a high-resolution 10.4-inch AMOLED display with either a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon or Tegra 4 processor. Tablets Magazine also claims the new Nexus 10 will be manufactured by Samsung.

Sony Xperia Z1 Mini

After another lackluster year, Sony could use some positive buzz around alluring new consumer electronics. So it's no surprise that Sony is widely expected to unveil new tablets and smartphones at CES, including the rumored Sony Xperia Z1 Mini. The Android smartphone will reportedly sport a 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage (with up to 64 GB thanks to a microSD card slot). The tech giant has a press event scheduled for Monday, so stay tuned.

Steam Machine

The steady decline of the PC hasn't stopped Valve Software from throwing its hat in the hardware ring. The popular video game company recently introduced a prototype prebuilt PC for its new SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system developed specifically for games and digital entertainment. Valve has already announced some PC manufacturing partners such as iBuyPower, but the company plans to announce more OEM partners at CES. The Steam Machine from iBuyPower will reportedly cost $499 and include an AMD processor with an AMD Radeon R9 270 graphics card, plus Valve's new haptic Steam Controller.

Oculus Rift Version 2.0

Speaking of video games, Oculus VR is a company that rose to prominence in 2013, thanks to its Oculus Rift virtual reality head-mounted display (HDM). And according to The Verge, the company will demonstrate the next version of the Oculus Rift at CES 2014. No word yet on how the new model will differ from the first release, but the good news is the company received a whopping $75 million investment from venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.

LG G2 Mini

Competing fiercely in the Android smartphone market, LG has used past CES events to showcase its new mobile devices. And according to Greek site Techblog, the Korean company will likely show off a new phone in Las Vegas called the LG G2 Mini. A smaller version of LG's recently launched G2 phone, the mini will come with a 4.7-inch display compared to the original G2's 5.2-inch display (no word yet on the G2 Mini's resolution).

Intel 64-bit Bay Trail Android Chips

New Intel CEO Brian Krzanich (pictured) is set to take the stage Monday night for a keynote address, so the company is sure to have some new technology to show off. So what will the world's largest chip maker have in store for Las Vegas? In recent years, the company has used CES to introduce its new Core processor families and architectures, but it looks like Intel's Atom chip may take center stage; the company already has promised that a new 64-bit version of its Bay Trail processors will be available for Android tablets this year.

Acer Chromebook

Could 2014 be the year of the Chromebook? Acer is just one of a few manufacturers that have new models ready for Las Vegas. This one is an updated configuration of Acer's popular Chromebook C720P family -- the C720P-2600 – which comes with 2 GB of memory (instead of just 1 GB) and also has a touch-screen-enabled display. The C720P-2600 will be priced at $299.99. The computer also is expected to have new Iconia tablets at this year's show.

ZTE Grand S II

Looking to expand its international presence, Chinese telecom firm ZTE will return to Las Vegas this year to show off new devices and products. At last year's CES, ZTE introduced its Grand flagship Android smartphone, so naturally people are expecting the Grand S II to drop in Las Vegas next week. According to Tech Radar, the Grand S II (recently approved by China's equivalent of the FCC) will feature a larger HD display (5.5 inches compared to 5) and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 600 processor plus 2 GB of memory.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 410

Like Intel, Qualcomm also will see its CEO take the stage at CES 2014 as Paul Jacobs participates in a mobile technology panel Tuesday. And we're fairly certain Jacobs and Qualcomm will be showing off the recently announced ARM-based Snapdragon 410 platform, which represents the company’s first 64-bit system-on-a-chip (SoC) and the first 64-bit chip for Android (Apple already has a 64-bit A7 processor for new iPhones). Qualcomm says the 28-nm chips will sport superior graphics and faster app performance, so hopefully there will be a few prototype devices on display in Las Vegas.

Nvidia 64-bit Processor

Not to be outdone by Apple and fellow ARM-licensee Qualcomm, Nvidia also reportedly is getting into the 64-bit chip market with a new processor. Nvidia has a press event scheduled for CES, and in past years the company has used the show to introduce its next-generation Tegra mobile processors, so various media outlets have speculated a 64-bit Tegra chip may be demoed in Las Vegas. Nvidia also is expected to show off Android-based in-car technology for automobiles.

LG Smart Appliances

It's another CES, and another year of so-called "smart appliances" -- your average refrigerator, oven, and washer and dryer enabled with Wi-Fi connectivity so consumers can monitor and interact with the appliances via mobile devices. LG is set to introduce new and improved smart appliances that give users the ability to communicate and control the systems with both mobile messenger service LINE and LG's HomeChat service. Therefore, users can set appliances for energy-saving modes when they go on vacation -- or turn the oven off if they accidently left it on.

