As many as 50 Intel Ultrabooks will be launched at next January's CES, according to the show's organisers.
Speaking at a CES Unveiled event in London, Shawn DuBravac, director of research for show organisers the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), said he expected a flurry of the ultrathin laptops to be unveiled in Las Vegas. "We expect to see 30 to 50 new Ultrabooks launched at CES," DuBravac told journalists.
Until now, only a handful of manufacturers have announced Ultrabooks, with many rumoured to be waiting for the 22nm Ivy Bridge processor refresh before releasing their devices.
Intel CEO Paul Otellini is due to give a keynote speech in Las Vegas, where Ivy Bridge is likely to be officially released alongside a barrage of the new laptops.
Although Ultrabooks are expected to play a major role at the show, tablets will still be the centre of attention at the Las Vegas Convention Center, according to DuBravac. More than 100 new tablets were launched at the 2011 CES, and the CEA anticipates a similar number of new releases in January.
A CEA survey of American consumers suggests many will have plumped for a tablet before the January showcase, however. Tablets topped the Christmas wishlist of 14% of consumers surveyed by the CEA, with 11% buying a laptop.
Despite the ongoing economic maelstrom, 76% of consumers are planning to buy technology gifts, with the average anticipated tech spend up to $246 per person this Christmas, compared to $194 in 2007.
"Even though these are tough economic times, consumer electronics is more than holding its own," said the president and CEO of the CEA, Gary Shapiro. "We'll see global retail revenue of $960 billion this year, and we'll go over the trillion mark in 2012."
PC & Tech Authority will be reporting live from CES 2012 from 9 January.
This article originally appeared at pcpro.co.uk
