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I’m still feeling the strain of being on my feet all/every day during CES 2013; meeting with partners and media and speaking to people on the show floor was tiring stuff, but as always, the fun far outweighed the fatigue
The response in Vegas was phenomenal; a palpable buzz from bloggers, media, analysts and show visitors alike that surpassed even our (high) expectations! Now we’re looking forward to launching our Android smartphone, Xperia Z in the coming weeks, into the hands of consumers across the world.
Someone from the team asked me to share my top highlight/favourite memory from the week. Too many to choose from really, but if forced I’d actually pick the raft of 12 awards, that by my reckoning made Xperia Z the most-awarded product of CES
Wow. What a tally! Without being overly immodest, it is just great to see a product which the team has put so much care, attention and love into be recognised in this way. It’s a fantastic start to what we think will be an incredibly exciting year.
There’s no rest for the wicked, even before CES we began planning for Mobile World Congress in Barcelona so keep an eye on us during the event, and see what else we have in store…
We’ll also be bringing you more live content from the ground and who knows, hopefully I’ll retain my guest blogging slot!
Touch and other new capabilities in Windows 8 are powering the latest hardware innovations coming from our OEM partners. Together we are delivering interactive new experiences through devices and services that deliver on customers’ need for constant connectivity, mobility and flexibility.
This new world of computing is on display this week at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, from chipsets, to materials, hinges, touch panels, rotating displays, beautiful new designs and new capabilities in Windows 8.
The PCs and devices we’re seeing come to market are increasingly mobile and much more powerful. When Windows 8 launched in October, we talked about 1,000 PCs and devices that had been certified for Windows 8. There are now more than 1,500 with more expected in the weeks and months to come. The breadth of innovation continues as our hardware partners deliver new Windows 8 devices and experiences that are tuned for play and work.
With that, let’s take a look at some of the incredible new Windows 8 PCs that are being announced and garnering attention on the show floor this week.
This is the Transformer Book TX300CA from ASUS, a lightweight ultraportable with a 13” full HD (1920×1080) IPS display and multi-touch capabilities. Imagine the portability of a tablet but will have access to a more familiar Ultrabook design for productivity. The Transformer Book TX300CA delivers performance and an excellent user experience thanks to the latest Intel Core i7 processor with HD4000 graphics and Windows 8.
Another brilliant touch laptop: Sony’s VAIOT Series 15. This is the 15-inch version of the popular T13 that features built-in HD web cam, which if you haven’t seen it in action is really impressive. The built-in web camera features image sensor that not only provides crisp, bright pictures, but you can use the camera and hand gestures to skip a song, adjust volume, and navigate webpages with VAIO Gesture Control.
For more on Sony, see this video featuring Sony’s VAIO Tap 20 and LL Cool J:
New to the PC market this year, TV-leader Vizio has come on strong with a beautiful line of notebooks and all-in-ones. Now they’ve enabled their Thin + Light series with touch, making them even more attractive for the Windows 8 world.
Samsung will be refreshing its Series 7 Ultrabooks this spring with the Series 7 Chronos and Series 7 Ultra Touch. Both models will feature a full HD (1920 x 1080) display, longer battery life and Samsung’s trademark sleek aesthetics. Slightly thinner, the Series 7 Ultra Touch boasts a JBL sound system and is a great multimedia PC, while the Chronos offers premium performance and is still less than one-inch thick.
Here’s creative take on an all-in-one PC: Lenovo’s IdeaCentre Horizon table PC. This device from Lenovo combines an all-in-one desktop and table PC into one design. It can be used as an HD display or laid flat for a fun new gaming experience. It’s as thin as two DVD cases, and can be outfitted with an Intel Core i7 processor and, of course, Windows 8. We think this kind of design is a game changer for family computing.
Another innovative design from Lenovo, the ThinkPad Helixis a premium convertible that features the company’s groundbreaking “rip and flip” design, giving people absolute mobile freedom and versatility. Use it as a tablet, a laptop, a table-based tablet PC or even a mini movie theater with this flexible new design. Furthering the Helix’s “groundbreaking” label, the new model features optional 4G high-speed wireless and Near Field Communications (NFC) technology that makes sharing files with other devices a easy as tapping them together.
