6. Next-level wearables
Wearables are here, and they're beyond what even Dick Tracy could have imagined. CES 2014 saw its share of fitness and activity trackers, but in the subsequent months the market has exploded (relative to what it was, at least).
Android Wear has ushered in a new era of wearable tech, and there's more than a fair chance we'll see the Apple iWatch announced before CES 2015 gets off the ground.
Although wearables are gaining steam, there's always room for improvement. Our wish list for CES 2015 wearables includes waterproofing, more with heart rate monitors, standalone smarties that don't need a mobile device and more full-featured smartwatches that are compatible with different OSes.
The last one is another long shot, but as TechRadar's resident wearables expert Matt Swider opines, it'd be nice to be able to have an Android Wear smartwatch that worked with an iOS device, and vice versa.
There's little doubt CES 2015 will be filled to the walls with wearables. One manufacturer - Lenovo - has confirmed it plans to unveil new wearable devices during the Vegas gathering.
The question is, will the new batch of wearables be much of an improvement of the ones we already have?
7. Virtual reality in Las Vegas
Just like wearables, we're no longer speaking of VR as a far-off possibility. There are a number of big-name contenders that, while not quite ready for consumers, are pretty damn close to being released. Oculus Rift is eyeing 2015, Sony's Project Morpheus is moving along and Samsung Gear VR is looking increasingly ready to reveal itself.
That's not to mention the other smaller firms working on virtual reality gear (like the Virtuiz Omni) and the gaggle of developers likely to spring up after Oculus' VR conference in September.
CES is as much about entertainment as it is anything else, so VR-related innovations are well within the scope of the show. We want to see more VR content (games, apps, movies, etc.), more polished products and, if it's not revealed at IFA 2014, Samsung's VR headset.
Gear VR will likely be a serious Rift and Morpheus competitor, so come CES, we hope Samsung and anyone else dabbling in virtual reality are ready to bring it on.
8. Truly good 2-in-1s
It's not CES unless a cacophony of computers make their voices heard. There will be PCs of every stripe at CES 2015, but we're looking specifically at 2-in-1s for right now.
HP, Dell, Acer and Asus are just a few of the notable names we're putting money on to unveil new tablet/laptop hybrids, so it's not a matter of if they'll be announced but rather of how good they'll be.
There's a chance Windows 9 will release this fall, which would already be an improvement over Windows 8.1. Even if we don't go all the way up to nine, Windows 8.2 may be ready to rumble come January 2015.
Aside from a souped-up OS (assuming most of the hybrids will run Windows), the advances in processors like AMD's Beema and Mullins APUs and Intel's Core M could make the 2015 crop of 2-in-1s the best to date.
If the build quality matches better internal specs, 2-in-1s may be the sleeper hit of CES 2015.
9. Smarter cars than ever before
Toyota ran away with our Best of CES 2014 awards thanks to its hydrogen-powered car. Part of our reasoning in giving the FCV the top spot was because of its industry-changing position as the first mass-produced fuel-cell vehicle. Its impact, we reasoned, would be far reaching and vastly positive.
Next CES, we want more of the same. We want cars that run on next-gen energy sources and we want cars that don't need a driver at all. Google typically doesn't drop by CES, but that doesn't mean automated cars from different venders can't make an appearance.
Speaking of Google, we fully expect automakers to show off their Android Auto as well as Apple CarPlay-equipped models. For those who haven't picked a side, CES 2015 is the perfect time to call shotgun.
Car infotainment systems are in some ways still in their infancy, so we're excited to see what solutions await. Especially if it means going for a test-drive.
Techradar's coverage of the future of tech at CES 2015 LIVE is brought to you courtesy of Currys PC World. Keep up to date with all the latest hot tech at Currys here.
