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Google has joined the growing list of companies pulling out of in-person CES 2022
Omicron is here, and it's wild
After an all-virtual CES 2021, attending the next one in-person seemed (briefly) possible, but a new, more contagious variant of COVID-19 has started making the global rounds, threatening new lockdowns and just generally screwing everything up. And suddenly, in-person events started looking extra-dangerous again. While CES 2022 is still going to take place from January 5th to January 8th in Las Vegas (as per the CTA, at least for the moment), more and more companies and publications are dialing back or outright canceling their in-person involvement. Google has now joined this growing list.
New Galaxy S21 FE leak details Samsung’s January 2022 launch plans
Launching sooner than you’d expect
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has had a pretty eventful journey even before its official launch. Leaks first claimed a possible September-October unveil for the device before suggesting that it was canceled altogether. However, the Galaxy S21 FE leaks have reignited again over the last few weeks, with a recent rumor implying that it could launch at CES 2022 in early January. Now, Jon Prosser has shared more concrete details about the availability of Samsung's next Fan Edition device.
Here's a bit of good news for our friends across the pond: Gameloft just launched a new subscription service called the "Gameloft Club" that lets you score a new game title every week for just £0.99. All you have to do is head over to the Gameloft UK website, join the Gameloft Club, and register for the service using your "Android HD" device by hitting the "Club Buy 99p" link next to any applicable game. While GL specifies that an "HD" device is a requisite, it fails to provide definition as to exactly what that means. We're assuming that any higher-end device should work, so you'll just have to give a shot and see what the outcome is.
Here's everything with Google Assistant revealed at CES 2021
From Chromebooks to security cameras, here's what you might have missed
This year's CES was different than usual, but just like every year, there is a mountain of new smart home devices. Google Assistant was front and center for many announcements, whether they be TVs, Chromebooks, Wi-Fi cameras, or something else entirely.
Here's everything with Amazon Alexa revealed at CES 2021
From headphones to microwaves, Alexa was everywhere this year
This year's CES has been a very different one, but one aspect has stayed consistent: there's are a lot of new products with Alexa. Amazon's assistant shows no signs of stopping, as plenty of new smart home devices include support for Alexa, and some of them even have the assistant built-in.
Samsung's Galaxy Upcycling at Home initiative aims to turn old phones into useful smart home devices
Using a phone as a noise detection monitor for your baby, for instance
Most of us probably have an old phone or two lying around in a drawer somewhere that could be put to better use. At CES 2021, Samsung announced an extension of its Upcycling sustainability program, called Galaxy Upcycling at Home, that will allow older Galaxy phones to be repurposed as useful tools for your home.
Samsung is one of the largest makers of smart home products, all connected through the company's SmartThings platform. Samsung has plenty to show off during this year's virtual CES, including a high-end robot vacuum with LiDAR, more features coming to the SmartThings app, and new TVs.
TCL 20 Series launches with an affordable 5G phone and an even cheaper 4G handset
5G is starting to arrive in budget devices
TCL might have made a name for itself because of its affordable TVs, but the brand has long entered the smartphone market, most recently releasing its first Verizon 5G phone, the TCL 10 5G UW. For CES this year, the company is back with a new, even more affordable phone lineup consisting of the sub-$400 TCL 20 5G and the TCL 20 SE.
TCL reveals first Android tablet with e-ink-like NXTPAPER screen, plus stylus-equipped budget tablet
TCL produces some of the better Android tablets currently available, if you don't want one of Samsung's various Galaxy Tabs for some reason. The company released a budget 8-inch tablet a few months ago for Verizon, and now TCL is showing off two new options during CES 2021 — one with a new experimental display technology, and a cheaper option targeted at home and educational use.
Roborock is working on self-emptying dustbins for its robot vacuums
One step closer to the robot vacuum revolution
Robot vacuums are great and all, but at some point, they still require human intervention. Sometimes they get caught on the charging cable you left on the floor, or smear the poop your dog left on the floor, or need their dustbin emptied. Some robot vacuums can already empty their bins into a larger bin (typically located on the charging stations), and now some of Roborock's products will have the same features.Roborock today announced its new S7 robot vacuum, but it also teased a product that should be released sometime in the next few months. It's a HEPA-rated self-emptying dock, that both charges the vacuum and empties its internal bins into a larger container. It supposedly traps 99.97% of allergens and airborne pollutants for easy disposal.