Take a look at both the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix and IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC:
For fans of traditional notebook designs there are plenty to choose from this year. Dell’s Inspiron 14R, 15R and 17R are getting a refresh with a sleek new design that is not only easy on the eyes, but easy to keep at your side. Nearly 5 mm thinner than the previous generation, the laptops include a built-in optical drive, stunning graphics options and fast processors.
LG’s impressive monitor selection comprises of the UltraWide, ColorPrime and Touch 10, all matched for entertainment, professional applications and touch-based interaction, respectively. All three models employ IPS technology for exceptional next generation picture quality.
HP’s Sleekbook line – featuring the latest technologies from AMD – is a great mix of functionality and affordability. Sporting a 15.6-inch diagonal HD display, 1 terabyte of storage and exclusive innovations including HP Connected Photo powered by Snapfish, this is a great Windows 8 PC for photographers.
For gaming and movie enthusiasts, Toshiba’s new Qosimo X875features all the horsepower you’ll need plus a new 1 terabyte hard drive – all in a laptop!
Panasonic has announced its “fearless business tablet” the Toughpad FZ-G1with Windows 8 Pro. The toughness, thinness and light weight are optimized for field operations and the high brightness screen is tuned for outdoor use. It’s an enterprise level tablet equipped with Windows 8 Pro and a high-performance processor.
Check out Jenn Brown from ESPN putting thePanasonic Toughpad FZ-G1 to the test:
Microsoft and our OEM partners are working closely together to delight customers with hardware, software and services that create immersive new experiences and computing scenarios. The hardware innovation from our partners continues with amazing new PCs and devices coming into the Windows 8 ecosystem. Momentum for the platform is also strong with consumers, commercial customers and developers: we’ve crossed the 40 million mark for Windows 8 licenses , crossed the 60 million mark for Windows 8 licenses there are more apps coming online every day, and cloud services to unify media and content across devices.
Microsoft Corp has sold 60 million licenses and upgrades for its new Windows 8 operating system in the 10 weeks since its launch, one of the top executives of the company’s Windows unit said at the Consumer Electronics Show on Tuesday.
The figure marks a solid but unspectacular start for Microsoft’s new flagship product, which has not managed to revive lagging personal computer sales, while new touch-screen Windows devices have not yet captured consumers’ imaginations.
Windows 8 sales are growing in line with those of Windows 7, Microsoft’s last operating system, launched in 2009, said Tami Reller, chief financial officer of the Windows division, in a presentation to analysts and investors at the annual tech show in Las Vegas.
The latest Windows 8 figure means Microsoft sold around 20 million Windows 8 licenses and upgrades since the end of November, when it announced 40 million sales in the first month on the market.
That puts sales broadly in line with Windows 7, which averaged 19.4 million sales per month in its first nine months on the market, when PC sales were running at a lower level than today.
Reller did not say how many of the Windows 8 sales were bulk orders from PC manufacturers and did not break out the proportion of full license sales and cheaper upgrades from earlier versions of Windows. She also did not say how many Surface tablets – designed to tackle Apple Inc‘s iPad head on – Microsoft had sold.
Final figures for PC sales in 2012, due in the next week or so from industry tracking groups, are expected to show the first year-on-year decline in a decade as consumers move toward mobile computing on powerful tablets and phones. Microsoft’s app-based, touch-friendly Windows 8 system is an attempt to adjust to that shift.
Microsoft shares fell 0.5 percent to $26.55 on the Nasdaq on Tuesday. They are down 6 percent since the launch of Windows 8 on October 26.
We’ve known for quite sometime now that the Samsung Galaxy S III mini will come new colour options, apart from the existing White by the end of December last year or beginning 2013.
Samsung dedicated blog SamMobile has now received some pictures of the compact Galaxy S III smartphone from a source showcasing the new colours.
These are Titan Gray, Garnet Red and Onyx Black, precisely what was expected earlier. It is needless to say that the Red and Black colour options look identical to the bigger Galaxy S III 4G LTE recently launched in Sapphire Black and Garnet Red colours in Korea.
The company has already introduced two additional colour options for the international version of the Galaxy S III as well, Amber Brown and Titanium Grey.
