Apple again dominates CES despite not exhibiting there

It is not true that Apple has all the time shunned the Shopper Electronics Present, however in 2025 it’s but once more probably the most dominant firm on the occasion, regardless of not being there.

Apple’s disregard of CES is so well-known that it was headline information in 2020 when it was claimed that the corporate was attending it once more. However Apple did not exhibit something, did not launch something, and it did not have a stand.

It was solely there to take a stance as a substitute.

In that 2020 CES, Apple’s then senior director of world privateness, took half in a panel on the topic. Jane Horvath mentioned every part you’ll anticipate Apple’s privateness chief to say, after which the panel was over.

So with no offense to Horvath or CES, this was not Apple actually attending the present in 2020. It was the agency’s head of privateness doing the rounds of talks and panels on her topic.

Apple did exhibit at CES

You even have to return to the early ’90s to search out when Apple bothered to point out as much as CES correctly. John Sculley unveiled the Newton MessagePad on the Could 1992 model in Chicago. Everyone knows how that ended up.

It did not appear so on the time, it as a substitute appeared like Apple making a massively profitable announcement. However Sculley introduced it far, far too early.

That is truly key to why Apple won’t attend CES — and why it ceased attending Macworld Expo after 2009. That is additionally why Macworld Expo died, after limping on for 5 additional years.

From Apple’s perspective, it now not needed to be tied to a different agency’s or one other occasion’s timetable for its bulletins.

There could be no repeats of the Newton announcement and no launches, till Apple was prepared — or that was the idea. In follow, Apple made an early announcement of its AirPower charging gadget in 2017, and however ultimately cancelled the entire mission.

Apart from that peculiar misstep and the odd early sneak peek at gadgets such because the iMac Professional, Apple has been working to its personal schedule.

It helps that over time, and positively by the top of the 2010s, Apple was additionally sufficiently big that it merely did not want different companies’ occasions.

Overshadowing CES

But when it is a long time since Apple exhibited at CES, there has not been a single present lately that was not replete with merchandise associated to Apple. Or, full of merchandise that had been competing with Apple, generally fairly desperately.

Whilst lately as CES 2024, there have been VR and AR headsets aplenty, and nobody cared as a result of the Apple Vision Pro was coming.

That mentioned, headsets had did not get many individuals caring even when there was no signal of Apple coming into the market. There is a little bit of an argument that individuals still aren’t fussed about headsets.

An identical factor is occurring with CES 2025 and the Circular Ring. It is a good ring that now contains well being options resembling an ECG, however hanging over it’s the specter of an Apple Sensible Ring.

There is not even an Apple Sensible Ring, Apple has not introduced one — though it has filed for many patents on the concept. However nonetheless, there is a sense of an organization making an attempt to get a foothold out there earlier than Apple takes it over.

If you cannot beat them, decorate them

Extra straight and instantly tying their enterprise to Apple, is the slew of corporations producing equipment for the iPhone and different gadgets. Eli Well being has released a hormone testing package for the iPhone, as an example, whereas Hyper and Targus have launched a slew of circumstances, hubs, and backpacks.

A lot of these, particularly the backpacks, might after all be used to hold any firm’s gadgets. However the HyperPack case comes full with an built-in tracker that works with Apple’s Find My.

Then different companies, resembling Moft, have now launched stands for the iPhone — and which additionally work with Discover My.

And even when there would not appear to be an Apple connection, there may be. SwitchBot is utilizing CES 2025 to launch its new K20+ Professional robotic vacuum cleaner — and it integrates with Siri.

So do the brand new Lutron Caseta window shades. Withings’ new Omnia smart mirror could use its personal sensors, but it surely comes with an iPhone app that integrates with Apple’s Well being one.

If Apple builds it, they may come

By now in 2025, with over two billion iPhones energetic on the earth, and the corporate exceeding $3 trillion in worth, the sheer quantity of Apple gadgets is ready to distort CES. If Apple helps a sure expertise normal in its gadgets, that normal is out of the blue vastly extra enticing to different companies.

This 12 months that is maybe most seen with Thunderbolt 5. That connectivity normal was co-developed by Intel and a bunch of companions together with Apple, but it surely’s wanted Apple to make it mainstream.

Apple’s latest MacBook Pro fashions and the M4 Pro Mac mini help Thunderbolt 5 and its capability to offer as much as 240W energy, and as much as 120Gb/s information switch speeds. Thunderbolt 5 existed before these Macs, however CES 2025 is exhibiting off new suitable docks from the likes of Targus and Ugreen.

Apple and CES

CES wants Apple and the organizing physique is aware of it. Apple’s large consumer base means a large listing of corporations seeking to fulfill wants and maybe to experience on the coattails of the iPhone producer.

There is a robust argument that if Apple wanted CES, it will present up. However every agency that tries to tack on to Apple’s gadgets with its personal equipment, can also be bolstering the marketplace for Apple’s merchandise.

After which companies which might be making an attempt to promote VR headsets or good rings are all the time in comparison with Apple, or they’re claiming with wishful thinking that Apple won’t ever be a competitor. So even they, with no connection to any Apple gadget, are consistently giving Apple free publicity.

Maybe this may change some day, and maybe Apple will determine it must exhibit at CES. However for now, Apple is so large that it casts a shadow over all the Shopper Electronics Present with out even making an attempt.