New Products, Fantasy Products and Concept Products – the range across CES

As you browse the web, listen to the news, watch the TV and see lots of fancy new products and announcements from here in Las Vegas at the annual Consumer Electronics Show.  But just how many of them are really going to hit retail stores, which of them are even affordable?  Let’s break it down and create a filter for you on products coming out of CES 2014.

The way I see it, there are at least three categories we can choose from to put almost any product or announcement into from a show like CES.

New Products

These are the real deal.  Products which retail chains and buyers are doing deals to bring to retail stores some time this year.  They are negotiating wholesale pricing and margins and delivery and availability times.

The type of product that fits into this category is a new camera, mobile phone accessory, and probably 80% of the TV’s that will be on show at CES – but perhaps not the ones in the news.

Fantasy Products

If you want to make the news you have to inspire some desire in consumers.  “Wow” or “I want that” needs to be the reaction from those seeing the product.  In 2013 and again in 2014 this will be things like the largest of largest screens, the curved screens, the ultra-high definition screens.

Priced to exclude these products will be rare to find – you won’t head round to watch the footy at a mate’s place and find a Curved screen OLED TV any time soon now will you?

However, these products are real, they test the waters, they test the manufacturing process and in time, and in fact a short space of time the prices begin to drop and after 3-4 years these products start to become part of the options for users when looking at new purchases.

Concept Products

Finally, there’s the concept.  Not unlike the motor show’s around the world where we see amazing “Concept Cars” this is true also in the tech world.  From a “bendable TV screen” to a paper-thin foldable display – the attention they get far outweighs the likelihood they will hit the market in the 4-5 years ahead.

If you look at CES news through these filters you’ll soon build up a shopping list for today and into the future.  CES isn’t just about today, it isn’t just about 2014, it’s about showcasing innovation, showcasing the ability to build, to develop and to create. Without this – we’d all be standing still.