Samsung is indeed extending colour options across its high-end devices. More recently, the Galaxy Note II was also spotted in a Black variant. SamMobile had earlier mentioned that the Note II will also get new colours namely Amber Brown, Topaz Blue and Ruby Wine in addition to the current Marble White and Titanium Gray.
Whether or not all markets will get to see the new colours still remains unknown.
Apart from adding new colours, Samsung is now shipping the Galaxy S III mini with the latest version of Android Jelly Bean, v4.1.2 in Vietnam and Indonesia. Other Asian regions should soon be getting the good news as well. When launched, the Galaxy S III mini devices came out with Android 4.1.1.
To recap, the Galaxy S III mini was launched in October last year and is a miniature version of the company’s current flagship smartphone the Samsung Galaxy S III. It features a 4-inch screen and runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The smartphone inherits Galaxy S III’s features like S Voice, Smart Stay, Direct Call and S Beam.
The compact S III version is powered by a dual-core 1GHz processor and features a 5-megapixel camera. It has a 1500 mAh battery and 8/16GB internal storage options.
Sony kicked off its CES activities by lifting the wraps of its latest flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z, and Xperia ZL.
If you’ve been keeping tracking of the rumours, there are no surprises in the specs. The Sony Xperia Z comes with a 5-inch full-HD (1080×1920) display alongside and is powered a by 1.5 GHzSnapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor. Other highlights include a 13-megapixel rear camera and 2GB RAM. The Xperia Z is IP55 and IP57 certified, which means it is dust and water resistant.
“With Xperia Z, we are bringing over half a century of innovation in TV, imaging, music, film and gaming to create a super-phone experience that truly stands out,” said Kuni Suzuki, President and CEO, at Sony Mobile Communications.
Xperia Z includes a technology called Battery STAMINA Mode that Sony claims can improve the standby time of the phone by four times or more by automatically shutting down battery-draining apps whenever the screen is off and starting them up again when the screen is back on.
Other specifications of the Xperia Z include 16GB internal storage (expandable by 32GB via microSD card), 2230mAh battery and NFC.
Sony Xperia Z will launch globally in Q1 2013 with Android 4.1 on-board with a Android 4.2 to be made available “shortly after launch”. In certain markets Sony also plans to launch a design variant of the Xperia Z – the Sony Xperia ZL – with a “smaller form factor”.
“With great specifications, Sony’s media applications, One-touch functions and outstanding battery life, Xperia Z is well positioned for leadership in the smartphone market,” Suzuki continued. “By putting smartphones at the heart of our strategy, Sony is enabling people to create, enjoy and share content and experiences like never before.”
HP seems to be focusing mostly on monitors at CES 2013. The company took the wraps off its HP U160 monitor. This is first HP monitor to come with USB-powered monitor.
HP U160 monitor features a 15-inch screen with 1,366 x 768 resolution and is expected to appeal to the customers who are usually on the go. It weighs just 1.5kgs and will be available with a foldable carrying case. It is expected to start retailing from end of January for $179.
HP x2401 24-inch LED Backlit Monitor is a 24-inch monitor that comes with LED display. This is Beats Audio powered monitor, which is not expected to hit the shelves any time before November and is expected to cost $249. HP x2401 comes with Multi Vertical Alignment (MVA) panel.
Next up is the HP ProDisplay line of monitors. These monitors are targeted at the office personnel and come in four different variants – P191 (18.5-inch), P201m (20-inch) and P221 (21.5-inch). These monitors will be available starting February and will range between $129 to $179. The only notable feature for these monitors is that they come with an LED backlight.
The 27-inch HP Envy 27 Monitor features built-in Beats Audio stereo speakers, and a full 1920x1080p HD resolution. It is expected to be available in February for $499.
HP ZR2330w is a 23-inch IPS monitor, which features an LED backlit screen, a 14ms screen refresh rate and a full HD resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. It is being touted s budget monitors and will be available in the market for $259
Apart from the slew of monitors that HP has announced at the CES 2013, the company also showcased two new HP Pavilion Sleekbooks. Sleekbooks are nothing but AMD counterparts of the Intel-powered Ultrabooks.
