What to expect from CES in 2016

Let’s be honest, here: CES isn’t always a great show if you’re hunting for new smartphones. Most of the really important players are saving their work for Mobile World Congress next month, or maybe even a separate press event entirely. Take Samsung, for instance: While it's probably going to show off the new Galaxy S7 behind closed doors in Vegas, the company will likely save the full reveal for a standalone event where it can garner the most attention. In lieu of flagships, then, we’re more likely to see mid-range devices like the Galaxy A9, which just passed through the FCC with a 6-inch display and an octa-core Snapdragon 620 chip in tow.
 
Rival LG has been more willing in recent years to show off new hardware at CES. Last year it unveiled the much-improved GFlex 2, making it the only big-name flagship to debut at the show. This year, though, the rumor mill hasn’t turned up much about LG, so we're not expecting much in the way of new smartphones. But hey, the company could alway surprise us.

Sony is also rumored to have two notable phones in the works for 2016, neither of which is expected to get more than a shout-out at the company’s press conference. Sony has had a harder time than most trying to figure out what people want out of their handsets -- that and the relatively recent launch of the Xperia Z5 family mean it’s no surprise Sony brass don’t seem to have much in the works for January.