LG 105-inch Curved UHD TV

High-definition and Ultra HD (UHD) televisions and displays have dominated CES over the last several years, and 2014 will be no different. First up: LG will reportedly have a 105-inch curved UHD TV, which will use a new kind of LCD technology. The 105-inch UHD TV also will sport a 21:9 aspect ratio and a whopping 5,120-x-2,160 screen resolution. There's also speculation that LG will display its new TVs running WebOs, the former Palm and HP mobile operating system. LG acquired WebOS from HP last February and said it would use the platform for its smart TVs instead of tablets or phones.

Samsung Curved 105-inch UHD TV

Not to be outdone in the UDH TV arms race, Samsung also will have a 105-inch UHD TV to present in Las Vegas as well. And like LG's offering, Samsung's UHD TV will have a 5,120-x-2,160 resolution and a 21:9 aspect ratio to provide cinema-theater-quality viewing. So what's the difference between the two televisions? Samsung claims its model is the most curved and has a new "proprietary picture quality algorithm" for optimized picture quality and depth.

Tobii EyeMobile

A CES 2014 Innovations Design and Engineering Award winner, the EyeMobile from Swedish technology company Tobii is a seemingly small and simple device that can add an extra dimension to your Windows 8 tablet. The EyeMobile accessory, which attaches to a Microsoft Surface or other Windows 8 tablet, enables eye control for the devices and lets users interact with the touch screen without actually touching it.

Sony VR Headset

Sony is reportedly readying a new virtual reality headset that will compete with the Oculus Rift HDM (head-mounted display). According to recent reports, Sony is hoping to get on the virtual reality trend with its own VR headset, which will debut at CES next week. Sony recently filed a patent related to a head-mounted VR display according to The Telegraph. And while Sony has shown off similar head-mounted displays at past events, the company is apparently looking to make an improved VR experience to go along with its newly launched PlayStation 4.

AMD Kaveri APU

AMD hopes to put another rough year behind it with some new products at CES, and the one that's likely to take center stage is the recently announced A-Series A10 accelerated processing unit (APU code-named "Kaveri"). The chip maker introduced Kaveri in November, saying the client device chip is the company's most powerful APU ever built; no word yet on the specs and performance but AMD is sure to have more info in Las Vegas. The first iteration of Kaveri, designed for desktops, will be available later this month, and AMD said Kaveri chips for laptops could be coming soon.

Broadcom Wireless Charging Technology

Powering our mobile devices and getting more battery life out of our gadgets in new and creative ways have been big themes at recent Consumer Electronics Shows. But Broadcom thinks it has an answer for wearable devices and embedded Internet-enabled systems. The semiconductor company recently announced a new system-on-a-chip (SoC) with wireless charging support for wearable computing devices. The new Bluetooth-enabled smart SoC is part of Broadcom's WICED (Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices) family of processors.

Sony Smartwatch

Speaking of wearable computing, Sony is reportedly launching a new smartwatch at this year's CES. The Japanese technology giant has already launched smartwatches, but according to some recent FCC filings, Sony has a new model for 2014 that will have built-in Bluetooth wireless capability and will be able to interact with compatible mobile devices. The design and pricing of the new Sony smartwatch are still mysteries, but with competing devices expected from both Samsung and LG, we'll probably get more information in Las Vegas.

LG Chromebase

Desktop PCs haven't gotten a lot of love in recent years, and 2013 was definitely a rough year for the form factor. But some vendors are still showing off new desktop models with a few twists. Case in point: LG's Chromebase, a new desktop all-in-one (AIO) that runs -- you guessed it -- Google's Chrome OS. The sleek-looking AIO sports a 21.5-inch HD display, a 16 GB SSD, 2 GB of memory and an Intel Celeron processor. No word yet on pricing or other features.

Lenovo Smartphones

Lenovo keeps promising to enter the North American smartphone market, but we're still waiting. In the meantime, we can keep dreaming and gazing at the company's international offerings. And Lenovo has some new Android phones to whet our appetites, including the Vibe Z, Lenovo's first LTE smartphone, and the Series S S930 phablet-size phone. The Vice Z has a 5.5-inch 1080p display with a 2.2GHZ quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. The S930, meanwhile, is a larger model with a 6-inch touchscreen but features lower specs than the Vice Z with a 1,280-x-720 display and 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek CPU. These models may offer a glimpse of what's to come for North American users.