The world’s largest annual electronics show, CES 2020, is currently underway in Las Vegas, and we have already seen a lot of tech innovations that people around the globe had anticipated. From 8K televisions to business laptops and PCs and gaming rigs to peripherals and electric cars – we have seen all on the show floor. Here, we bring you all the major highlights of the show.
Giants like Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and Sony Electronics have launched their 8K television line-ups at the annual show. In 2020, consumers will be able to enjoy and stream AV1 codec videos filmed in 8K.
Samsung is showcasing its 2020 QLED 8K series that offers smart home integration and leverages the power of enhanced AI technology to improve audio, video, and smart capabilities. These TVs are powered by Tizen and ship with smart features like Tap View, Digital Butler, and Samsung Health.
The Samsung Q950TS QLED 8K TV is the company’s flagship device and offers a screen-to-body ratio of nearly 99 per cent. It is 15mm thin across the entire display, and Samsung claims that it meets the requirements of the 8K Association’s Certified Test Specifications as well as the CTA 8K Ultra HD Display Definition. 2020 Samsung QLED 8K TVs are powered by Samsung Quantum Processor 8K.
Its immediate rival LG also unveiled 8K OLED televisions, which include eight TVs with new 77- and 65-inch class models, joining the existing 88- and 75-inch LG SIGNATURE OLED 8K TVs (models 88/77 OLED ZX) and advanced LG NanoCell TVs (models 75/65 Nano99, 75/65 Nano97, 75/65 Nano95).
Just like Samsung, LG also says that every model in the new line-up exceeds the industry’s official 8K Ultra HD definition set by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), which requires a minimum 50 per cent CM threshold. Other independent labs such as TÜV Rheinland have validated that the LG SIGNATURE OLED 8K and LG 8K NanoCell TV exceed this definition. The TVs are powered by the new α (Alpha) 9 Gen 3 AI processor, which utilises an intelligent deep learning network and applies Quad Step Noise Reduction & frequency-based Sharpness Enhancer to increase lower resolution content to near 8K picture.
Sony is also showcasing its new range of 8K LED, 4K OLED and 4K LED television models, which include the Z8H 8K LED, A8H, and MASTER Series A9S OLED, and X950H & X900H 4K LED TVs. The entire line-up feature Sony’s Picture Processor X1 Ultimate and TRILUMINOS Display, which have been claimed to reproduce nuances of colour, light, and gradation to deliver a clear picture.
In the audio department, the new models come equipped with Sound-from-Picture Reality, which aligns the position of the sound with the images on the screen. The new models also have Netflix Calibrated Mode for studio-quality Netflix content, and IMAX Enhanced, which brings The IMAX Experience to your home. The Z8H has Sony's new Frame Tweeter, which vibrates the frame of the TV to emit sound, giving customers the feeling that sound is coming directly from the screen.
Chinese technology company Lenovo unveiled the ThinkPad X1 Fold, probably the main attraction of this year’s CES. The ThinkPad X1 Fold is the world’s first fully functional PC with a folding 13.3-inch OLED display. According to Lenovo, the device is built from a combination of lightweight alloys and carbon fibre and is covered in a luxurious leather folio cover. Co-engineered with Intel, the ThinkPad X1 Fold will be initially available with Windows 10 in the mid-2020.
Asus has unveiled a comprehensive line-up of lifestyle and business laptops and PCs. The new notebooks include the Chromebook Flip C436, VivoBook S (S333/S433/S533) series, and ExpertBook B9450. Asus has also showcased the prime TRX40-Pro motherboard for content creators, designers, and professionals. The Taiwanese giant is also displaying the ProArt StudioBook notebooks, ProArt Station mini PCs, Tinker Edge T, Tinker Edge R single-board computers, and Mini PC PN61T.
Dell Technologies’ offerings include its premium Latitude and XPS 13 laptops, which feature artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G. The company launched the Latitude 9510, a 15-inch 5G-ready business PC with built-in AI, XPS 13 with first-ever 4-sided InfinityEdge display, and a Developer Edition of the XPS 13. The US-based company also unveiled monitors, including the Dell 86 4K Interactive Touch Monitor, UltraSharp 43 4K USB-C Monitor, and UltraSharp 27 4K USB-C Monitor with VESA DisplayHDR 400.
HP Inc. has brought the Spectre x360 15, ENVY 32 All-in-One with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics cards, and Elite Dragonfly convertible. According to the company, the HP Elite Dragonfly is the world’s first business convertible with 5G. HP Inc. says that 82 per cent of all mechanical parts in this machine are made from recycled materials, and the accessories, including bags, are made from recycled ocean-bound plastics.
TVs aside, Samsung also announced the Galaxy Chromebook 2-in-1 device with an AMOLED display and built-in pen support. The machine comes with a near-infinite screen and supports 4K UHD resolution. The Galaxy Chromebook is powered by 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processor and comes equipped with Intel Wi-Fi 6.
Asus is at the forefront when it comes to gaming machines and peripherals. The main attraction includes the TUF Gaming A15, A17 gaming laptops, ZenScreen MB16ACE portable monitor, ProArtDisplay PA248QV & PA278QV monitors, TUF Gaming VG27AQL1A monitor, and ZenWiFi Voice, ZenWiFi AX (XT8), ZenWiFiAC (CT8), RT-AX89X, & RT-AX86U routers. The Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG) also announced the ROG Swift 360Hz, which is the world’s first 360Hz 24.5-inch gaming monitor. It comes with NVIDIA G-SYNC technology. It also announced 32-inch ROG Swift PG32UQX, which is claimed to deliver the best 4K HDR gaming experience using advanced G-SYNC mini-LED technology.
Dell launched the G5 15 SE, the first Dell G Series laptop to feature the 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen 4000 H-Series Mobile Processors (up to 8-cores, 16-threads). The processors are paired with the AMD Radeon RX 5600M GPUs. The redesigned G5 15 SE features a ‘fighter plane’ look with iridescent silver finish and metallic accents. It sports a 15.6-inch FHD display panel with an optional 144Hz refresh rate, an optional 4-zone RGB keyboard with WASD, and an optional 68WHr battery. The Dell G5 15 SE will be available in mid-April at a starting price of $799.99.
Apart from this, Dell and Alienware launched the Alienware 25 Gaming Monitor that comes with a 240Hz refresh rate. It has AMD FreeSync Premium technology and NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatibility so that there is no screen tearing or blurring while gaming. The Alienware 25 Gaming Monitor is the ‘Official Display for (esports players from) Team Liquid’ and the official competition monitor for the League of Legends global events.
This category is the showstopper at this year's CES. Marking the beginning of Hyundai and Uber's aerial ridesharing partnership, the former unveiled a new full-scale Uber Air Taxi Model flying Concept vehicle. With this, Hyundai Motor Group has officially become the first vehicle partner of Uber Elevate. Called S-A1, the Personal Air Vehicle (PAV) model has been created in part through Uber’s open design process and features innovative design processes to optimise electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL).
Sony’s Vision-S prototype is a pleasant surprise that shows the Japanese company’s prowess in image-sensing, cloud, and AI technologies. The car is not fully developed by Sony – the company partnered with Magna Steyr, an engineering and manufacturing partner for OEMs, to contribute to the car's chassis development. Apart from Magna Steyr, other renowned names like Bosch, ZF, Qualcomm, and Nvidia have also been involved in the car's development.
