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As you may well know by now, Samsung launched a whole bunch o' tablets at CES this week, and by a bunch, I mean 4. The new Tab Pro 8.5, 10.1, and 12.2, and the new Note Pro 12.2. Four tablets, three sizes, two processors (Exynos 5 Octa or Snapdragon 800), and one screen resolution (2560x1600).
After yesterday's Huawei press event, I had an opportunity to briefly go hands-on with the company's newest super-sized phone, the Ascend Mate 2 4G. The original Ascend Mate also made its debut at CES, and this newest iteration really doesn't break the mold its predecessor set.
Sony understands wearables, for the company's no stranger to Bluetooth headsets, earbuds, and, more recently, smartwatches. Now it's hitting CES with a new vision of SmartWear, a.k.a, basically whatever Sony makes that can pair with a phone and fit comfortable on, or in, your body. The most interesting of the newly unveiled gadgets is the SmartBand, a FitBit Flex-style bracelet that logs your activities throughout the day. It's thin, safe to wear in the shower, and has enough battery life to last for up to five days.
Get this - dedicated GPS units are still a thing. Not only do they still exist, people are still buying them. So with these two things being true, Magellan has announced a new line of RoadMate GPS units running Android. These products aim to address a key advantage smartphones have had over their more-focused counterparts, their highly responsive screens. The company is now bringing the finger-friendly capacitive screens they've reserved for high-end models down to a more affordable level. The model it's sharing at CES this year is the RoadMate 5430T-LM.
Asus likes to explore unusual designs for its Android devices, as one look at the Padfone X will tell you. Another fresh take on mobile devices announced at CES comes in the form of the Asus Transformer Book Duet. This is a convertible laptop/tablet hybrid that dual-boots Windows 8.1 and Android 4.2.2. It also packs some serious laptop-grade hardware.
Making Android-powered cameras isn't something new for Polaroid, but that doesn't mean it's the first company to come to mind when thinking of capturing digital photos (and for good reason). On the other hand, the company's old instant printing cameras call upon an altogether different set of memories. So now the company is shaking things up by re-introducing the premise it's known for. Not only can the Socialmatic instantly share pictures to social networks like any other Android-toting camera out there, it can instantly print them out to a 2"x3" sheet of paper.
SanDisk's wireless flash drives offer a solution to a growing problem: the increasing absence of expandable memory options in the latest high-end phones. Users who are about to max out the space on their HTC Ones or Nexus 5s can't just pop in a new microSD card and be on their way. There's the option to offload extra data onto a cloud storage provider, but for people who rather hold their files in between their fingers, SanDisk's wireless flash drives can connect to any Android device, no cables of any kind required. And now the company is offering a 64GB option that's available immediately for .99.
Vizio's pulled the curtains off two new Portable Smart Audio speakers that are powered by Android 4.4. What makes them special are the touchscreens embedded into the front of each device. Instead of having to pair them with a phone using Bluetooth, users will be free to stream music directly from the likes of Spotify and Pandora or enjoy video from Netflix or YouTube. Think of each version as a bulky tablet that doesn't need to rest in your lap, one with speakers that you won't leave you reaching for earbuds.
There will probably be untold heaps of smart watches announced at CES, but Qualcomm isn't just sitting on the sidelines. It has dropped the price of its limited-run Toq smart watch by $50, but it's a limited time offer. The new $299 price tag puts it right in line with the Samsung Galaxy Gear.
Parrot's AR.Drone has changed only slightly in its short history, but today the company has expanded the line in a big way. They're showing off two new models at the pre-CES Unveiled event: the smaller and impressively flexible AR.Drone Mini and the ground-only roller/jumper Sumo. To see what makes each version special, check out the promotional video below.
To get an early start to CES 2014, electronics giant Lenovo announced a new 28" Android-powered all-in-one 4K display to add to its substantial line of display products. According to Lenovo's press release and spec sheet, we can expect Android 4.3, a Tegra 4 processor, and a plethora of other features. Here's the official list according to Lenovo's spec sheet:
Android Police At CES 2014: Here's What To Expect At The Year's Biggest Tech Show
Android Police At CES 2014: Here's What To Expect At The Year's Biggest Tech Show
Another year has passed, dear readers, and with that year comes another CES conference in Las Vegas. This year's pilgrimage is being made by me and my esteemed colleague Cameron Summerson. We're not exactly sure what to expect this go around, but CES always brings something of interest and, given our very packed schedule, we're bound to see at least a few neat things.
Acer Announces New Aio Android-Powered Desktop With 27-Inch 2560 x 1440 Touchscreen Plus A Pair Of Iconia Tablets
Acer Announces New Aio Android-Powered Desktop With 27-Inch 2560 x 1440 Touchscreen Plus A Pair Of Iconia Tablets
That tiny Android tablet you've been using is cute and all, but Acer is doing big things with Android. I mean physically big. The newly announced Aio (model TA272HUL) is a massive 27-inch all-in-one desktop system that runs Android on a high resolution WQHD touchscreen.
Amidst all the hustle and bustle of CES this year, there will be ZTE with an assortment of new devices just revealed today. The Chinese OEM will be showing off phones, phablets, smart watches, and even a strange little projector.
We all know about Google's experimental self-driving cars, but according to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Mountain View is partnering up with Audi to tackle the entertainment aspect of the automobile first. The companies are expected to announce a new Android-based in-car entertainment system at CES in January to combat Apple's already tight relationship with auto manufacturers.
Spend a little time in the technology industry and you'll begin to dread December. It's the time when everyone and their grandmother's PR agent invites you to go to an off-floor presentation in Las Vegas to talk about the latest advances in iPhone accessories. ASUS isn't quite that bad, but their CES teaser is a little strange nonetheless. I'm going to assume that the Statue of Liberty in the following promotional video is the one from the New York, New York casino.