If you’re a big techie like me, January is a big month. Why? Because it’s CES time! For the unfamiliar, CES showcases the latest technologies for displays, computing, smart homes, and much more, with the biggest names in tech participating in the show. And for CES 2024, there was a lot to see.
From tech that consumers can experience soon to ones that are far from ready but still have an exciting concept, here was the best of what CES 2024 had to offer.
LG’s Wireless Transparent OLED TV
LG has previously showcased transparent TVs and wireless TVs, but for this year’s CES, it is combining the two.
Enter the LG SIGNATURE OLED T. It combines a transparent 4K OLED screen with the company’s wireless video and audio transmission technology to create a visual spectacle and unique opportunities for home décor.
Previously, homeowners would be limited to placing against a wall, and even then, there is little they can do with the black screen when it isn’t turned on. With the LG OLED T, the TV is practically invisible when turned off, allowing users to see through it. In that sense, the device can be placed nearly anywhere, like the middle of the room as a divider, or even against the window to see the outside.
This flexibility in placement is helped by the included Zero Connect Box, which uses LG’s wireless transmission technology to send 4K images and sound to the OLED T without the TV needing to be connected to an electrical outlet. From here, users can use the TV in two modes — transparent and opaque. Transparent mode can showcase artwork, videos or photos, with the surrounding transparent background making it seem like the content is floating in the air.
Meanwhile, the opaque mode turns it back into a more traditional television device. By pushing a button, the OLED T raises a black screen to add contrast to whatever is being showcased on the display.
The mad thing about the LG OLED T is that this isn’t a concept. LG intends to sell this to consumers this year, though expect only those with fat wallets to be able to afford this TV.
igloohome’s Deadbolt 3S Smart Lock
We’ve got local representation at CES 2024 with igloo, a company that provides smart lock devices that consumers may be familiar with. Their home division, igloohome, has something that homeowners can get excited about.
Its newest concept is the Deadbolt 3S, a lock that natively communicates with Matter devices. If you aren’t familiar with Matter, it is a new smart home standard launched in late 2022 and is built by Apple, Google, Amazon, and Samsung. Essentially, it was created to make smart homes easier to use, where gadgets will be able to work with devices and smart home platforms from other manufacturers using a common communication protocol.
With that in mind, the Deadbolt 3S will be able to connect with devices such as smart speakers and hubs, allowing users to automate their security seamlessly. Already, devices like the Apple HomePod and Google’s Nest Hub Max have Mattar support, and others like LG’s smart TVs will soon integrate compatibility into their new and existing products — expect more avenues to control the smart door lock.
Besides native Mattar communication, the Deadbolt 3S has also equipped other smart features like Siri shortcuts, voice commands, and Apple Watch gestures into the igloohome app, making it even easier for users to use the smart door lock.
There’s no information on whether this smart door lock will be coming soon, but when it does, it could be the most all-rounded lock consumers can get for their homes.
QD-OLED gaming monitors from Alienware
The monitor scene is getting even better, particularly for gaming monitors. For Alienware specifically, the company aims to take the gaming experience to the next level by introducing its latest QD-OLED gaming monitors.
That’s right, it’s plural. Alienware has unveiled two new monitors that have QD-OLED displays at CES 2024. QD-OLED brings the best of both worlds from the QLED (high brightness) and OLED (rich contrast) technologies, though it is more commonly seen on TVs. Alienware has already broken ground in the monitor space by introducing their very own QD-OLED monitor back in 2022, and the new duo is set to expand the company’s lineup.
Alienware’s new monitors have some never-before-seen features to look forward to. The first is the Alienware 32 4K QD-OLED Gaming Monitor, which is the world’s first 4K QD-OLED gaming monitor with Dolby Vision HDR and enables gamers to experience a more realistic picture filled with incredible brightness, wider contrast, more vivid colours, and crisper detail.
