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.
Best display tech: LG Transparent OLED Display Concept
LG Display made up for the absence of its walls of TV monitors – usually among the highlights of CES – with a fascinating range of use cases of transparent OLED displays. The technology allows one to see beyond the screen, but without compromising clear image quality that does not rely on backlights.
LG showcased a Smart Bed, featuring a frame that can be moved to the foot of a bed. At the push of a button, a 55-inch Transparent OLED display rises from its frame to show information or TV content in various screen ratios, Immersive Cinematic Sound OLED (CSO), embedded in the frame, means external speakers aren’t needed either.
The second use case, a Restaurant Zone, showed how a sushi bar can utilise a 55-inch transparent OLED display to deliver information with clear image quality while maintaining a connection between people on both sides of the screen.
Finally, a virtual train carriage showed how passengers may look outside through the transparent display that has replaced a traditional window. Its high transparency enabled by OLED means passengers can still watch the passing scenery while viewing clear information, such as subway line maps, weather information, and other news.
Best laptop tech: ASUS ROG Flow X13 gaming laptop
The standout laptop component at CES really did stand out – right outside the machine. The Flow X13 is a lightweight gaming laptop with an extra graphics processing unit (GPU) on the outside, up to a GeForce RTX 3080 GPU, linked via USB-C over a PCIe interface. It’s called an eGPU, for external GPU, and allows for the high-powered two-in-one 13” laptop to weigh in at 1.3kg.
On the inside, it houses the most powerful gaming GPU on mobile, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650, usually built into desktop PCs. The main processor is an 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS CPU, providing high gaming performance. The laptop is only 15.8mm thin, and a 360° hinge allows it to convert from laptop to stand, tent or tablet mode. This can be expected to be one of the most expensive laptops in the world in 2021, but tells us what is possible in portable gaming.
Best novelty tech: LG Rollable phone
Last year a rollable TV screen at CES, this year a rollable phone. We know longer ask the question: What will LG think of next? Rather: What will it do with its latest format? Sooner or later, one of these novelties will storm the world with use cases and solutions that suddenly become obvious. The most likely application would be to provide a much larger screen in the same size factor as current smartphones, along with multiple formats based on different roll-out lengths. As shown by the transition from TV to smartphones, rollable screens now have the potential to be used in numerous sizes, settings and devices.
Click below to read on about the best health tech, robot and automotive tech.
Best health tech: Razer’s Project Hazel face mask
Razer is best known for its gaming technology, including some of the coolest gaming machines and accessories available. It may sound weird that it has applied its cool innovation to a facemask, but it makes sense in competitive gaming settings, where teams need to be in the same location, and effective communication is key to success. It includes a microphone and amplifier to boost one’s voice; it is transparent, with lights automatically illuminating one’s lips when one talks, and it’s rechargeable. Its application in other communication-intensive settings is obvious but, sadly, it is still just a concept, and not yet ready for market.
Best robot: Samsung Bot Handy
We were spared the usual CES procession of cute and creepy robots tripping up visitors to the show floor, which left the field open to serious contenders. Most serious, although still questionable as a consumer purchase, was the Samsung Handy Bot. It promises to take over numerous household chores, from picking up laundry to setting the table to pouring a drink to loading the dishwasher after the meal. The real problem with such robots is that, for most chores, it takes more time to set them up in the right position than it would to do the task oneself. The fact that it doesn’t shoot lasers, or similar, means that its functionality is limited to task-time, when it could so easily have become an entertainment companion. In future, however, it could well become an indispensable assistant for the infirm.
Best automotive tech: Mercedes-Benz Hyperscreen
Forget the flying Cadillac eVTOL air taxi from General Motors, which is really just a glorified drone. It caught the attention of CES virtual visitors, but probably did not excite them as much as the Hyperscreen, based on the MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) multimedia system. Unlike the eVTOL, which will probably remain just a concept, the Hyperscreen is in production, and will debut in Merc’s flagship EQS electric vehicle to be unveiled later this year.
The Hyperscreen consists of three large displays: the instrument cluster for the driver, main infotainment screen in the centre, and passenger display for those in the front passenger seat. The displays are covered by a single curved piece of Gorilla Glass, spanning 141 cm.
The displays use OLED, which results in them remaining clear in bright sunlight. They will feature aggregated content from the MBUX system and related services. A map uses the car’s position to provide information about the area the car is in, meaning the car acts as a travel guide.
The best of the rest
There was much more at CES. Do dig deeper, visit Gadget’s comprehensive CES 2021 coverage here: https://gadget.co.za/tag/ces-2021/
- Goldstuck is founder of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Twitter on @art2gee