What you need to know
- CES 2022 is due to take place in January.
- Growing concern about the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is driving some companies away.
- Major vendors like Amazon and T-Mobile and some very big media outlets have pulled out.
Multiple major companies and media outlets have announced they won't be attending CES 2022 in-person in Las Vegas in January.
T-Mobile, Twitter, Meta (Facebook), and Amazon have all announced they won't be going. The former stated in a press release:
After careful consideration and discussion, T-Mobile has made the difficult decision to significantly limit our in-person participation at this year's Consumer Electronics Show. While we are confident that CES organizers are taking exhaustive measures to protect in-person attendees and we had many preventative practices in place as well, we are prioritizing the safety of our team and other attendees with this decision. T-Mobile will continue to serve as a CES sponsor and title sponsor of the DRL Championship Race but the vast majority of our team will not be traveling to Las Vegas. Additionally, T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert will no longer be offering a keynote in-person or virtually. T-Mobile's entire team looks forward to an in-person CES 2023, which we hope includes an on-stage keynote in front of a live audience. We extend our sincere thanks to the entire CES staff for their hard work during these challenging times.
Amazon similarly told Bloomberg it won't be on-site due to the quickly shifting situation and uncertainty surrounding Omicron. Also out is Meta, formerly Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and smart home company Ring.
Major media outlets including our friends at Tom's Guide and TechRadar will also not be attending, joining CNET, Engadget, TechCrunch, and The Verge.
Some major players including AMD, Qualcomm, OnePlus, and more are still hoping to attend, and CTA, the company behind the event says it is pressing on with its plans. Attendees must be vaccinated to attend, and CTA announced earlier this week that it would also be giving about rapid COVID tests to all attendees.
CES 2021 was a fully virtual event, and while it's not always as exciting for Apple watchers, there are often a slew of interesting accessories and gadgets that pop up, as well as big developments from lots of Apple's rivals and competitors in the mobile technology space.
