Featured
CES 2021: The best of new tech
As is custom at CES nowadays, a flying car captured the most attention during last week’s expo, but that didn’t prevent “real” tech from claiming centre stage, writes ARTHUR GOLDSTUCK
From the startling to the stunning, the 2021 virtual edition of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) did not disappoint those looking for technology breakthroughs. A flying car and a rollable phone, along with a procession of robots, fed that appetite generously.
However, it was “real tech” that took centre stage as practical needs were met by hundreds of new products and improved gadgets.
This was the pick of CES 2021:
Best TV tech: TCL 8K TV
Chinese electronics manufacturer TCL used to be best known for building devices under other brand names, like Alcatel and BlackBerry. Now, however, it is coming into its own as a leader in TV technology. It may not be the first with new tech, but it is the first to make it affordable to a broad consumer market.
At CES, it unveiled the new 2021 TCL 6-series Roku R648 models, with the startling news that they would be in 8K resolution. This is four times 4K, and 16 times HD. While content in that format is still limited, the fact that one can now shoot in 8K on a Samsung S21 Ultra smartphone means that it won’t be long before it becomes more widely rolled out.
Pricing hasn’t been announced, but with the cost of TCL’s 4K TVs starting as low as $650, expect TCL 8K to come in dramatically lower than the current 8K value leader, a Samsung 65-inch machine at $2,700.
Best VR/AR tech: Lenovo ThinkReality A3 smart glasses
Lenovo intends its new lightweight smart glasses to be the most advanced and versatile in the enterprise market. From 3D visualisation to Augmented Reality (AR) assisted training, the ThinkReality A3 aims to help transform work across many levels of the enterprise. It tethers to a PC or Motorola smartphones through a USB-C cable, depending on the needs of workers. The A3 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1 platform and features stereoscopic 1080p displays, presenting the user with up to 5 virtual displays. An 8MP RGB camera provides 1080p video for remote use cases, while dual fish-eye cameras provide room-scale tracking.
Click below to read on about the best display tech, laptop tech, novelty tech, health tech, robot and automotive tech.
