CES 2021: Exciting Announcements from the Event so Far

The CES 2021 is all digital for the first time due to the current pandemic.

Instead of the annual trip to Las Vegas, the biggest tech companies are now hosting virtual press conferences. The event runs from Monday, January 11 to Thursday, January 14.

At first, the absence of an in-person event may feel a bit odd. However, the feeling quickly passes as the slew of futuristic tech products in the event brings a sense of familiarity.

For example, the first day of the event featured the rollable phones and massive 8K TVs from LG, Samsung, and TCL. Yet, we also saw several tech devices for the COVID-19 pandemic era.

One of such is LG’s latest InstaView fridge with the ability to open via voice command — no touch required. Unsurprisingly, a voice-controlled refrigerator wasn’t the coolest gadget at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show event.

Here’s a quick recap of what has been announced so far at the CES 2021.

Five Exciting Announcements from the CES 2021 — so Far

1. Flying Car Concept

Finally, General Motors unveiled its concept for a flying car called the electric Verticle TakeOff and Landing droid — eVTOL.

The flying car is fully autonomous, and it’s designed to hold only one passenger. Also, the eVTOL is expected to travel through the air at 55 miles per hour (88.51 km/h).

“We’re preparing for a world where advances in electric and autonomous technology make personal air travel possible,” said GM design chief Michael Simcoe.

Some companies working on a flying car include Hyundai, Toyota, Uber, and Aston Martin.

2. Rollable Smartphones

Two companies at the event showed off their upcoming rollable smartphones.

First, LG unveiled its LG Rollable at its press conference. The footage showed a phone being held in landscape mode as the display expanded and contracted.

Shortly after, Chinese electronic company TCL followed with two rollable devices.

The first was a 6.7-inch phone that could extend out to 7.8-inch “with a tap of a finger.” However, the more futuristic rollable tech was a 17-inch Printed Flexible OLED display.

3. Massive 8K TVs at CES 2021

TVs are a regular part of the Consumer Electronics Show, and this year was no different. So, we got the usual suspects — LG and Samsung — showing off their ultra-high-end displays.

For instance, LG unveiled its new Evo lineup, which comes in four different models — A1, C1, and G1. There’s also the LG Evo Z1, which comes in 8k at 77- or 88-inches.

However, the biggest TV in the CES event was Samsung’s 110-inch 4k MiniLED TV. There’s also a 98- and 88-inch version of the television.

Finally, TCL announced its first 8K TV lineup.

4. Samsung’s Consumer Robots

Samsung unveiled three new consumer bots — JetBot 90 AI Plus, Bot Care, and the Bot Handy.

The JetBot 90 AI Plus functions as a smart vacuum and security camera for the home. Meanwhile, the Bot Care is a companion and assistant that can answer questions, learn schedules, and send reminders.

The last of the three, Bot Handy, uses Artificial Intelligence to figure out how to hold different objects. As such, it’s ideal for sorting dishes, cleaning rooms, and even pouring a glass of wine.

5. Razer’s Project Hazel

At the 2021 CES event, Razer showed off what it’s calling the world’s smartest mask, code-named “Project Hazel.”

At first glance, the mask looks like a reusable N95 respirator with an outer shell that’s made from recycled, waterproof plastic. However, the transparent device also has packed some impressive techs such as:

Audio-processing pods
Active ventilation
Autosterilization
A companion case that also serves as a UV sterilizer

Yes, Razer’s new mask also comes with LED RGB lighting.

Other highlights from the CES 2021 Event

Other highlights from the event include new RTX GPUs from Nvidia and Exynos chips from Samsung. AMD also announced its mobile Ryzen 500 processors.

Finally, there were extensive arrays of laptops, including Lenovo‘s dual-screen ThinkBook Plus Gen 2 i.