CES 2020 Press Day: Foldable phones, veggie pork and LG's $60K rollable TV
CES 2020 doesn't open until tomorrow, but there's already a ton to see and taste. Like Sony has a car now?
We're almost at the end of the official CES press day. Typically the most exciting and jam-packed day of the show, it brings back-to-back press conferences from not just longtime tech stalwarts like LG and Sony , but also car companies and Impossible Foods. Here's what's caught our eye so far.
See also
- CNET's 20 favorite products of CES 2020
- All the cool new gadgets at CES 2020
- Full coverage of CES 2020
More like C-TV-S
Remember that eye-popping LG TV from CES last year that rolled up into a box? Well, it's back in Las Vegas with a release date of later this year (LG originally had said 2019). Now, if you're drooling over adding such a conversation piece to your living room, you may want to grab a tissue. That smooth sliding action will likely cost you $60,000, or many times the cost of that vintage furniture where you planned to recline while binge-watching Succession.
The Dance of The Rolling OLED Fairies is back at LG's #CES2020 booth, now with 10 drop-DOWN screens. pic.twitter.com/g8Oj8fHEp3
— David Katzmaier (@dkatzmaier) January 6, 2020
Ridiculously large TVs are a CES staple and Samsung didn't disappoint. The Wall measures 292 inches (that's over 24 feet or 7.4 meters), which is the largest TV CNET's David Katzmaier has ever seen at CES. And considering how many TVs David has seen, and how many times he's been to CES, that's saying an awful lot. Samsung also showed a 150-inch version with 8K resolution, another 8K TV with barely any bezel and a TV called the Sero that can flip from a landscape to a phone-like portrait orientation. You know, because a way to stop looking at your phone so much is to just look at your TV instead.
Samsung's The Wall is the biggest TV ever seen at CES, at least until next year.
Sony has a concept car now
The car was built by Sony's AI and robotics team -- the same crew who make the company's cute robotic dog Aibo. The concept doesn't even have a name just yet (its code name was Safety Cocoon) -- although it has been fully road tested. According to Sony, this is to ensure the vehicle and its platform Vision-S will comply with safety regulations.
Outlined briefly on stage Monday night, takes advantage of Sony's expertise in sensors, imaging and entertainment to be used in the next generation of electric vehicles.
Oh, Sony also announced a logo for the PS5. Yes, a logo.
Sex tech gets respect
Though sex tech has made controversial appearances at CES before, this is the first year it has a place on the show floor. Last night, startup Lora DiCarlo showed the Osé, a device that uses advanced microrobotics to produce a blended orgasm. Lori DiCarlo also brought two new products to Vegas. The Baci is a "microrobotic pleasure device that simulates the feel and motion of the human lips and tongue" and the Onda is designed to replicate the motion of human fingers.
The Osé is back at CES, this time for good.
Foldable phones and laptops
TCL says it has a foldable phone that will cost less than the gorgeous $1,500 foldable Motorola Razr flip phone released in October. After seeing TCL's still-unnamed device in concept form at MWC 2019, CNET's Jessica Dolcourt was able to play with a working prototype today. Though the software was a bit clunky, she says, it has enough tension in its hinge (unlike other foldable phones). Also from TCL, Jessica was drawn to a "beautiful" Galaxy S10 lookalike that costs less than $500.
Phones aren't the only things that are folding. Dell showed the Concept Ori, a large, folding tablet that can close up like a book to protect the screen. Dell also had the Concept Duet, which has a more conventional design with two displays separated by hinge. You can use the displays separately or together as one big desktop.
Lenovo joined in the foldable fun with the ThinkPad X1 Fold. It's a 13-inch OLED slate that can bend in half widthwise, forming what looks like a mini clamshell laptop. Or when full unfolded and rotated to a landscape orientation, just add a keyboard and mouse, flip out the slim kickstand and you have a desktop computer.
Lenovo's Yoga 5G is the first 5G-equipped PC, and the first powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx 5G Compute Platform. It also promises a full day of battery life. When you can't get enough notifications, Lenovo ThinkBook Plus has a secondary 10.8-inch E Ink display that will show your all-important intrusions even when the laptop is closed.
Veggie pork? Not impossible
Impossible Foods, the company behind the veggie burger that bleeds is back with a plant-based version of the other white meat. Impossible Pork looks strikingly similar to real pork, it's halal and kosher certified, and it supposedly tastes just the same. Impossible also will launch Impossible Sausage later this month.
BB-8, is that you?
Not quite. It's Samsung's Ballie, a round rolling robot that looks like the tennis ball you send your dog to fetch (they might share the name Ballie, as well). According to Samsung, Ballie "understands you, supports you and reacts to your needs to be actively helpful around the house." Can it make dinner and open a ball of wine every night? Unclear.
Ballie!
On the road and in the air
Bosch showed a Virtual Visor that promises to end sun glare when driving. Using AI to locate a driver's facial features, it will selectively block sunshine as the car moves.
Car speakers are so five minutes ago. Sennheiser and Continental, best known for its tires, want to pump your music into your car by vibrating interior components like the dashboard, A-pillar trim and door panel. Singing with your dashboard sounds weird, but the benefits to your ears and your car's design could be big.
Continental's Ac2ated Sound system eliminates speakers by essentially vibrating various interior components.
Hyundai wants to build air taxis for Uber's Elevate urban air travel service. The Hyundai Urban Air Mobility S-A1 seats five, including the pilot, and has a top speed of 200 mph and a range of 60 miles. The four electrically driven props rotate to let it take off vertically, much like a quadcopter drone.
Forget smart locks, you need a smart door
LG has a shiny silver door for your posh home of the future that scans your face and palm for identity. And to deter package thieves (if packages even exist by the time this thing goes on sale), it also includes in-built delivery receptacles -- one for packages and one for perishables.
For a door, it's kind of cute.
Keyboard odds and tablet ends
Tired of food falling into your keyboard as you eat another deskbound lunch? Or maybe you just need more desk space? Then keep watch on Samsung and its plan for an invisible keyboard. Using the front-facing selfie camera on your phone or tablet, the "SelfieType" promises to use AI to "see" your fingers as you tap them on the desk in front of your propped-up phone.
Alienware has long been in the business of trying to turn all kinds of gadgets into full-fledged gaming devices. Some creations were more miss than hit, but its latest creation is particularly promising. Showing at CES, the Concept UFO is two paddle-like controllers that you can attach to a Windows 10 tablet. The result looks and feels a lot like the Nintendo Switch.
