UPDATED 10:00 EDT / JANUARY 05 2018

EMERGING TECH

CES 2018: What to expect from Samsung, LG, Dell and more

The 51st annual Consumer Electronics Show kicks off in Las Vegas next week, but many companies will reveal their new products this weekend.

They’ll be clustered on a handful of technologies, including fifth-generation or 5G wireless communications technology, over-the-air wireless charging technology, augmented reality, smart cars and smart home gadgets and accompanying digital assistants. Here’s a look at what product launches we can expect to see, as well as how you can watch the show if you aren’t in Vegas:

What to expect at CES 2018

Samsung

Ahead of the start of CES, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has already unveiled some of its products that it will showcase at the tech show.

These include the CJ791, Samsung’s latest curved QLED (quantum-dot light-emitting diodes) monitor that supports Thunderbolt 3, allowing the monitor to receive video and power from the connected laptop. The 34-inch curved display offers a 21:9 aspect ratio, 3440-by-1440 resolution, and a four-millisecond response time. Full specs, price and availability will be announced at CES.

Samsung Thunderbolt 3 monitor

Samsung Thunderbolt 3 monitor

In addition to its next wave of QLED TVs, Samsung will unveil its new wall-mountable soundbar, the NW700 Sound+. It sports distortion-canceling technology and supports three sound modes, including a “smart” mode that automatically adjusts volume and surround-sound effects based on what is being viewed.  

Samsung’s Creative Lab program will unveil some of its new creative projects at CES. These include S-Ray (Sound Ray), a portable directional speaker that individuals can carry with them and listen to music without disturbing the people around them. Samsung will showcase a variety of S-Ray options, including Neckband, Handy and smartphone cover. GoBreath, a portable device and mobile app, combines exercises and recovery techniques for people with lung damage. The Relúmĭno smart visual aid eyeglasses are created for people with vision challenges and will allow them to see images clearer when they are reading a book or viewing an object.

Samsung will also unveil its midrange Galaxy A8 that it announced in December. One of its unique features is the inclusion of dual front-facing cameras for selfies with blurred backgrounds.

Previous reports suggested that Samsung would cameo its upcoming flagships, the Galaxy S9 and S9+, at CES, but these claims were denied by the company. With the launch of the flagships reportedly taking place ahead of Mobile World Congress next month, we could get see Samsung unveil the Galaxy X, its foldable smartphone, at CES.

LG

Like Samsung, LG Corp. has unveiled a few new products ahead of the tech show. These include its new 88-inch organic light-emitting diode, or OLED, display with an 8K resolution that will one day be used in the biggest and highest-resolution OLED TV.

LG will also unveil its next lineup of OLED TVs, which will include Google Assistant Integration in addition to the company’s “ThinQ” artificial intelligence technology. With ThinQ AI, users can search for soundtracks from the movie they are watching, can instruct the TV to be turned off when the movie ends, and it can serve as a central smart home hub.  

With Google Assistant integration, users will also have access to all of the benefits of the digital assistant, including controlling smart home devices.  

LG ThinQ smart home speaker

LG ThinQ smart home speaker

In addition to Google Assistant in its TVs, LG also plans to unveil its ThinQ Speaker, a smart home speaker with Google Assistant integration. LG refers to the ThinQ Speaker as a “premium audio product” that will offer high-quality sound thanks to a partnership with Meridian Audio Ltd.

Like Samsung, LG is also unveiling upgraded monitors. One of these new monitors is the new 32-inch UHD 4K monitor, which offers LG’s Nano IPS technology, features a Thunderbolt 3 docking display to support 4K daisy chaining and connects to a laptop via Thunderbolt 3.

Dell

Dell Inc. will showcase its new XPS 13 at CES next week. Upgrades to the laptop include the inclusion of eighth-generation Core CPUs and increased claimed battery life of up to 19 hours. The company has further reduced the bezels and made the XPS 13 lighter and thinner.

Sony

Sony Corp. normally reveals its new devices at MWC, but the company could announce as many as three new smartphones at CES, if reports are to be believed.

Smart fashion products, robots and more

All the large tech companies will be at CES, but it’s also host to a range of weird and wonderful products from lesser-known companies.

Some of these products include an intelligent scarf, designed to detect and protect users from air pollution, and smart underpants that will block mobile and Wi-Fi radiation.

There were a lot of robots around during CES 2017 and that’s unlikely to change this year. Up until now, however, robots have been hit-and-miss. LG will showcase a trio of robots at CES called CLOi that can handle tasks like food delivery and baggage handling, while the final one sports a shopping basket and barcode reader.

Attendees at CES can also play Scrabble against a robot, designed by the Taiwan-based Industrial Technology Research Institute. The Scrabble-playing robot will also be able to pour its opponent a cup of coffee.  

Stealth startup AiFi will be showcasing its Holo Messenger app, an AR app built with Apple Inc.’s ARKit. You can watch it in action in the video below:

In addition, CES 2018 will showcase some of the latest autonomous cars, electric cars and car tech. Many of the big car manufacturers will be there, including Kia Motor Corp.’s all-electric concept car, Toyota Motor Corp.’s autonomous car prototype, Byton’s “Smart Intuitive Vehicle” and a new infotainment system from Mercedes-Benz AG. Aptiv Plc and Lyft Inc. will showcase its fully autonomous ride-hailing service.

How to watchthe event

If you can’t attend CES in person, you can still watch all the action from the comfort of your home or office, thanks to the event’s official livestream. Sign up on the official CES live stream page.

If you are interested in specific announcements from certain companies, some will also be offering a livestream of their press conferences. These include Panasonic on Monday at 10 a.m. PST; Samsung on Monday at 2 p.m. PST; Sony on Monday at 5 p.m.; Nikon on Tuesday at 11 a.m; and Huawei on Tuesday at 2 p.m PST.

One no-show, however, will be Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, who bowed out reportedly after receiving death threats. Pai’s decision to end net neutrality rules has spurred heated criticism from many quarters in the tech industry.

Main image: CES

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