The biggest tech show in the world is well underway. For the whole of this week, CES (known as the Consumer Electronics Show) has invaded Las Vegas. Thousands of statups and entrepreneurs are joining technology's biggest firms at the sprawling conference to demonstrate what products you should expect in 2019.
Here's our guide to all the trends that have emerged from this year's CES so far. As the week goes on and more products are announced we'll be updating this guide with the latest news and highlights.
TVs at CES 2019
You may remember how last year, LG stole the show by delivering on its promise of a futuristic rollable OLED TV. Its 65-inch prototype with 4K resolution, that can be rolled up on your wall or kept tightly rolled as a tube, not only won the unofficial “quirky design” award, but was also an actually convenient space saving device. In 2019, LG has taken this concept to the next level. It showcased the LG Signature OLED TV R – rollable still, and still 65-inch, but this time contained in a Dolby Atmos soundbar, from which it can roll up and rise without having to be set against a wall. The screen can roll up partly to display in “line view”, showing only your clock, pictures or home dashboard, or it can be hidden completely within the body to be used solely as an audio device.
But if there is one trend that CES 2019 confirmed, it is that this is the year that the 8K TV makes its grand debut. Although native content of such high quality is yet to be created, the biggest names in electronics have already made the switch to 8K one of their main announcements. LG, for example, also exhibited its very first 8K OLED TV, an 88-inch piece of technology including the made-in LG processor dubbed the a9 Gen 2. The processor uses deep-learning to improve both visuals and sound, by recognising the quality of the source content and optimising it accordingly, also taking into account ambient parameters such as brightness to adjust tone mapping or contrast.
Samsung showcased a plethora of 8K screens as well, coming in different sizes and starting at 65-inches, but its biggest announcement (literally) was a 98-inch QLED 8K TV that supports HDMI 2.1 – the port that is needed to handle 8K from external devices. Sony also went for super-sizing, with another 98-inch TV, dubbed the Master Series Z9G, which also comes in 85 inches and has an LED screen.
Panasonic, for its part, stayed away from the 8K craze and unveiled the GZ2000 – a 4K OLED TV that comes in 65 inches and 55 inches. It was developed in partnership with Stefan Sonnenfeld, Hollywood colourist and president of postproduction house Company 3, to supposedly deliver the most accurate colour representation available on a set. The GZ2000 is compatible with both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, and it has upward-firing Technics speakers CAPABLE OF DELIVERING Dolby Atmos content.
Read more: These are the best smartphones for any budget in 2021
Phones at CES 2019
This year, CES has been quiet on the smartphone front. Nonetheless, it was expected that companies such as Samsung or LG would jump on the opportunity to showcase some devices – especially in the wake of the recently teased Infinity Flex Display, better known as Samsung’s folding phone.
Yet Samsung kept things under the wraps, perhaps because of how poorly its Galaxy S9 has been performing last year – its total sales has remained lower than the S8, S7 or S6. What the company did mention, however, and rather unsurprisingly, is the current hot topic for the smartphone industry: 5G. The South Korean company confirmed that connectivity would be a priority in the coming year, and that it would introduce 5G smartphones to the market in the first half of this year. A 5G-enabled Galaxy S10, therefore, looks set to hit the market soon.
Without going deep into detail, LG also promised that it would launch the first 5G-compatible smartphone this year, as part of its close partnership with Qualcomm, that has recently launched the 855 Snapdragon mobile platform, the first mobile processor to support 5G.
Sony, who last year showcased its Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra, was expected to announce an upgrade on its devices, but didn’t mention anything smartphone-related.
One device that grabbed a few headlines was the FlexPai flexible, a foldable smartphone that was displayed by Chinese company Royole. The FlexPai is a 7.8-inch tablet that can be folded into a double-sided smartphone. Its design may be slightly chunky but it runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 chipset tosupport 5G. Royole announced the FlexPai last October and announced sales starting at $1,318, effectively making the Chinese company the first foldable phone manufacturer and somewhat stealing some of Samsung’s spotlight – but it is sure to be joined next year on the foldable market by LG, Huawei and Xiaomi. Watch this space.
Wearables at CES 2019
CES in recent years has gone wearable mad. This year is no exception with a wearable bladder ultrasound sensor, priced at $500 to tell you when it’s time to pee – the company behind it, DFree, aptly stands for “diaper free”.
