CES 2019: the show, the shiny and the shape of things to come

This edition of the Industry Checkpoint series focuses on IoT, highlighting how the market has changed in the last six months and its implications. The report considers four developments: IoT connectivity providers advancing commercial deployment of NTN services; IoT semiconductor vendors expanding device ecosystem support for NTN-IoT solutions, Qualcomm accelerating edge AI launches targeting industrial IoT; and eSIM SGP.32 momentum building across regional telco alliances and ecosystem initiatives.

Apple held its Surprise and Shine event earlier this month, unveiling its latest range of devices. The standout was the much-anticipated foldable iPhone Duo, combining top-end specifications with what appeared to be a refined user experience. In this report, we dissect Apple’s new product developments and innovations from the event while assessing what they mean for the wider mobile industry.

At IFA Berlin 2026, AI remained the dominant theme, as it becomes increasingly embedded across consumer electronics experiences. Beyond AI, robotics stood out, with the show hosting a ‘Robots on the Runway’ spectacle. For players across the consumer tech ecosystem, the themes highlighted at IFA continue to spur opportunities such as monetisation but also challenges, including costs and privacy issues.