The HP PavilionTouchSmart features a 15.6-inch touch screen with a resolution of 1366X768 pixels. It runs on Windows 8 system. This Sleekbook is powered by AMD A6 processor, 6GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive. It will be available from February 3, 2013 and cost $649.
However, the non-touch device will be available from January 13, 2013 and will cost $479. The HP Pavilion Sleekbooks comes with the same screen and resolution as its touchscreen counterpart. The other features include AMD A4 processor, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive and run on Windows 8.
In terms of ports both HP PavilionTouchSmart and HP Pavilion Sleekbook come with a HDMI port, USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports. Both these SleekBooks come with replaceable batteries and numpads, along with trackpads that support Windows 8 gestures.
The HP Sleekbook will be available in three colour options – black, red and blue and the touch version will be available only in black.
Apart from this HP also showcased its HP’s Pocket Playlist device at the CES 2013. It is a mobile sized device that can stream content from up to five mobile devices without using a data plan or Internet connection. HP Pocket Playlist cost $129 and the company claims that it can store up to 7600 songs and is expected to be available from February.
The latest additions to Samsung’s Series 7 PC lineup come in the form of the Series 7 Chronos 770Z5E and the Series 7 Ultra 730U3E.
Aimed at professionals, the Series 7 Chronos sports a rather seek and elegant design in an aluminium chassis at just 20.9mm, only a little thicker than a comparable ultrabook. Though it is slightly heavy at 5.2 pounds.
The device claims to be a multimedia powerhouse with quad-core Intel Core i-series processors with up to 16GB RAM and offering up to 1TB of storage, plus discrete AMD Radeon HD 8870 graphics. The 15.6-inch display has a full 1,920×1,080-pixel resolution, which is what we’d expect from a modern multimedia laptop.
The Series 7 Chronos has a 15.6-inch multi-point full-HD (1920×1080) touch screen display and comes integrated with JBL speakers. The machine promises a battery life of up to 11 hours and quick boot times of less than 12 seconds.
The device also features a touchpad and keyboard. Connectivity ports include four USB ports (2 USB 3.0 and 2USB 2.0), HDMI, mini VGA, headphones and microphone, a LAN port and security slot to help ensure the device is securely tethered when necessary.
The Series 7 Ultra, on the other hand, is ultra slim and light at just 18.9mm thick and weighing 3.6 pounds. It also features a 13.3-inch multi-point full-HD (1920×1080) display with wider viewing angles.
Under the hood, the machine is powered by the latest Intel Core i5 or i7 processors with p to 256GB SSD storage. The device claims put to 8 hours of battery life and a 6 second boot-up time.
The Series 7 Ultra will also be available with 4G LTE connectivity for on-the-go accessibility (touch model based). The device comes with three USB ports (1 USB 3.0 and 2 USB 2.0 ports), HDMI, mini VGA, headphones and microphone, a LAN port and a slim security slot.
“Ultra-HD” TVs are set to be the talk of International CES, the gadget show kicking off this week in Las Vegas. But the televisions aren’t likely to account for much of the market even four years down the road.
That is the conclusion of analysts of the show’s host, a day before TV makers such as Samsung, LG and Sony attempt to wow conference attendees with their latest models.
Ultra high-definition TVs, with four times as many pixels as HD TVs, are expected to account for only 1.4 million units sold in the U.S. in 2016, or about 5 percent of the entire market. Sales in the rest of the world are expected to be smaller.
The analysts blamed high prices and low availability for the slow start.
“It’s a very, very limited opportunity,” said Steve Koenig, director of industry analysis at the Consumer Electronics Association, which officially kicks off the show Tuesday. “The price points here are in the five digits (in U.S. dollars) and very few manufacturers, at least at this stage, have products ready.”
The consumer electronics industry is struggling to come back from a weak year in 2012, when an estimated $1.06 trillion worth of goods was sold around the world, down 1 percent from 2011, hurt by a weak European economy and flat TV sales in China.
The market is seen recovering this year, with global sales rising 4 percent to $1.11 trillion, pumped up due to renewed growth in the so-called BRIC countries, led by China, Brazil, Russia and India.