When it comes to health monitoring, the show has lots to offer; a favourite this year has been a smart belt produced by Welt, a spin-off company of Samsung Electronics. A departure from the traditional smartwatch in that it also monitors your health by measuring your waist size, levels of overeating and physical activity. The belt also delivers advice to meet fitness goals and can send notifications when the user has been sitting for too long or eating too much.
If that sounds too invasive, you can keep monitoring your physical activity using a more conservative smartwatch: Garmin announced it was bringing LTE connectivity to the new version of its Vivoactive 3 Music watch, which means it will support 4G connection, letting you download music and share your location with your friends to increase morning run safety.
Headphones also got their share of attention at the show this year: Panasonic unveiled no less than four new sets, including the entry-level HF410 and NJ310, priced at £50 and coming in April. While they both include the Panasonic Extra Bass System, and can support eight and a half hours of playback on a full charge, Panasonic's HTX90 headphones include noise cancelling and voice assistant activation with a claimed 24 hours of continuous wireless play(£140).
And in other headphone news, Sony revealed this year that its WH-1000XM3 wireless headphones were getting Amazon Alexa support.
With wearables increasingly including sleep trackers, CES also went big on sleep tech this year. Most notably, Philips showcased a gadget to tackle snoring. Its SmartSleep Snoring Relief Band is worn your chest and is supposed to encourage you, as you sleep, to adopt positions that are least likely to induce snoring.
Smarthome at CES 2019
In the smart home, Google’s Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa are fighting for users’ time and attention. So naturally electronics companies around the world are working hard to incorporate both voice assistants in their devices. LG announced, for example, that Amazon’s Alexa would be coming to its smart TVs this year alongside Google Assistant, claiming that the two combined would let users access 85 per cent of devices on the smart-home market.
Many other manufacturers are showcasing products geared towards security, with smart doorbells and cameras proliferating. Netatmo, for example, unveiled a smart video doorbell that it has added to its HomeKit with a micro SD card supporting up to 32GBs of free recording, in 160-degree field of view. Arlo also announced its Ultra 4K HDR Outdoor smart camera, which it had introduced in November but it now available for purchase starting at $400. That’s only a sneak peak of the world of smart thermometers, light bulbs and even multicookers that was on show this year.
Among those, LG’s smart styler stood out – the device cares for your clothes by connecting to your washers and dryers, and then removing wrinkles for what the company claims is a professional dry cleaner result. And Kohler even came up with the Numi smart toilet 2.0, which promises an “immersive experience” on your convenience, featuring a heated seat, built-in speakers and ambient lighting.
It wouldn’t be a smart home without a smart sound system, and CES was overflowing with new connected audio technology. LG unveiled three new soundbars, the SL8, SL9 and SL10, all compatible with Google Assistant, and supporting both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio systems.
Samsung, for one, is obstinately trying to get its own voice assistant Bixby to break through, and is hoping to bring it to TVs, home appliances and mobile phones in 2019. Bixby, although it has received mixed reviews, will be re-deployed in an improved version of Family Hub – Samsung’s attempt to penetrate the smart home through your fridge via a large built-in touchscreen.
Bixby will also be available as a “digital cockpit” next year, meaning it should be coming to car interiors. Samsung has partnered with Harman, which it acquired in March 2017, to let users control their car from home, by asking Bixby to set a certain temperature or start a particular playlist. And although many doubt that Bixby will ever compete against Alexa, the South Korean company has made it clear that connectivity in the smart home is part of its vision for the next years.
Laptops and tablets at CES 2019
This year’s CES saw more iterative developments on laptops and tablets, rather than ground-breaking new technologies. Samsung announced a new line of PCs to work more flexibly called the Notebook 9 Pro, which comes with a new Notebook 9 Pen, that lets you take notes, sketch and draw directly on the screen. The South Korean company also announced the Notebook Odyssey – a PC designed with the gaming community in mind based on the idea that gaming on-the-go should be just as much of a thing as working on-the-go. The Odyssey is powered by Intel’s i7 processor and GeForce’s RTX GPU gaming graphics card.
Also showcased was the Samsung Space Monitor, a minimalist and moveable arm that stores your laptop screen against the wall to save space on your desk, whilst also conveniently keeping cables hidden within the arm. An idea so simple makes one wonder why it waited until 2019 to arrive.
LG announced a bunch of new lightweight Gram laptops – a 17-inch model that is 1.3 kilos and a 14-inch version coming in at 1.1 kilos. The latter, called the LG Gram 2-in-1, has a fully rotating screen that lets you flip between a laptop and a tablet. And HP staked everything on the Chromebook, with a new 14-inch Chromebook 14 powered by AMD’s A4 and A6 processors, and a more powerful Chromebook x360 14 G1, with more RAM and onboard storage, powered by Intel’s i3, i5 or i7 CPUs.