Meanwhile, the Alienware 27 360Hz QD-OLED Gaming Monitor is the first to offer a native refresh rate of up to 360Hz. Just like the Alienware 32 4K QD-OLED, the Alienware 27 360Hz QD-OLED Gaming Monitor brings the stunning visual qualities of QD-OLED display technology. Still, gamers can take advantage of the silky smooth refresh rate for competitive gaming.
There is no news on what these two devices will cost, but expect them to arrive sometime this year. If you want to upgrade your monitor setup, there isn’t a better time than when these monitors are available.
Sony shows off more of its AFEELA concept car
The common assumption is that Sony’s presence at CES will bring big details about their TV and PlayStation line, but this isn’t the case. Instead, the company uses the event platform to talk about its conceptual projects, and the AFEELA is one of them.
Shown at previous CES presentations, the AFEELA prototype car (made in collaboration with Honda) is back for CES 2024, this time with new updates. At the presentation, Sony was eager to showcase the car not just as a vehicle for mobility, but for entertainment as well.
The front of the car features a long strip of screen that can be used for various purposes. Want to watch a movie? The car lets you do so, with the car speakers firing up to evoke a thumping cinema experience — the seats even rumble with the acoustics. The same applies to gaming, where you can pair a DualSense controller with the car and remote play your slate of games.
Additionally, Sony announced a partnership with Microsoft to create a conversational
personal agent for AFEELA using their Azure OpenAI Service.
It’ll still be some time before the car becomes an actual product, though we are inching ever closer. Sony states that the car will be available for pre-orders in 2025, with plans to deliver the vehicle to consumers in 2026.
Samsung’s Music Frame
You may be familiar with The Frame TV from Samsung as a design centrepiece, turning a conventional TV into one that adds to the home’s aesthetics, featuring custom bezels and a rotating cycle of artwork that makes it appear as though it is a painted piece. Now apply that same concept to a speaker, and you get Samsung’s Music Frame.
This is a speaker system that similarly blends into your home’s decor — a framed art piece that few would realise has a secondary function to it. For the Music Frame, it uses a physical print at the front, which you can customise the look. At CES 2024, the device featured various images, from portraiture shots to abstract visuals, and you could easily change up the prints depending on your mood.
As for its sound performance, Samsung states that the Music Frame will contain two woofers, a pair of tweeters, and midrange drivers, alongside waveguides to ensure sound spreads across a room. More interestingly, the device can be paired with Samsung’s TVs to offer surround sound audio.
No details have been made about its price or launch period, but if the Music Frame is anywhere as popular as The Frame TV, expect to see lots of it when you go house-visiting.
New Zenbok Duo from ASUS
According to ASUS, one screen is just not enough for a laptop anymore. The company has previously produced a dual-screen laptop, the Zenbook Duo, but its newest iteration goes one step further.
Instead of a small secondary display that sits within the keyboard deck like before, the new Zenbook Duo will have an additional 14-inch screen. But where is it located? Underneath the keyboard, that is! The Zenbook Duo looks and functions like a traditional laptop, but you can detach the keyboard to reveal the display below.
From here, you can utilise it in ‘Dual Screen’ mode, where the two 14-inch screens are stacked together vertically and propped up with the built-in kickstand. The taller form factor enables more productivity, letting users multitask with two programs running simultaneously while running them in their native aspect ratios. Alternatively, users can arrange the screens vertically for ‘Desktop’ mode, which provides a larger display for viewing content in a portrait format. Lastly, ‘Sharing’ mode has users eschew the keyboard entirely and lay it flat so that two people can collaborate sitting across from each other.
As for specs, the displays use an OLED panel with a 2880 x 1800 resolution capable of a peak brightness of 500 nits in addition to having a 120 Hz refresh rate. The performance will come from the Intel Core Ultra 9, which will work alongside the Intel Arc Graphics.
You’ll be glad to know that the device is already available for pre-order at the ASUS Online Store. It will retail at S$2,999 and officially release on 23 February 2024.
Have these new tech devices at CES 2024 excited you for what’s coming up? Be sure to let us know by hitting us up on our socials on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok!
Visuals courtesy of LG Singapore, igloo, Dell Singapore, Sony Singapore, and ASUS.
