Musk and Cupertino geeks just missed the most hyped tech conference of the year. Why?
We explore the shifting priorities in tech and how CES 2025 wasn't just about what was unveiled in Vegas but who and what was missing.
TOMO robot. Anadolu/GettyImages
We explore the shifting priorities in tech and how CES 2025 wasn't just about what was unveiled in Vegas but who and what was missing.
The show floors of CES in Vegas have a long history of being filled with gimmicky tech destined to fail or never see the light of day. This year was no different, with everything from bendable monitors to robots blowing on your hot drink vying for the attention of attendees.
CES 2025 offered numerous attention-grabbing product launches, but the major players and anticipated technologies were conspicuously absent from this year's event. Could this signal shifting priorities across the industry?
AMD: where are the RDNA 4 GPUs?
One of the most talked-about absences this year is AMD's next-generation RDNA 4 GPUs. Although teased online before CES, the highly anticipated graphics cards were missing from the show floor and keynotes. For many, this no-show was a disappointment.
AMD RDNA4 didn't make it to the CES presentation, but here are the slides pic.twitter.com/1YEya2evG2
undefined VideoCardz.com (@VideoCardz) January 6, 2025
In AMDs defense, Nvidia's CES keynote was scheduled for the same evening. By waiting until after the headline-grabbing announcements by Jensen Huang, AMD could ensure that RDNA 4 wouldn't be left in the shadows.
AMD wisely chose to release more information on RDNA 4 later this quarter. The delay might have frustrated fans, but the company seems confident that a focused announcement will resonate better with its audience.
The question now is whether AMD's strategy will pay off. Will RDNA 4's mid-range focus and generational improvements be enough to win over gamers? Or has the delayed announcement allowed competitors to steal the spotlight?
The shrinking automotive presence
Many Tier-1 automotive suppliers also skipped CES 2025. There was also a noticeable shrinking presence of electric vehicles compared to recent years. This could be caused by shifting government policies and ongoing debates around EV tax credits.
The absence of the top automotive companies arguably allowed smaller, more innovative companies to offer fresher perspectives on the future of mobility. This shift has split attendees, with some finding the reduced presence disappointing, while others believe we will see a more focused look at EV plans next year once regulations and markets stabilize.
AI dominates, but wearables take a backseat
AI was predictably the star of CES 2025. But this focus left other categories by the wayside. Wearable tech, which once occupied a significant share of the CES conversation, saw fewer major announcements this year. Many industry heavyweights in the wearable space chose to sit out, leaving room for smaller companies to showcase their innovations with tagged-on AI features.
The reception of AI-focused hardware like the Humane AI Pin and Rabbit R1 last year will have made many think twice about rushing devices to market. Although they sparked global conversations, the final products fell short of capturing widespread enthusiasm, leading some companies to scale back their CES ambitions.
Another noticeable trend this year was the lack of non-AI-enhanced devices. While this represents exciting progress for tech lovers, it also left many questioning if the industry is neglecting simple, practical solutions in favor of AI-driven complexity looking for a problem to solve.
Where are the Chinese tech giants?
Although 1,300 Chinese companies made up more than a quarter of the 4,500 registered exhibitors, several major Chinese tech companies were absent from CES this year. Many believe these absences can attributed to ongoing US sanctions and geopolitical tensions, but it didn't feel the same without them.
Huawei and DJI have historically been crowd-pullers at CES with their innovative mobile and drone technology products. ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, also skipped the event, although TikTok maintained a presence.
The lack of representation from some of the bigger Chinese tech giants has raised questions about how global competition in tech might evolve in the coming years, particularly in light of increasing regulatory hurdles.
Apple's strategy of silence at CES
Apple's decision to skip CES isn't new, they have been doing so since the 2010s. They consistently avoid setting up a physical presence, yet their ecosystem still appears throughout third-party products at CES.
However, some felt the company's indirect influence was quieter this year, even with certain accessories pitching compatibility and Apple's well-placed ads dotted around Las Vegas.
I’ve seen zero to suggest this. Yes, there are some Apple accessories and HomeKit integrations - but to say Apple is dominating CES is outright blasphemous. The long running joke is based on Apple announcing something of its own during CES. They haven’t done that this year. https://t.co/0skLx1scq5
undefined Mark Gurman (@markgurman) January 7, 2025
While Apple still shapes tech trends behind the scenes, its reduced visibility might spur other brands to assert themselves more aggressively in the spotlight.
Tesla, SpaceX, and Musk focus on the future beyond CES
Elon Musk and his companies, Tesla and SpaceX, were also absent from CES 2025. But this is not much of a surprise. Tesla and SpaceX are intensely focused on ambitious internal projects for 2025, such as the Cybercab robotaxi and autonomous ride-hailing service, which likely demand a lot of attention and resources.
Musk's increasing political involvement, particularly in supporting Donald Trump's re-election campaign, may also have shifted his focus away from industry events like CES. In reality, like Apple, Musk prefers to unveil groundbreaking announcements through Tesla and SpaceX's channels rather than shared platforms like CES.
Does a tech event defined by who isn't there tell us more about the industry's changing priorities than what appears on the show floor? And if so, how might this realignment influence the next big wave of consumer and enterprise technologies? These are just a few thoughts that many will be thinking about on the plane ride home.