Finally, Huawei gave Apple yet another reason to worry: the flagship MateBook X Pro it showcased last year has been competition enough for the MacBrook Pro, and the Chinese company now has its eyes on the MacBook Air. At CES, it showcased the 13-inch MateBook 13, a thinner device than the latest MacBook Air with a touchscreen display, and, according to Huawei, up to ten hours of video playback. It is priced similarly to the MacBook Air at $1,299 and starts shipping at the end of January.
Cars and automotives at CES 2019
CES has become one of the flagship events in the car industry, rivalling the importance of the Geneva and Frankfurt motor shows. This year has seen particular efforts from automotive industry to push their connected models, as well as the electronics and software industry clamouring to announce initiatives and collaborations in the car sector. Panasonic, for instance, announced a partnership with Harley Davidson to bring cloud connectivity to the company’s motorcycles, such as the electric LiveWire with in-built cellular connection and GPS, and it can connect to your smartphone to check bike vitals, location and get security alerts.
Ford demoed how the use of vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology with Qualcomm’s 9150 chipset would let its cars communicate with other vehicles and traffic lights using 5G, starting in 2022. Meanwhile, while Aptiv and Valeo let CES visitors take a ride around the Las Vegas Strip in their driverless cars, Toyota offered up its “Guardian” system, which it has been developing for two years, to the whole industry. The Guardian driver assist system bridges between fully autonomous vehicles and traditional ones, by constantly monitoring the driver’s environment and sending an alert in the case of danger – and ultimately stepping in if necessary to avoid crashing.
Hyundai commitment to connectivity by bringing its Mobis team, which displayed new autonomous vehicle lighting that is meant to prevent collisions with pedestrians. Like a traffic light, the car can (intelligently) play with its LED lights to warn pedestrians of its next move, for example by switching on a red light when a pedestrian is detected – up to 450 feet away – to warn them not to cross a road.
The star of Hyundai’s show, however, was a walking car concept called the Elevate. By mounting a vehicle on robotic legs, the company does more than show off a design that is sure to please sci-fi fans. With its extra limbs, the Elevate can climb walls or step over gaps, according to the company. And the potential for workers that face inaccessible environments, such as rescue teams or fire fighters, could be huge. That is, if it doesn’t follow the path of Faraday Future’s FF91 – another much-hyped CES promise of a luxury EV from 2016, and that is yet to materialise.
Looking skywards, Bell unveiled the Nexus air taxi. The Texas military-turned-tech firm is a partner of Uber’s planned aerial service and has shown off a full-scale model (not a prototype) of its hybrid-electric, autonomous vertical takeoff and landing vehicle. The five-seater ride uses six tilted ducting fans for propulsion, and it could be flying by the mid 2020s. We’ll see.
Panasonic at CES 2019
Hoping to build on what it considers to be existing successful products, Panasonic this year is focusing on upgrades on bankable gear, such as its Lumix cameras, which were launched ten years ago, and which will again be available this March in their next evolution: the S series. The S series is the first generation of Panasonic’s full-frame mirrorless cameras, shooting at 60 frames per second and in 4K resolution, and including dual image stabilisation. The cameras will have high-resolution mode, which automatically shoots eight images before synthesising them in a single, final one.
After the salivating caused by last year’s high-end SP-10R and SL-1000R, it’s no surprise to see more record players from Panasonic in the form of the Technics DJ Turntable, coming this year in two new versions: the SL-1200 MK7 and the SL-1500C – new upgrades again of the original SL-1200 launched in 1972 for DJs and audio enthusiasts alike. The SL-1200 MK7 and the SL-1500C turntables both add a new slow-rotating direct drive motor to drive the platform.
However, the announcement Panasonic was clearly proudest of this year was undoubtedly its new GZ2000 OLED TV. A TV line-up – and potentially one including an 8K TV – was widely expected after last year’s two 4K OLED’s were announced, and although the GZ2000 remains in 4K, it supports both HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision HDR. Billed as Panasonic’s most advanced TV ever, the new flagship TV also earns brownie points with its audio system: its multiple built-in speakers, including upward-firing ones, were designed by the company’s Technics team to deliver Dolby Atmos content.