Roborock has produced more than a few popular smart robot vacuums, like the Roborock S6 we gave an 8/10 in our review last year. CES is always full of new IoT products, and sure enough, Roborock is taking the (virtual) stage to reveal its new flagship vacuum: the Roborock S7.
Fossil's first Wear OS smartwatch with LTE is a Verizon exclusive
The Fossil Gen 5 LTE is coming this spring
Fossil Group has been Google's main partner with Wear OS for years, producing dozens of watches under a handful of different brands. The company's main flagship watch is the Fossil Gen 5, which is nearing two years old. Fossil didn't announce a Gen 6 line at this year's CES show, but there is a new LTE version of the Gen 5 coming this spring.
Fossil's e-ink hybrid smartwatch will soon be available in more sizes and colors
The updated model is Skagen-branded
Fossil released its first hybrid smartwatch in late 2019, as a halfway point between the company's traditional watches and its Wear OS smartwatches. Following a few software updates, the original Hybrid HR ended up being a capable smartwatch alternative, and now Fossil Group is releasing an updated model under its Skagen brand.Fossil has already released several Wear OS watches with the Skagen name, like the sleek Skagen Falster 3, but it will soon start selling the Jorn Hybrid HR. The watch doesn't appear to be a significant departure from the original Fossil-branded Hybrid HR — it still has an e-ink screen, 2+ weeks of battery life, activity and sleep tracking, notification mirroring, and so on.
The only significant difference between the original model and the Jorn Hybrid is the design. Skagen will have five styles available, in both 38mm and 42mm sizes. The current Hybrid watch has fewer design options and only one 42mm size. Hooray for people with small wrists!The Jorn Hybrid HR will be available soon for $195. That's the same retail price as the original Hybrid HR, though that watch has gone down in price over time — some styles are now as low as 9.Fossil also announced a new Wear OS smartwatch at CES, the Gen 5 LTE.
JBL reveals Charge 5, true wireless ANC buds, Chromecast soundbar, and much (much) more
JBL has a lot to (virtually) show off at CES 2021
This year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2021) doesn't technically start until next week, but there are always companies that reveal their new stuff a bit early. JBL has now announced several new audio products that will start shipping next month, including outdoor speakers, true wireless earbuds, and other audio gear.
The Harman Kardon Citation 200 will be available to buy in October
It was first announced back in January, but it's finally going on sale
Read update
High-end audio brand Harman Kardon is owned by Samsung these days, but it's still capable of some fine hardware, as I discovered when I reviewed the Citation One speaker about this time last year. It's part of a wider range of Google Assistant-enabled products that sound much better than most other smart speakers, which is now being expanded with several new devices.
The organizers of CES, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), had been pushing hard to keep next year's event in Las Vegas, but they've finally thrown in the towel. The CTA has just announced that CES 2021 will be an all-digital event, saying that it will offer "a unique experience for the tech industry" and "a highly personalized experience."
At earliest, the top infectious disease official in the United States says a coronavirus vaccine may be deployable at scale by the very tail end of 2020. If everything goes right, and the vaccine works. And not for everybody, at least not until early 2021. Again, this is at the earliest if everything goes exactly right. In unrelated news, CES thinks it can hold a giant convention next January.
CES organizers are pretending they'll be able to have an in-person trade show in January
What could go wrong?
The early part of the year is usually filled with trade shows and big announcement events, but 2020 has been a bit different. Coronavirus has forced the suspension of most in-person gatherings -- Google I/O, E3, Mobile World Congress, and more have been canceled to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), however, is moving forward with plans to host CES 2021 in Las Vegas as normal.
If you've been impatiently waiting for OnePlus to release a folding phone, we finally know why the OEM hasn't taken the plunge yet. At CES last week, Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn from The Verge chatted with OnePlus CEO Pete Lau (and his interpreter, Eric Gass) about the company's Concept One phone, 5G technology, and when consumers should expect a OnePlus foldable device to hit the market (spoiler: not anytime soon).
Now that this year's CES event has wrapped up and we've seen everything from the OnePlus Concept One phone, to new Fossil Gen 5 smartwatches, and a ton more, we've taken some time to pull together all the products that debuted with Amazon Alexa support. This year, there were significantly more Alexa-enabled gadgets than what we saw at CES 2018 and CES 2019 — great news for anyone who wants to dip their toes into the Amazon-connected ecosystem. We have more than 50 different products to check out, so let's dive right in.