Another year has come and gone, and another CES is over. CES 2022 was very different compared to ones past, as despite a physical show for the first time since the pandemic began, many people chose not to travel. On the ground in Las Vegas, some companies were present while many initially planned to go and chose to bow out in the weeks leading up to the show as the Omicron variant emerged and became a wild threat.
Yet, as the phrase says, the show must go on and so CES 2022 certainly did. For the companies that were there, plenty of products were on show and while the show floor was nowhere near as busy as it usually would be, it was still a showcase of invention.
From cars to the smart home, from computing to mobile and all the categories in between, here are Team XDA's picks for the Best of CES 2022, some of which we saw in person at the show.
Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 3
If CES is good for one thing, it's wild and crazy ideas like the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 3. The first two generations of the product were crazy enough, with an E Ink display in the lid. This one has a different secondary display, a full-color eight-inch touchscreen next to the keyboard.
At this point, you're probably asking why you'd need such a thing, and that's a reasonable thing to ask. It has multiple uses. For example, in the image above, it zooms in on a portion of the screen, and then you can use the pen to edit the image with precision. You can pinch to zoom, or you can scroll to different parts of the screen. Another thing you can do is take handwritten notes. If you're reading a book or on a call, you can take notes on that eight-inch display.
Microsoft Whiteboard is on there by default. This is a pretty powerful collaboration feature, since Whiteboard automatically syncs in real-time. You can draw while on a meeting, and others will see it while you're doing it. They can collaborate in real-time too, but they'll probably need a second device because they're not as cool as you with your ThinkBook Plus Gen 3.
Let's not forget, it also has a 17.3-inch 21:10 display. The giant ultra-wide display results in that big chassis that allows for a full-size keyboard and an eight-inch touchscreen. Check out our hands-on article for the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 3 here.
Dell XPS 13 Plus
The Dell XPS 13 Plus is a brand-new entry into the XPS series, and it's not replacing the standard XPS 13 because frankly, this is a pretty radical change. In fact, if you're looking at the image above, you might be asking all kinds of questions, like where the touchpad is.
It's still there, but you can't see it. The touchpad on the Dell XPS 13 Plus is entirely border-less. It's also got a brand-new keyboard, with larger keys that aren't islanded.
Somehow, there's something even more controversial than a touchpad you can't even see. The regular F-keys that you're used to are gone, replaced by capacitive keys. By default, they show the shortcuts that you're used to, and if you hit the Fn key, they turn into the F-keys that you're used to. Some have compared it to Apple's failed Touch Bar.
Still, there's no denying this device's futuristic design and that it comes with the quality of a Dell XPS. You can check out our hands-on of the Dell XPS 13 Plus here.
ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold
Sure, a big 17-inch screen is cool, but do you know what's even cooler? A 17-inch screen that folds. Indeed, ASUS announced just the second-ever Windows PC with a foldable display. While it is bigger, what makes this super interesting is that it's the first in a broader wave of foldable devices that are coming.
At CES 2022, Intel also announced its first Evo spec for foldable-display devices, and the ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold is the first to meet that spec. That means that another way it differentiates itself from Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Fold is that it has 12th-generation processors of the 9W variety. Previously, foldables could only use Intel's Lakefield chips, which weren't very good.
The resolution of the 17.3-inch 4:3 OLED display is 2,560x1,920, and you can stand it up for one giant display. When folded, it turns into two 12.5-inch 1,920x1,280 3:2 screens, and there's a keyboard that you can insert inside of it. Unfortunately, ASUS hasn't announced pricing and availability yet, but nothing with Intel's U-series processors are scheduled to ship before this spring.
Acer Chromebook Spin 513
There's a lot of new silicon at CES 2022, including Intel's 12th-generation processors, AMD's Ryzen 6000 chips, and even a teaser of its Ryzen 7000 desktop processors. One chip-maker that might fly under the radar a bit is MediaTek, but the company has a brand-new processor for Chromebooks in the high-end tier.
Acer is the first to use the MediaTek Kompanio 1380 with its Chromebook Spin 513. The Kompanio 1380 is a chipset that's competing more along the lines of an Intel Core i3, and indeed, MediaTek is a leader in ARM Chromebooks. However, until now, those Chromebooks were entry-level to lower mid-tier. The new chips that the firm is producing are hitting the upper mid-tier to the high end.
As for the Chromebook Spin 513 itself is pretty great too, chipset aside. It has a 13.5-inch 3:2 display with a 2,256x1,504 resolution and 7.7mm bezels. Given the new aspect ratio, it's 18% taller when compared to a 16:9 screen. This makes a big difference for productivity. It's also MIL-STD-810H certified, has DTS Audio, and has Wi-Fi 6, all for $599.99.
Dell UltraSharp 32 4K Video Conferencing Monitor
With so many amazing announcements, I almost feel like Dell's UltraSharp 32 4K Video Conferencing Monitor has fallen off of the radar; but it didn't for me. When Dell showed me this product at a pre-briefing weeks ahead of the show, I felt like I was seeing something special. Sure, it's a 32-inch 4K monitor, right? It's so much more than that.
It's also for a 4K webcam built into it, which is a really big deal. After all, 4K webcams aren't very common to begin with. The two main options are the Dell UltraSharp 4K Webcam and the Logitech BRIO. The UltraSharp 32 4K Video Conferencing Monitor actually includes the UltraSharp 4K Webcam; it's just a lot smaller because a lot of the internal components are built into the monitor itself.
