CES 2023: The Most Techworthy Innovations and Highlights From the Event
Spiceworks looks at the products and gadgets announced this year that can potentially have a lasting impact on how we use tech.
As the latest Consumer Electronics Show (CES) wraps up, Spiceworks looks at the products and gadgets announced this year that can potentially have a lasting impact on how we use tech. There’s something in store for everyone.
CES 2021 was completely virtual, while the 2022 edition had a reduced headcount, but the tech extravaganza in Las Vegas this year attracted over 100,000 attendees, marking CES 2023 as one of the biggest in-person events in the past few years.
As is the case every year, CES 2023 saw Big Tech and 3000 other companies giving a sneak peek into what to expect, be it high-end computers, smart devices, innovative gaming consoles, or other new gadgets/concepts that can become mainstream in the coming years.
Here is Spiceworks’ roundup of the top announcements made at CES 2023 that can do more than just turn heads:
Metaverse is More Than Just a Buzzword
Meta Platforms popularized the word ‘metaverse’ through an organization-wide pivot to actualizing what it entails, costing the company $10 billion in its first year. Now, others seem to be latching on.
More companies presented respective augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) products this year at CES 2023. The ones that caught our eye include:
- HTC launched the new Vive XR Elite, terming it as the “gateway” to the ‘Viverse,’ its version of the metaverse. Vive XR Elite, which weighs less than a pound, could emerge as an alternative to the Quest series of VR headsets that weigh 159 pounds. It features Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chips, 128GB storage, 12GB RAM, a 2K resolution LCD screen, and a 110° field of view.
- Dentsu introduced NXT Space, a digital twin of Earth’s moon created in collaboration with Microsoft and HeadOffice.space. For Dentsu, the venture’s goal is to enable brands and businesses to exhibit products digitally. At the same time, Microsoft seems to be hedging against Meta, whose AR/VR division went into disarray last year as its deal to acquire Activision Blizzard is under regulatory scrutiny, HoloLens head stepped down amid sexual harassment claims, and its HoloLens devices were reportedly not well-received by the U.S. army. Microsoft also teamed up with Meta to bring Teams, Windows, Office, Xbox Cloud Gaming and other apps to Quest devices.
- OVR Technology introduced a headset built with eight primary smells which can be fused to create smells and possibly taste experiences in the metaverse. While not present at CES 2023, Flare told Fortune that its VR dating app would incorporate the sense of touch into products.
Even though the concept that is metaverse is yet to materialize, companies sure are iterating, at least to compete with what exists, including Meta’s Quest line of VR headsets.
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Glass-free 3D displays
Glass-free 3D displays such as computer monitors and TVs could be perceived as an extension of the VR tech though its applications are much broader and have instant takers.
Taiwanese PC and electronics maker Asus is one of the companies bringing glasses-free 3D OLED displays to laptops. Based on Asus Spatial Vision, the tech is being rolled out on two devices in the second quarter of 2023, featuring a 3200×2000 OLED panel, 120 Hz refresh rate, 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and a 0.2 ms response time for content viewing and enhanced gameplay.
Besides Asus, Breylon and 3D Game Market presented respective headset-free 3D displays. Breylon’s OLED display seems unlike anything else seen in display technologies. It features a 110° field of view, a 144Hz refresh rate, 4K resolution, 450-700 nits, and 3840×1440 resolution. It is shaped like a wearable but actually isn’t one.
While Breylon’s product becomes market-ready, 3D Game Market’s display is shaped like a conventional monitor for glasses-free 3D viewing using AI eye-tracking technology that optimizes 3D visuals. Priced at $2000, 3DGM’s display is 32-inch, 4K, 300 nits, 3840×2160 resolution.
Speaking of displays, Samsung also showcased the Samsung Flex Hybrid, a display that is both foldable as well as slidable. Samsung Flex Hybrid comes in a 10.5-inch size, which expands to 12.4 inches when unfolded.
Satellite-based Texting for Android
Android will be almost a year later than iOS to the satellite-based SMS communication party, but it is coming nonetheless, thanks to a partnership between chipmaker Qualcomm and global communications systems vendor Iridium.
The partnership entails the development of Snapdragon Satellite, a messaging system that, as one may guess, leverages Iridium’s operational satellite constellation (66 satellites) to help Android smartphones communicate over Qualcomm’s 5G Modem-RF Systems.
The partnership will help Android to catch up with iOS, which already has two-way SMS satellite communication, introduced as Emergency SOS via Satellite in Apple’s iPhone 14 in September 2022.
However, the emergency text communication will initially be available only on devices running on Qualcomm’s flagship system on a chip (SoC) Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. As such, Snapdragon Satellite will feature only in premium, high-end smartphones that run on specially-crafted Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC that support the L-band spectrum.
Snapdragon Satellite is expected to hit the markets in the second half of 2023.
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Qi2 Wireless Charging Standard for Android
Satellite-based texting isn’t the only novel feature that Android users may soon be able to take advantage of. At CES 2023, the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) detailed a new wireless charging standard designed to help Android original equipment manufacturers offer a MagSafe-esque feature to over 72% of global mobile users.