All the more reason for gadget makers to energetically tout their latest innovations. TV makers were somewhat chastened last year as enthusiasm for super-thin and vibrant organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs was hampered by production problems and delays. Now they have turned their focus to ultra-HD to drive consumer demand.
Steve Bambridge, business director for boutique research and consumer choices at GfK, said troubles making OLED sets are “not any secret.” He added that while some makers planned to sell models this year after introducing them a year ago, he said he “won’t be surprised if those go backwards.”
Although the show has often unveiled the biggest and best of TV sets, the biggest electronics show in the Americas has increasingly been dominated by computers, tablets and mobile devices.
For good reason
In 2013, CEA and GfK predicted that for the first time, three categories of devices mobile personal computers, tablets and smartphones will account for over half of all consumer electronics spending worldwide.
Shawn DuBravac, the CEA’s chief economist, said one trend at the show was the increasing number of exhibitors who display technology that uses a smartphone or tablet as their hub. He noted a 25 percent increase in exhibitors from health and fitness companies, including those that sell heart monitors and blood pressure applications.
He also said the clamshell design of laptop computers, which hasn’t changed much in two decades, will face a significant challenge. He expects 30 to 40 different hardware designs for the laptop to be presented on the show floor. Some intriguing computers on display will be giant touch-screen tablets meant for lying flat, and laptops whose screens can swivel around or detach from the keyboard easily.
“The clamshell design is still intact 20 years later. That’s starting to change,” he said.
More companies are also expected to do more with devices that respond better to a wider range of gestures and more natural speech.
At the world’s largest technology conference that kicks off on Monday, the most intriguing innovations showcased may be gadgets and technology that turn everyday items into connected, smarter machines.
This year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas promises a new generation of “smart” gadgets, some controlled by voice and gestures, and technology advancements in cars, some of which already let you dictate emails or check real-time gas prices.
Pundits have long predicted that home appliances like refrigerators and stoves will be networked, creating an “Internet of things.” With advancements in chips and the ubiquity of smartphones and tablets, it’s now happening.
“We’ve been talking about this convergence of consumer electronics and computers and content for 20 years. It will actually be somewhat of a reality here, in that your phone, your tablet, your PC, your TV, your car, have a capability to all be connected,” said Patrick Moorhead, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.
Wireless chip maker Qualcomm Inc’s CEO, Paul Jacobs, opens the festivities with a keynote speech on Monday, taking a spot traditionally reserved for Microsoft, which decided last year to sever ties with the show.
Jacobs said in a recent interview on PBS that he will show how wireless technology will be pushed way beyond smartphones into homes, cars and healthcare.
Smarter smartphones
With venues spanning over 32 football fields across Las Vegas more than 1.9 million sq. ft. (176,516 sq. metres) CES is an annual rite for those keen to glimpse the newest gadgets before they hit store shelves. The show, which started in 1967 in New York, was the launch pad for the VCR, camcorder, DVD and HDTV.
While retailers prowl for products to fill their shelves, Wall Street investors look for products that are the next hit.
Intel and Qualcomm are expected to highlight improvements in “perceptual computing,” which involves using cameras, GPS, sensors and microphones to make devices detect and respond to user activity.
“The idea is that if your devices are so smart, they should be able to know you better and anticipate and react to your requirements,” said IDC analyst John Jackson.
This year, snazzier TVs will again dominate show space, with “ultra high-definition” screens that have resolutions some four times sharper than that of current displays. The best smartphones will likely be reserved for launch at Mobile World Congress in February.
There will also be a record number of auto makers showing the latest in-vehicle navigation, entertainment and safety systems, from Toyota’s Audi to Ford, General Motors and Hyundai. The Consumer Electronics Association has forecast the market for factory-installed tech features in cars growing 11 percent this year to $8.7 billion.
BMW, for one, already provides speech recognition that is processed instantly through datacenters, converted into text and emailed without drivers taking their hands off the wheel. The luxury carmaker also offers data about weather, fuel prices and other items.
“Automotive has been this backwater of technology for a long time. Suddenly, we’re seeing a lot of real innovation in automotive technology,” Scott McGregor, CEO of chipmaker Broadcom, told Reuters ahead of the show.
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