American entertainment capital Las Vegas, Nevada proudly hosted the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES). From Jan. 6 to Jan. 9, 2016, industry analysts, marketing executives, bloggers, and the technologically inclined visited conference centres across the Las Vegas Strip to view the latest trends and gadgets from across the world.
In comparison to the larger press events held by companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft, CES typically features a combination of large and small manufacturers—as well as up-and-coming corporations looking to showcase their newest and freshest ideas.
8K is the new 4K
CES typically features a multitude of technologies targeted at home demographics. Revolutionary fridges with tablets, disruptive ovens, and refreshing designs for beverage consumption are all present in Las Vegas. However, the most popular gadgets—and the ones most likely to be sought after and purchased by the average consumer—are the absurd number of television sets on display.
Every year, image capturing technology comes one step closer to replicating the quality of the human eye, and, every year, television manufacturers reveal screens capable of featuring this image quality. While 3D television and Smart TVs appear to be a fading fad, substance over style remains the defining feature of the modern television.
2015’s CES featured a small handful of companies devoted to capitalizing on 4K resolution. This year, however, almost every television manufacturer revealed a 4K television. Some companies, like LG, even unveiled 8K displays. LG was particularly audacious, revealing what the company calls an “8K Super UHD [ultra high definition] TV” with a 98-inch display. LG’s mammoth-sized television featured a slideshow of images with an 8K resolution, as there is so little content available in 8K.
Tablets are still popular, but ultrabooks are cool too
Though iOS and Android remain two of the most popular mobile platforms on the planet, Microsoft’s attempt at bridging the gap between computer, tablet, and smartphone—Windows 10—has seemingly inspired resurgence in ultrabook popularity. Ultrabooks rose in popularity during the early years of tablet dominance, and were a suggestion that extremely lightweight laptops did not need to be burdened by sluggish performance. However, a high price tag, coupled with subpar technical specifications prevented ultrabooks from ever achieving market dominance like tablets. Consumers were comfortable with restrictive tablet operating systems, but the notion of a full-fledged desktop operating system not being able to run high-end programs was too much to bear.
However, CES 2016 featured companies like Lenovo, Acer, Asus, and Samsung capitalizing on a slew of new hardware that reduces a computer’s footprint, while maximizing performance and battery life.
The Lenovo Yoga 900S is a convertible laptop that features a 12.5-inch touchscreen, quad-high-definition (QHD) display. It houses up to an Intel Core m7 processor—part of a line of Intel chips designed to provide desktop-quality performance for incredibly thin machines—and will only cost US$1,099 at launch.
While the Yoga 900S is impressive from both a hardware and software perspective—the Yoga 900S’s screen can be folded backwards—the Razer Blade Stealth is perhaps even more compelling.
The Razer Blade Stealth comes in two variants: QHD, with a 2560 x 1440 display, and UHD, with a 3840 x 2160 display. Both variants feature a 12.5-inch, capacitive multi-touch display, all powered by the same Intel Skylake i7 chip. The Razer Blade Stealth is manufactured and designed by Razer, a gaming company known for its almost painfully expensive computers. However, unlike its older cousins, the Razer Blade Stealth begins at US$999, with the most expensive model costing a relatively reasonable US$1,599.
Thanks to better hardware and small changes in the industry, ultrabooks have not only become desirable machines for both low-end and extreme usage, they’ve also become quite affordable in the process.
Smarter homes, virtual reality, and more
Far from being a convention dedicated to addressing the latest trends in computing and mobile technology, CES boasts a wide variety of home- and gaming-related gadgets as well. LG unveiled their Signature Fridge—a refrigerator with a glass panel that, when tapped, allows one to peek and see what’s inside. Not to be outdone, Samsung unveiled a fridge with a large touch screen embedded into the door. Users will be able to access basic weather and calendar apps, and also use the fridge to place online orders.
Consumers interested in virtual reality headgear need not wait any longer: preorders for the Oculus Rift are not only open, but headsets will begin shipping on March 28, 2016. The device will retail for US$600. While the price might seem steep for what could be another brief technological fad, companies like Dell and Asus have already begun announcing bundles to subsidize costs. Consumers who purchase an Oculus-certified desktop, for example, receive a US$200 discount on the cost of a Rift.
CES is more than just a convention for companies looking to release technology in the near future. Quite the contrary, the convention is also a destination for tinkerers and dreamers alike. For instance, Faraday Future unveiled a concept for an 1,000 horsepower all-electric sports car, while Intel revealed a Segway capable of transforming into a mobile robotic personal helper.
The tech unveiled by both Faraday Futures and Intel are representative of the precise reason behind CES’s existence: it’s a place to not only reveal in the science and technology of today, but also a place to watch as science fiction slowly becomes reality.