CES 2024 is now in full swing, and unsurprisingly there are far too many announcements for any one person to be able to keep up with. We already saw a bunch of fantastic announcements ahead of the show, and so far Las Vegas has been host to brand new TVs, appliances and even a smarter toilet — to name but a few.
But that’s only scratching the surface, and as we head into Day 2 there’s plenty more exciting and fascinating products on display. Products like smart iPhone docks, new mobile gaming controllers and a brand new kind of foldable phone. It’s only a concept, but it’s exciting to see where that could go in the future.
Now that Day 2 of CES 2024 is here, these are 9 more gadgets that you need to know about.
Samsung Flex Liple and Flex In And Out
Samsung has been the king of foldable phones for a long time, and is faring pretty well in the face of increased competition. But where can foldable displays go from here? Well the new concept devices from Samsung Display have some ideas with the Flex Liple and Flex In and Out concept phones.
The Liple doesn’t shut the same way as, say, a Galaxy Z Flip 5. It’s got two asymmetrical halves, and that means part of the screen is still visible when the phone is shut. The idea is that this functions a little bit like a cover display, without looking quite so sleek. The Flex In and Out is definitely more exciting, since the hinge is capable of moving a full 360 degrees.
Who needs a cover display when the phone bends in such a way that the main screen is effectively a cover display? But while visually appealing, I do wonder how practical it might be. Good thing these are only concept phones, giving Samsung time to figure that out. However it does mean there’s no guarantee that these designs will ever be used in a commercial phone. Certainly not anytime soon.
TCL QM89 115-inch Mini-LED TV
Back at IFA last year TCL wow’d us with its 98-inch Quantum Dot mini LED TV screen. Now the company is pushing that further, and boosting the size up to a whopping 115-inches with the QM89 Mini-LED TV. This is a screen with a peak brightness of 5,000 nits, over 20,000 local dimming zones, 144Hz refresh rate and a 98% DCI-P3 color gamut.
Needless to say this is an impressive piece of kit, especially at such a large size. Naturally for a 2024 screen, this also comes with the AIPQ Ultra Processor to power all the local dimming zones, plus AI upscaling and color production for better picture quality.
Unfortunately we don’t know how much it’s going to cost yet, though in this case it’s probably one of those times when having to ask for a price tag automatically means you can’t afford it.
Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 4
This isn’t just your ordinary run-of-the-mill CES laptop, complete with all the AI features one would expect from this year’s show. The ThinkBook 13x Gen 4 does have AI, thanks to the Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, but crucially it also supports Lenovo’s new Magic Bay magnetic accessories — letting you add extra functionality to the laptop on the fly.
There’s the Magic Bay Studio that takes advantage of Pogo pins at the top of the display to add a 4K, AI-enhanced webcam plus two additional speakers for better sound during video calls. Prototype accessories also include a miniature fan, a modular SSD, a robot assistant that smiles, a mirror with an LED light bar and a standalone light bar in different colors.
The laptop itself starts at $1,399, with up to 32GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage in a 13.5-inch laptop. There’s 120Hz refresh rate, 3 USB-C ports, a headphone jack and a 74Whr battery rated for 11.4 hours of web browsing.
Serafim S3 mobile gaming controller
The BackBone One may be one of the big players in the mobile gaming scene, but the Serafim S3 mobile gaming controller is looking like a serious contender. On the basic level there’s a comfortable ergonomic grip and compatibility with a whole range of phones, there’s also ‘Hall Effect’ joysticks and triggers.
That means it’s impossible for those sticks to drift while also offering smooth, seamless movement. Anyone that’s had a busted Nintendo Switch knows how big a deal this is. The companion app will also offer a bunch of the same features as the competition, including easy access to recently played titles, one click recording and screenshotting. And without needing a subscription.
The Serafim S3 is compatible with Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation, Steam, Google Play, Amazon Luna and Nvidia GeForce now. The company is aiming to release in the first half of this year for an unspecified price point “under $199″.
Samsung Ballie
First LG announced an AI companion that roams your home, and now so does Samsung. Meet Ballie, a round (ish) droid that can roam around your home and do a bunch of stuff while it’s exploring. And yes, much like a dog, this robot will come and greet you at your front door when you get in from work. It’ll also respond to summons, which is more than I can say for my dogs.
Other functions here include the ability to control smart home products, and the ability to learn and adapt from your routine to do stuff automatically. But the key feature is that Ballie is also a fully-functional projector. The bot can automatically adjust its position and picture based on ambient light and wall distance. The downside is we don’t know when it’ll go on sale or how much it might cost.
