The 9 Biggest Rumors Heading Into CES 2016

Crazy Consumer Electronics

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is the central hub for vendors to show off their coolest, craziest, and most cutting-edge technology products.

While CES 2016 takes place Jan. 6 to 9, there is already a flurry of rumors and reports about new products that are expected to be announced at this year's show. Last year, LG's G Flex 2 and Dell's Venue 8 7000 were just a few of the rumored hot mobile gadgets that were ultimately unveiled at the show.

From the Sony Xperia Z5 Ultra to the Asus Zenfone 2, the tech world is buzzing with excitement about what new products will be shown off during the show. Following are nine of the biggest rumors surrounding CES 2016.

1. Honor 5X Coming To The U.S.

China-based mobile vendor Huawei's spin-off brand, Honor, will reportedly make its debut into the U.S. market. Honor's products, low-end phones with innovative designs and features, have already been released in a variety of countries other than the U.S., and during CES the tech industry expects the company to talk about its U.S. plans.

Specifically, the Honor 5X, a 5.5-inch phone with 2GB of RAM that is currently available in China for $160, may come to the U.S. The Honor 5X, which packs a Snapdragon 616 processor, has a bunch of features that are impressive for its dirt-cheap price, including a 13-MP rear camera, a metal frame and a fingerprint sensor on the rear.

2. Huawei To Unveil Mate 8 Smartphone For U.S.

Huawei will continue to increase its presence in the U.S. market as the company reportedly plans to show off the Mate 8 as a product to be released in the U.S., during CES.

The Mate 8, Huawei's flagship smartphone which so far is only available in China, features a metal construction with a 5.5-inch 1080p display, and costs up to $600. The smartphone contains an eight-core Snapdragon 615 processor, 13-MP camera, 16GB of storage, and a 3,000mAh battery. The Mate 8 has a fingerprint scanner and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

In addition to a smartphone, Huawei is expected to announce a new smartwatch that is targeted for women, with a smaller dial and a wider selection of straps.

3. Sony Xperia Z5 Ultra

While Sony is not expected to show off its next flagship Xperia model, the Xperia Z6, at CES, rumors are circulating that the company will announce the Sony Xperia Z5 Ultra. Sony launched its Xperia Z5 series, which includes the Xperia Z5 Compact and Xperia Z5 Premium, in October 2015.

This smartphone will reportedly have a 6.44-inch display and a 4K screen with 2160 x 3840 resolution, as well as 4 GB of RAM and a 23-MP rear-facing camera. According to rumors, the new device will ship in March 2016.

4. Asus ZenFone 3

Following its footsteps from CES 2015 where it unveiled the ZenFone 2, ASUS is expected to take the wraps off its new ZenFone 3 at CES 2016.

The ZenFone 3 will succeed the ZenFone 2, a 5.5-inch smartphone with a Corning Gorilla Glass screen that runs on Android Lollipop. While little is known about the ZenFone 3, rumors are circulating that the latest version of Asus' flagship phone will feature a new fingerprint scanner and a Type-C USB port—as opposed to the ZenFone 2's microSD card slot.

5. HTC To Show Off Improved Vive VR Headset

HTC will reportedly demo breakthrough features on its virtual reality headset, the HTC Vive.

The HTC Vive's release was pushed back from December to April, sparking rumors that the company has more in store for its VR headset, and that these groundbreaking features will be announced during CES. Other details surrounding the HTC Vive, including its price, remain under the wraps.

6. ZTE To Detail New Nubia Z11

After several product photos were leaked throughout the year, ZTE's Nubia Z11 is rumored to be formally announced at CES.

The Chinese OSM's smartphone may come with a new bezel-less design and curved, 5.2-inch screen with QHD resolution using arc Refractive Conduction (aRC) technology, a feature that enhances visual effects. The Nubia Z11 will also reportedly pack a Snapdragon 820, contain 4 GB of RAM, and up to 128 GB of onboard storage, as well as a 20.7-MP rear-facing camera and 13-MP front facing camera. The phone may also contain a fingerprint reader, according to reports.

7. Canon EOS Rebel SL2

Canon will reportedly announce the next version of its popular Rebel SL1 camera at CES—the EOS Rebel SL2. This camera will reportedly be a smaller and lighter product, and will feature a 24MP sensor, as opposed to the Rebel SL1's 18MP sensor.

In addition to the EOS Rebel SL2, Canon is also expected to announce the Canon EOS 80D, which will reportedly have the same autofocus system as its predecessor and a 24 megapixel sensor with dual-pixel autofocus.

8. Google And Ford Car Partnership

As the concept of self-driving "smart" vehicles starts to get more popular, Google and Ford will reportedly team up in a powerhouse move to create new self-driving vehicles.

While this rumor has not been confirmed by either company, reports state that the two companies will build cars using Google's technology. The car could reportedly be a brand-new model built by Ford, as opposed to an existing Ford, with Google specs on it and better Android Auto integration.

9. No LG G Flex, Galaxy S7

Although LG unveiled the LG G Flex and the G Flex 2 smartphones during the past two CES events, rumor has it that the South Korean company will hold off on announcing its new G Flex 3 during CES.

Meanwhile, Samsung will also hold off on launching its Galaxy S7 flagship smartphone during CES, according to reports. The company may instead take the wraps off the Galaxy S7 during Mobile World Congress later in the year. The Galaxy S7 will reportedly have a 5.2-inch display and will sport features similar to the Apple iPhone 6s' 3D Touch.