It’s good to have CES back. The world’s largest consumer electronics show is back to its pre-pandemic levels of intensity, which means there’s a huge amount of tech to gawk at. There’s a lot of hype, but there’s no shortage of really promising technology to go along with it.
We’re live at CES 2023 in Las Vegas, and we’re going through it all to bring you the highlights: the must-see reveals and the most innovative new tech we’re spotting. There are electronics that will hit store shelves this year, gadgets that are out of date in a few years, and wild concepts that may never become reality.
We’ve taken a good look at what companies like Samsung, LG, Intel, Nvidia, Razer and Dell have in store for 2023: beastly gaming rigs, a handheld device to rival the Nintendo Switch, and a futuristic concept device or two. After this year, we got the big news that Sony is making its own car, scheduled to hit the roads in 2026.
CES runs through Sunday, and we’ll update this list with any major reveals. Consider this your TL;DR. If you only read one CES recap, make it this one.
A flying car is really happening, this time for real
Bree Fowler/CNET
We’ve been waiting for flying cars since at least the Jetsons, and now we’re on the verge of realizing that dream. And by “we,” I mean a company called Aska, which unveiled its A5 flying car at CES 2023. It’s more than a concept: Aska has opened pre-orders for the $789,000 car. At CES 2023, Aska co-founder Guy Kaplinsky said that FAA approval for the A5 could happen “within a month.” Aska hopes to use the A5 to launch a ride-sharing service in 2026.
Read more: This $789,000 flying car can hit the ground faster than you think
Charge your laptop while you pedal
The eKinekt BD 3 Bike Desk is powered by energy created by your pedaling.
Acer
Treadmill desks are great, but the stationary bike desk is where the future of working from home calorie burning is. Acer is taking things a step further with its new desk bike combo that also powers your devices while you walk, making it the first bike desk of its kind to experiment with powering an entire workstation using kinetic energy. This gizmo is either a genius achievement of multitasking or the unironic fruit of an episode of Black Mirror.
Nothing but screens
Lenovo Yoga Book 9i in horizontal position.
Josh Goldman/CNET
Lenovo’s Yoga Book 9i is a triumph of the screen. With two screens and multiple configuration options (stacked vertically or side-by-side with the Bluetooth keyboard, turning one screen into its own tactile keyboard or touchpad, etc.), the convertible laptop also comes with its own origami-style stand and active pen to make full use of the dual displays.
Read more: The best gaming laptops from CES 2023 so far
Move, Switch and Steam Deck
The Razer Edge is finally happening.
James Martin/CNET
There’s a new gaming handheld in town. Coming on January 26, the long-teased Razer Edge could give the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck a run for their money. It’s a smaller Android tablet than the Steam Deck copycat, but the specs are impressive and the $400 price isn’t bad either. We’re keeping our eyes on that.
Tesla of the sea
Candela’s C8 EV hydrofoil boat wants to stir up the waters with autonomous technology and more.
Candela
As you’ve probably noticed, electric cars are hot right now. But why stop on the roads? Candela’s C8 EV hydrofoil boat is a slick craft that glides across the water like a flying carpet, according to CNET’s Bridget Carey. Besides making electric cars sexy, Candela’s C8 takes a cue from Tesla in another key way: its autonomous driving, where the C8 can stick to a set course. The entire boat is made of carbon fiber, including the seats, which explains the $390,000 price tag.
Samsung’s 8K projector transforms you
The premiere of Samsung.
Samsung
Big TVs are cool, but big projectors might be cooler. At CES 2023, Samsung is showing off its Premiere projector, an ultra-short-throw projector that can project an image up to 150 inches diagonally on your living room wall. An ultra short throw or UST refers to the distance from the wall. Instead of placing it in the back of the room, you place the Premiere right next to the wall, as the photo above shows. It has built-in speakers and Dolby Atmos to fill the room with sound as well as light. Read more about it here.
Sony’s first car is coming in 2026
Sony and Honda’s Afeela car.
James Martin/CNET
Electric cars are big business, and Sony wants in. The electronics giant has partnered with Honda for a new electric vehicle brand called Afeela. The Afeela logo appears on a narrow screen or “media strip” on the car’s front bumper. This can also interact with people outside the car and share information such as the time or the car’s state of charge.
Unlike the car Sony showed off at CES 2020 all those years ago, this one is actually coming to market. No word yet on pricing, but Sony said the Afeela car will hit North American roads in 2026. Japan and Europe will follow.
Now playing: Watch this: Sony, Honda Show Afeela Concept Car at CES 2023
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This foldable also slides
Samsung showed off its display concepts at CES 2023.
David Katzmeier/CNET
Samsung gave us a look at a tantalizing concept for mobile devices, the Flex Hybrid. As the demo above shows, the left side of the Flex Hybrid can be folded, like the Galaxy Fold, while the right side can slide to expand. This is wild.
The concept comes courtesy of Samsung Display, not the Mobile arm of the South Korean megacorp responsible for making and selling phones. But the press release promoting the concept promises that it will bring to CES “innovative OLED products of all sizes, small, medium and large, to provide a glimpse into the future of displays.” Samsung isn’t the only company tinkering with the future of phones – check out TCL’s 2020 scrolling display – so watch this space for more flipping, folding and scrolling devices.
Read more: Why we’re excited about foldable phones again
Laptop in (without glasses) 3D
Asus joins Acer for glasses-free 3D laptops, but hitches its wagon to OLED instead of IPS.
Asus
Images pop off the screen on this Asus laptop—not literally, but close. Its OLED screen creates a glasses-free 3D experience, similar to competitor Acer’s similar IPS version. The OLED screen is important because the technology promises visibly clearer 3D rendering. Asus’ 3D panel, aimed at creatives, uses eye tracking to create a 3D experience.
The TV that puts everyone else to shame
As if the 97-inch OLED TV wasn’t enough, LG decided to make it wireless.
LG
It’s the world’s largest OLED TV: LG’s 97-inch model was actually introduced last year, but in 2023 it’s no longer wireless. This means that the world’s largest screen with the best picture that technology allows is now free from that ugly mess of cables. We’ve been covering TVs at CES for years, and even we were surprised—CNET TV guru David Katzmeier was so impressed that he said LG puts all other TVs to shame with this one.
Read more: The best TVs of CES 2023
Phones $200 and under are getting really, really good
TCL 40 SE unveiled at CES 2023.
TCL
Between TCL’s 40 series of phones and Samsung’s Galaxy A14 5G, CES 2023 is shaping up to be a fertile ground for affordable smartphones. Samsung’s $200 newcomer is only a modest upgrade on last year’s A13, but it’s even cheaper and has an improved selfie camera. Meanwhile, TCL’s lineup starts at $129, launching initially in Europe before coming to the US, and all three variants include a 50-megapixel primary camera. All signs point to a growing interest from manufacturers in the budget phone market.
Smart watches want to know if you’re okay
The Citizen CZ smartwatch debuted at CES and will arrive in the US this March.
Citizen
Smartwatches for tracking heart rate, sleep quality and blood oxygen levels abound, but Citizen goes one step further with its CZ Smart Watch, which also measures…
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