On top of that, it's got echo-canceling dual-array microphones and 14W speakers. Between display quality, video capture quality, microphone quality, and speaker quality, everything is just the best you can get. Integrating all of that into a single unit eliminates a lot of cables from your desk too.
If you spend a lot of time on video calls and meetings, there is simply no better monitor to use, and it's hard to imagine how you could even improve on it. It is the ultimate monitor in the work from home era.
The Dell UltraSharp 32 4K Video Conferencing Monitor is going to be available on March 29. Dell didn't announce pricing, but it won't be cheap.
Samsung Eco Remote
Samsung’s pre-CES 2022 keynote by CEO JH Han focused on a few key areas, one of which was sustainability. The company unveiled a range of sustainability measures, but arguably the most important is the Eco Remote. Although this is technically not new as it was launched with TVs last year, the Eco Remote is going to ship with every TV launched by the company this year which should go a long way to preventing the unwanted disposal of millions of batteries every year. This year's model also enhances the solar charging from last year's model by charging through harnessing RF waves, which makes it very interesting technology.
That in and of itself is newsworthy but what makes this initiative special is that Samsung is making the Eco Remote technology free and open source for other companies to use. The goal is to remove all the disposable batteries used in TV remotes, and the company also expects to bring this same technology to other accessories within its portfolio. As far as planet-saving measures, it’s hard to deny that this is one measure that has an immediate positive impact upon the planet.
Samsung Freestyle Projector
Samsung's The Freestyle is one of our favorite announcements at CES 2022, weird nomenclature of "The" as a prefix notwithstanding. This portable projector can be powered by any battery pack that can output 50W, and offers a 180-degree swivel design so you can point, play and enjoy a large display wherever you are. It's perfect for usage both in the home as well as on the go, and if you like to camp, glamp or just want to travel in style, this is the ideal friend to take with you.
It features a ton of smarts including the ability to optimize the screen size to fit the content, auto-focusing of the projector itself and auto-leveling, so there's no chance you'll have a crooked neck after watching a two or three-hour long movie. There's also a 5-watt 360-degree speaker so you don't need to worry about good audio quality, and it supports streaming apps, playlists and even lets you use voice assistants. It works with both Android and iOS, using SmartThings and AirPlay 2 respectively to get your content on the big screen.
It's available to pre-order now for $899 and there's a range of accessories that will launch soon, including new skins to change the color of The Freestyle itself. This packs a whole lot of punch in a small body and it's one product that everyone should have.
Samsung The Freestyle Portable Projector
- Samsung
- View at Samsung
Sony QD-OLED TV
If there's a single technology that was on display in force at CES 2022, it was QD-OLED, which stands for Quantum Dot Organic Light Emitting Diode. The next generation of OLED display technology, QD-OLED is designed to combine the best of both technologies. Samsung has sold and marketed Quantum Dot for years as an alternative to OLED – which is primarily produced by LG Display – and Sony's new QD-OLED display panel is being made by Samsung Display itself.
QD-OLED essentially combines the best parts of the OLED experience (such as perfect blacks and infinite contrast) with the best parts of the Quantum Dot LED experience like higher peak brightness and more vivid color reproduction at higher brightness levels (aka less saturation than OLED TVs at peak brightness). Indeed, Sony says that QD-OLED "boosts color brightness by up to 200 percent compared to conventional TVs" and given that OLED has long been the king of the TV display, it'll be very interesting to see how the new QD-OLED standard compares when it starts shipping in the spring.
Alienware 34 Gaming Display (AW3423DW)
While Sony created the first TV running QD-OLED technology – which we could probably have seen coming – no-one could have foreseen the first QD-OLED monitor being made by none other than Alienware. Made using a Samsung Display panel, it has a ton of features that could make it a gamers' paradise, and also the dream monitor for creative types everywhere.
It features DisplayHDR 400 True Black certification, covers the entire P3 Gamut and can reach 1,000 nits peak brightness. It's factory calibrated, can switch between P3 and sRGB color profiles via the on-screen menus and lets you change the gamma settings. It features an aspect ratio of 24:10 (at 3,440x1,400 pixels resolution) and supports up to 175Hz refresh rate over DisplayPort, or up to 100Hz refresh over HDMI. If you want to use it as a display for your Xbox or PS5 however, it doesn't support HDMI 2.1, which may be a deal breaker.
As far as monitors go, there's a lot to like about the Alienware 34 Gaming Display and while they haven't revealed a price, we won't have long to go. It launches in China on March 2, will ship on March 29 and will launch in other regions beginning in April. One thing is clear however – QD-OLED is brand-new technology, and as we've seen in the past, brand-new technology is never cheap. That said, this monitor seems like it could be worth it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKQPvCeETKw
Movano Ring
When it comes to wearable health tech, Oura makes the ring you’ve probably heard of, but startup Movano could be the next big one to watch. At CES 2022, Movano showed off a smart ring that incorporated all the same features as the Oura Ring 3rd Generation but also promised further features and all for a lower price.
The latter costs $299 and our CCO Nirave absolutely loves his, using it daily to monitor heart health following some medical issues. He says that if Movano can deliver on the promise of its ring – and secure the all-important FDA approval – it could be the must-have wearable in health technology this year, especially as the Oura Ring also requires you to pay a monthly subscription to access all of the more advanced features.
Movano is currently undergoing clinical trials of the radio frequency technology that would help it collect the data needed to monitor glucose and blood pressure. Given that these are used in the management of diabetes and heart disease respectively – and those are two of the biggest killers globally – to say that the Movano Ring could be lifesaving would be an understatement.