I usually go to Press Day, which are the press conferences the day before the exhibit hall doors open at CES. The problem is that Samsung is one of the most popular and most heavily attended, that the auditorium is filled to capacity very quickly. So I was not able to get an overview of what they would be showing at their booth this time around. However, I did have a booth tour scheduled during CES and was able to get a look at what they were focusing on for this year.
Last year, Samsung showed off the very impressive The Wall. The world’s first micro LED TV. This year, The Wall was on display once again, but this time it was much closer to view and it is still pretty amazing to see. The demo it was running showed some stunning visuals. One was footage of a concert of the KPop group, Twice, that made you feel like you were in the front row. I posted a small video clip in our twitter feed of this video demo. The Wall has to really be seen in person because photos just do not do the visuals justice.
The 2019 QLED 8K line will be offered in 65”, 75”, 82”, 85” and 98” screen sizes and will support HDMI 2.1. Samsung customers will be able to enjoy iTunes movies and TV shows this Spring, and increased compatibility with Bixby, Apple iOS, Amazon Echo and Google Home will give users more levels of control.
They had a few new monitors on display, one for work and a couple for play.
The Samsung Space Monitor is a real space saving monitor that can go flat against the wall or be positioned closer. It is super thin and very lightweight. One cord connection is hidden away in the display arm and the base is anchored to the underside of the back of the desk.
The CRG9 is a curved, 49” HDR1000 display with improved specs made perfect for gaming. Fearures 32:9 aspect ratio, 120Hz refresh rate with a fast 4ms response time that minimizes image lag and motion blur to keep up with fast-paced games. It also features AMD Radeon FreeSync 2 HDR technology, dual QHD resolution and exceptional color reproduction.
The UR59C is the world’s first 32” 4K UHD curved monitor delivers an immersive viewing experience like no other. Features Game Mode which optimizes image contrast instantly for that competitive edge. Darker areas are enhanced, revealing details that would normally be overlooked. Has a sleek and stylish look with a fabric textured backside.
More robotic assistants are on their way and Samsung has three of them.
– Samsung Bot Care assists with health monitoring, exercise and medication.
– Samsung Bot Air analyzes and monitors air quality, plus purifies the air.
– Samsung Bot Retail personalizes the retail experience and streamlines ordering and paying.
5G is coming and Samsung is set to release the first 5G smartphone during the first half of 2019. They will be working very closely with Google to bring Google Maps, Gmail, Google Play and YouTube to the Bixby platform.
For 2019, Samsung is making Family Hub more intelligent and more intuitive where families can share their memories in a more natural, interesting and personal way. Family Board is being introduced for 2019 as a creative new way to personalize messages, leave photos or notes, share art or music. These new capabilities will be available with all Family Hub models in 2019 and through automatic update to current Family Hub customers.
The Notebook 9 Pro features 8 GB RAM, starts at 256 GB storage, Gigabit WiFi, 8th generation Intel core I7 processor. Also announced was the Notebook 9 Pen and for gamers the Notebook Odyssey.
The Digital Cockpit has gone through some improvements since seeing it last year. The 2019 Digital Cockpit features controls you can use with your mobile phone, from home to car. On board cameras can recognize specific drivers and passengers and sets up the car space accordingly. Screens have been doubled to six. All passengers will be able to connect to Samsung DeX. Cameras on and in the vehicle with assist drowsy and distracted drivers, as well as anticipate conditions ahead.
The new Samsung Washers and Dryers can have Bixby assist your laundry tasks with these new features: Auto Cycle Link, Laundry Planner and HomeCare Wizard.
They also showed off their upcoming garment care system that uses air, steam and UV-LED to deodorize and freshen clothing.
Samsung is expanding their Connected Living, Bixby and SmartThings to another level for 2019. They will continue investment in AI and SamsungNext.
For more information on these products and more, visit www.samsung.com