The Qi2 (pronounced ‘chee two’) standard is based on Magnetic Power Profile derived from Apple’s (WPC member) MagSafe technology. Both iOS and Android smartphones may feature a Qi2 standard going forward.
The Qi2 standard will object detection, stronger magnetic coupling, and a 15 Watt power output. 15W can be inefficient when it comes to the latest devices but don’t sweat, there are plans for a design with a higher power profile. Additionally, wireless charging could come to products beyond smartphones, such as wearables and other accessories.
Qi2-based devices should be available by Q4 2023.
Concept Vehicles
Flying cars
Ever since a futuristic 90s cartoon popularized flying cars, the world has been waiting for one. Certain prototypes are available but have yet to hit the markets successfully.
That may soon change with ASKA, which at CES 2023 unveiled a fully-functional drive and fly electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) vehicle. The ASKA A5 is a four-seater vehicle with a lithium-ion battery that doubles as a regular road-driven car with a gasoline engine.
It can take off vertically or like a traditional airplane to fly 250 miles at 150 mph on a single charge. In car mode, it tops out at 70 mph. ASKA is accepting pre-orders for A5, pegged at $789,000 a piece. The eVTOL vehicle is pending Federal Aviation Administration approval, which ASKA co-founder Guy Kaplinsky expects within a month. A5 is designed to offer ride-sharing services by 2026.
Sea EV
Visitors at CES 2023 were able to check out the Candela C8 Hydrofoil, an electric boat with autonomous sailing capabilities. The C8 has a range of 50 nautical miles (57.5 miles) and cruises at 24 knots (27.6 mph) with a max speed of 30 knots (34.5 mph).
Based on the Candela C-Pod motor, the C8 is relatively quieter. The ~$315,000 hydrofoil boat, being termed the “Tesla of the Sea,” also features advanced control features, and its 8.5-meter body is built using carbon fiber.
Some other mobility solutions displayed at CES 2023 include the $6,250 solar-power-charged Squad Solar Car by Squad Mobility, the Holon Autonomous People-Mover by Pininfarina, and the car-motorcycle hybrid GreenStreet Autocycle.
Latest Wares for Computing
American chipmakers AMD, Intel and NVIDIA all have something in store for, well, everything.
AMD unveiled the lineup of its latest GPUs and processors for desktops and laptops. Specifically, the AMD Ryzen 7000 Series processor lineup, including the Ryzen 9 7900, Ryzen 7 7700 and Ryzen 5 7600 Series processors, cater to desktops.
Meanwhile, the Ryzen 7040 Series, complete with the first dedicated AI engine in an X86 processor and based on the 4nm process, is designed to deliver a 20% higher performance and 50% more power efficiency than Apple’s M2 chip. Chips include Ryzen 9 7940HS.
On the other hand, AMD rival Intel announced the 13th Gen of its Intel Core mobile processor family and launched its new flagship processor, the Intel Core i9-13980HX. Intel is marketing it as the 24-core processor for a laptop. The company also introduced the 13th Gen Intel Core P-series and U-series mobile processors, featuring up to 14 cores.
Finally, NVIDIA launched the GeForce RTX 4000 line of GPUs built with the Ada Lovelace architecture, offering 3x to 4x performance improvement over the RTX 3000 series. The company also introduced the fifth-generation Max-Q version of the GPUs meant for lightweight and thin-bodied laptops.
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Gaming
Two gaming devices made waves at this year’s CES 2023: the Razer Edge and Sony’s Project Leonardo.
Razer Edge is the company’s answer to Nintendo Switch and Valve Steam Deck. The portable, handheld gaming console. It sports a 6.8” AMOLED display, 2400×1080 full HD+ resolution with a 20:9 aspect ratio, 144 Hz refresh rate, 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, 128 GB of UFS 3.1 storage (expandable to 2 TB), is purpose-built with active cooling tech, and comes with a detachable Razer Kishi V2 Pro controller.
Razer Edge supports Android and cloud-based (GeForce Now and Xbox Game Pass) gaming on both variants (WiFi and 5G cellular exclusive to Verizon). However, it supports less number of games than the Steam Deck.
The other interesting piece of gaming hardware unveiled at CES 2023 is Sony’s Project Leonardo for PlayStation 5. The new controller is “highly customizable” and “configurable,” according to Sony, which consulted accessibility experts at AbleGamers, SpecialEffect and Stack Up.
It integrates with third-party accessibility accessories as well as the PS5 to “address common challenges faced by many players with limited motor control, including difficulty holding a controller for long periods, accurately pressing small clusters of buttons or triggers, or positioning thumbs and fingers optimally on a standard controller,” the Japanese company noted.
Project Leonardo allows both hardware and software customizations for people with disabilities.
COVID-19 and Flu Test Device
Keeping in mind we are in the middle of an unprecedented, once-in-a-century pandemic, people over at Opteev Technologies have developed a reusable breath test for COVID-19 and other pathogens.
Called ViraWarn, the pocket-size breath analyzer can be used for self-testing for the novel coronavirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza (the cause of the 1918 flu pandemic) in just under 60 seconds.
The device has a biosensor that identifies viruses’ electrical charge that changes electrical parameters and an artificial intelligence processor that rules out false readings. ViraWarn can cost $99 and is pending approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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