ASUS ROG Falchion RX Low Profile keyboard
As someone with an aging laptop, it’s frustrating to find that the keyboard starts dying long before the machine itself. That makes working on the go, without my mechanical keyboard, rather tricky. But the new ASUS ROG Falchion RX Low Profile keyboard could be a possible solution.
This keyboard is small and compact enough that it’ll fit in your bag, but crucially still has the same tactile sensation of a full-size mechanical keyboard. And to make it slightly less annoying for people out in the world, a layer of integrated silicone foam will reduce the clicky-clacky noises mechanical keyboards are known for.
The RX Low profile can toggle between Windows and Mac modes and connects to your machine with a 2.5GHz dongle. The small size still has space for volume and media controls, and an interactive (totally customizable) touch panel. Plus there’s an optional protective cover to keep those keys safe. The only downside? Pricing and availability hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro
iOS 17 has a little-known feature called DockKit, which solves a major problem for smarter Phone stands — namely the need to pair to a companion app. It’s just that the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro is the first to actually take advantage of it and push all those smart features through the iPhone Camera app.
As the name suggests this is a stand that can automatically track you, with the aid of a MagSafe connector and a 360-degree swiveling stand. Not to mention automatic pairing, the likes of which you’ll be familiar with if you own Apple AirPods, and five hours battery that lets you use the stand on the go. Oh and it will recharge your iPhone in the process, thanks to 15W wireless charging.
Pre-orders for the Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro open at the end of the month, and you’ll have to part with $180 if you want to purchase one.
Adobe Edge outdoor security camera
Security cameras are great, so long as they’re within range of your Wi-Fi. LTE cameras can be expensive, and that’s before you take data costs into consideration. But what if your Wi-Fi could extend further, say 1.5 miles? That’s the idea behind the new WiFi HaLow technology, which is inside the Adobe Edge Camera.
WiFi HaLow uses a 900Mhz band for data transmission, which is how it’s able to reach that lofty 1.5 mile distance. Granted its speed is limited to between 15 Kbps and 15 Mbps, and while that will slow down transmission it should be enough to watch live video. It also means you’ve got a lot more freedom to position your camera, especially if you’ve got a particularly large property.
Launching in Q1 2024 for $199, The Adobe Edge will offer a 6,000 mAh battery designed to last a whole year per charge — aided by the lack of a light and a “deep-sleep” mode that activates when there’s no motion. Though it’s worth noting it will need an Adobe home security system to connect to (from $139) and a video plan — which ranges from $4 to $7 a month. But hey, at least the added distance could make that extra cost worth it.
Seergrills Perfecta
AI is everywhere at CES 2024, even in the grills. No, we’re not kidding, because the Seergrills Perfecta claims to be the world’s first AI grill — and promises to be able to cook the perfect steak in as little as 90 seconds. Which may be helpful for those of you that don’t eat your steak quite as rare as I like it.
Apparently this thing offers vertical burners, 360-degree cooking and can reach temperatures as high as 1,652 Fahrenheit. Apparently the AI comes into play thanks to the grill’s suite of sensors that measure the environment, meat thickness and temperature. That way you simply tell it how well you’d like your steak cooked via the touchscreen and it will do the rest for you.
Which sounds incredible, but you may be put off by the $3,500 price tag — the same as the Apple Vision Pro. While pre-orders will come with a $1,000 discount, it’s a lot of money to drop just to save yourself a couple of minutes cooking meat.
Honorable mentions
There’s plenty more on show at CES that we don’t have time to go into much detail about, but is still worth highlighting for one reason or another. If you’re after bizarre AI gadgetry, then you may be interested in the Swarovski Optic, AI binoculars that can automatically identify birds for the lazy birdwatchers out there.
Kohler is also showing off a “multi-sensory showering experience” complete with control over water, light sound and steam levels. With this and the Bemis smart bidet, it seems like the age of the smart bathroom might finally be upon us. On a more practical note, JBL is expanding its range of touchscreen earbud cases with the JBL Live TWS 3 — negating the need for a companion app on your phone.
AMD has also launched a range of AI-capable CPUs and GPUs, with the main benefit being that these should be a little bit cheaper than similar products from other companies. Acer’s new Swift Go 14 laptop also features a touchpad with integrated media controls. It seems Acer is going a little bit weird this year.
Check out our CES 2024 hub for all the latest news from the show as it happens. Follow the Tom’s Guide team in Las Vegas as we cover everything AI, as well as the best new TVs, laptops, fitness gear, wearables and smart home gadgets at the show.
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