Apple to Participate in CES for First Time in 28 Years

Apple hasn't been to CES since 1992, but it's known to troll the tech conference.

| Dec 10, 2019 12:02 PM EST

Created: Dec 10, 2019 12:02 PM EST

Apple hasn't had a presence at CES, the tech industry's largest trade show, in 28 years but that's about to change, albeit in a small way.

Jane Horvath, senior director of global privacy at Apple will take part in a roundtable discussion on privacy during the days-long confab held in Las Vegas every year. She will join executives from Facebook, Proctor & Gamble, the Federal Trade Commission, and Wing Venture Capital to discuss the need for privacy in consumer-facing products and services.

Apple isn't going to be at CES in a big way

That doesn't mean conference attendees will hear a keynote presentation from Apple CEO Tim Cook or be able to visit an Apple booth highlighting its latest and greatest technology. According to media reports it more about expressing its views on privacy to industry peers and the gaggle of reporters from all around the world that attend CES in early January.

The last time Apple attended the consumer electronics trade show was back in 1992 when it unveiled the Newton computer. Despite its absence for over nearly three decades, lots of floor space is always dedicated to products and services that work with the iconic iPhone.

Apple and the organizers of CES have had a tumultuous relationship over the years. Not one to be overshadowed by an event, Apple in the past had timed announcements and product launches to coincide with CES. Take the unveiling of the iPhone back in 2007. It chose to launch it in early January stealing attention from CES.

Apple trolled CES in 2019

CES 2019 wasn't any different. Apple trolled the conference by running a huge ad on the side of a Las Vegas building that stated: "What Happens on Your iPhone Stays on your iPhone," it was a play on the famous saying "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." The hotel was positioned next to the Las Vegas Convention Center for maximum impact.

Executives from the Cupertino, California tech powerhouse have also been known to roam the floors of CES to see what rivals are up.

That an Apple executive is attending CES 2020, which runs from 7 January through 10 January, is notable. It could pave the way for more of an Apple presence at the world's largest consumer electronics trade show in the years to come.