The 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is set to take place on January 6 to 9 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show will allow many manufacturers to reveal their latest and greatest in electronics, including smartphones. The CES often hints at future trends in electronics, so here are some future smartphone trends that the show may preview when it kicks off.

An increased presence of Windows Phone 7 

Windows Phone 7's October launch was highly anticipated, but it seems as if Microsoft's new mobile operating system has lost some of its spark. While it may not have as much hype surrounding it as earlier this fall, expect to see Windows Phone 7 on some new smartphones being introduced at CES. 

Among the Windows Phone 7 devices supposedly being launched at CES are the HTC 7 Pro and the HTC 7 Trophy. The Trophy will reportedly become available for Verizon customers, while the Pro will be offered to those using Sprint. Microsoft's previous announcement  of an upcoming Windows Phone 7 update in January might accelerate the production of new smartphones made for the OS, as it will bring improved features, such as the ability to copy and paste.

Improved gaming capabilities

Gyroscopes help to improve control and accuracy in gaming, and the Nexus S' inclusion of such hardware could be a sign of things to come for other smartphones, especially those that run on the Android platform. Besides gyroscopes, New Nvidia Tegra processors offer improved video playback and cleaner graphics. Any new phones that carry both the Tegra processors and gyroscopes would definitely provide an improved gaming experience for their owners.

Front-facing cameras for chatting

If the new features packed into the Android 2.3 update mean anything, many new smartphones will come equipped with front-facing cameras. Android 2.3 offers users the ability to access multiple cameras on their devices, including any front-facing cameras that are built in. This is good news for smartphone fans looking to video chat with others. 

Some smartphones, such as the LTE Galaxy S, will supposedly come with front-facing cameras. As this becomes a heavily desired feature among the public, you can expect other manufacturers to do their best to equip their phones similarly. As an added bonus, many of the newer phones will be 4G capable, meaning you can expect smoother video chat thanks to a faster connection.

Affordable/pre-paid smartphones for those on a budget

It's not completely radical to predict that most future releases will be smartphones. Competition between manufacturers is high, and many customers want to break into the smartphone market, even if they do not have much of a budget to work with. To appease this crowd, you could see low-end smartphones making their way onto shelves in the near future. 

The Android-based LG Optimus is just one example, and many other manufacturers are likely to follow LG's lead to get a piece of the budget smartphone pie. Besides smartphones that are affordable, pre-paid smartphones could make a splash as well, through carriers such as Metro PCS, giving non-contract customers a way to become a part of the smartphone shift.

These are just some of the upcoming trends to look for in the smartphone world. Another trend of note that has been discussed is the shift to 4G/LTE phones. When CES finally kicks off, it should help clear up many of the rumors surrounding the smartphone market and offer a better glimpse of things to come.

For more on this topic, visit http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9202438/CES_Smartphone_trends_to_watch?taxonomyId=16&pageNumber=1

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