Finally, Panasonic wheeled out Harley Davidson’s brand-new LiveWire electric motorcycle – a connected bike with cloud connectivity powered by Panasonic. Users can check their bike status, GPS or connect to Bluetooth and other urban riders directly from their smartphone. Indeed, the appearance also marked the fact that from today you can now order a $29,799 LiveWire, should you be so inclined.
Google at CES 2019
At CES, Google stakes everything on software. Namely, on its Alexa competitor, the Google Assistant. Since last year the floor space that the tech giant dedicated to its has Assistant tripled – from 6,000 to 18,000 square feet. And every single one of its announcements mentioned Google Assistant in some way or another.
This is because Google wants to bring its software to as many devices as possible – in the race competition against Amazon, gathering the most data it crucial. This year, Google said that Assistant would – finally – be compatible with Sonos speakers. It will be deployed in the Sonos One and Sonos Beam, with earlier models to be upgraded later on, although an exact date is yet to be revealed.
Assistant will also be present in more smart TVs, with electronics companies such as Sony, Hisense or Philips set to include Android TV in their future products. Google has also worked with Lenovo to build an $80 smart touchscreen clock with built-in speakers, that of course works with Google Assistant to connect to other Google Home devices.
But Google Assistant also lives outside your home: the company announced that it is updating Google Maps to include Google Assistant on iOS and Android to let you navigate by voice only.
The onslaught doesn't stop there: Google Assistant will also soon be taking care of checking you in for your flights on certain airlines. For the moment, actually, on only one airline – United Airlines – but it is hoping to add new partners to the list. And it will also manage your hotel bookings on certain sites such as Traveclick or AccorHotels.
Google also announced a new “Interpreter” mode to be unrolled on its Google Home devices and activated, once again, via Google Assistant. “Hey Google, be my interpreter” will give you access to dozens of languages, according to the company, and let you hear translations or see them written on a screen. We don’t know the details of the technology so far, but hopefully it will be an upgrade on the promising live translation tool it showcased in 2017. And which is still awaiting experts’ stamp of approval.
Sony at CES 2019
Sony may have convinced Pharrell Williams to take time out from his holiday to talk about its tight relationships with its creators but the VIP appearance didn’t disguise the fact that next to no announcements were made by the tech giant. The pop star sparked the audience’s curiosity by mentioning a mysterious audio technology that Sony is working on in Tokyo but no concrete details were given.
The company, however, did mention a significant upgrade to its Master Series TVs, albeit only briefly. Still, the upgrade is significant: Sony, like many others this year, is embarking on the 8K journey with a new Master Series Z9G that comes supersized in 85-inch and 98-inch LED screens. The range includes the Sony Picture Processor X1 Ultimate, which it claims can upscale 4K content to 8K for super-accurate reproduction.
Unfortunately, the LED screen doesn’t lend itself to Sony’s sound-to-picture technology, which it showcased last year and consists of using an OLED screen to recreate sound as if it were coming from actors on the screen instead of speakers. The new Z9G model instead features two speakers on the top of the screen and two at the bottom, which the company claims has the same effect as OLED sound-to-picture.
Sony also revealed that new A9G OLED screens are coming in different sizes, from 55 inches to 98 inches, all in 4K and featuring the X1 Ultimate processor and a very slim profile.
Apart from TVs, very little hardware was announced by Sony. The company instead focused on re-establishing its desire to act as a bridge between creators and the public. As proof of its success so far, it highlighted that 5.6 million PlayStations 4 consoles were sold during this holiday season.
Elsewhere, its line of Extra Bass speakers that has been revamped with five new speakers to include, for example, a “party” speaker to deliver more powerful sound when in “outdoor party” mode. Those will ship this spring and range from $60 to $350. In the design category, its luxury Glass Sound Speaker, which can be controlled via Bluetooth and Spotify Connect, has been treated to a tweaked form factor.
Later in 2019, Bravia TVs will get IMAX Enhanced certified movies including Venom, Spiderman: Homecoming and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle via RakutenTV. Plus it’s been working on spatial audio tech that mimics live concerts. It’s called 360 Reality Audio and Sony has demo booths at CES.
LG at CES 2019
It is the age of the smart home and LG is trying to make an impact in the space. Last year it introduced LG ThinQ, its AI smart home platform that works with Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa and focuses on offering personalised lifestyle recommendations.
Now, LG wants ThinQ to be integrated into as many devices as possible in your home. In fact, the company claims to have invented a brand new smart home category. For those who were enthused by smart fridges or smart microwaves, LG’s “smart clothing care” is sure to be a hit. The LG Styler smart steam cupboard connects to your washer and dryer. It’s designed to reduce wrinkles to keep clothes presentable without having to pay a visit to the dry cleaner.
Far from being relegated to household appliances, LG is also bringing more AI capabilities to its TVs. It announced that the a9 Gen 2 processor, built in house, will be deployed in its new, and first, 8K OLED TV – an impressive 88-inch screen with over 33 million self-emitting pixels. The a9 Gen 2’s job? To make sure that every one of those pixels delivers information that is as complete as possible. The TV will react to its visual and audio environment, as well as to the quality of its source content, to optimise tone mapping, brightness and sound.
Unmissable was the LG Signature OLED TV R, an upgrade on the 65-inch rollable TV it presented last year, which can roll in and out of a Dolby Atmos soundbar without having to be set against a wall. It’s a sophisticated piece of technology that delivers on the company’s promise to make TV less obtrusive.
LG also exhibited a new series of LCD TVs with nano-bezel displays that make for sleek designs. LG’s smart TVs are now compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and there’s also a partnership with Apple to bring Siri, AirPlay 2 and HomeKit to its TVs.
And because LG likes the quirky, it also introduced a gadget that will make for catchy headlines: the LG Home Brew. A cross between a Nespresso machine and your local pub, it lets you create five different types of beers, ranging from India Pale Ale to Stout, by inserting a capsule containing malt, yeast, hot boil and flavouring. The device takes two weeks to complete the fermentation, carbonation and aging processes. Whether it is worth the wait is yet to be seen.
Samsung at CES 2019
“It’s more than a fridge. It’s the Family Hub.” Samsung’s tag line for its app-based smart refrigerator may sound over the top – but more importantly, it highlights how keen the company is on making Bixby the next big thing in the household. The smart home, indeed, was a major theme of its 2019 CES conference, with a redesigned “canvas” (some may call it a screen) for its smart fridge, where family members can leave photos and notes by uploading them from their smartphones, as well as use Bixby to order an Uber, check who is at the door or find a recipe.
Of course, Bixby is also available, along with Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa, on Samsung’s range of smart TVs, which the company also announced would grow to include a variety of larger 8K screens. In a continuation of The Wall – the 146-inch MicroLED-powered screen it showcased last year – the company announced a 98-inch QLED TV with HDMI 2.1 ports to support 8K content. Samsung says it is using AI to upscale existing content and render it in 33 million pixels. And like The Wall, its modular design blends into your living room, rather than requiring that you change your space to accommodate it.
In an unsurprising move, Samsung also announced four new 8K TVs coming in different sizes: 65-inch, 75-inch, 82-inch and 85-inch. Both iTunes (Movies and TV shows) and AirPlay 2 are coming to Samsung’s smart TVs in over 190 countries from the spring.
In laptops, Samsung has a new line of PCs for working on-the-go: the Notebook 9 Pro, “for the next generation workforce”, will use Intel’s core I7 processor and have 8GB of RAM along with 256 GB of storage. But what stole the show was the Notebook Odyssey, which will run on Nvidia’s new GeForce RTX 2080, and is sure to make waves with gamers. Also of interest is its minimalist Space Monitor, available in 27-inch QHD and 32-inch 4K UHD models, and with desk space saving in mind.
Samsung’s partnership with Harman continues with its Digital Cockpit 2019. Features include remote checks on fuel levels or the car’s temperature and onboard cameras that allow the system to personalise seat height, lighting, playlists and displays.
Finally, Samsung closed the conference with a demo from its new Samsung Bot Care. This is a robot about half the size of a human with endearing blinking eyes, and which describes itself as an “AI companion”. In terms of features, it monitors health features such as blood pressure and heart rate to deliver daily health briefings and exercise guidance. Bot Care also lets you stay up-to-date with the health data of your family members, even from a distance, and can make emergency calls if necessary.
Apple at CES
Apple never has a public presence at CES: it doesn't have a stall in any of Vegas' myriad of conference centres or showrooms. (Although it is likely to have staff in attendance and use the gathering to conduct private meetings with the companies it works with).
However, in 2019 it has made a statement for all to see. On the side of the Spencer Hill Marrirott hotel Apple has plastered a giant advert. Attempting to take a swipe at the privacy practices of Google's Android platform it states: "What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone." A link directs people to Apple's privacy pages. Don't expect any other announcements though, this is likely to be the full extent of the firm's CES 2019.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
