After a week of major news from the world’s largest tech and automotive companies, CES 2022 has come to a close. And despite seemingly half the show going virtual thanks to the spread of the Omicron variant, we still saw plenty of exciting moments.
Didn’t have a chance to stream every press conference? Well you’re in luck, because I’m breaking down the biggest news from CES 2022.
That includes new chips that will power your gaming and work computers; future electric trucks you’ll be driving; and the 100-inch plus TVs you’ll eventually watch.
Chips galore
The global chip shortage may still be putting the screws to a slew of industries, but you wouldn’t know that from the number of new processors that debuted during CES.
Both Intel (INTC) and AMD (AMD) came into CES with all-new laptop processors, with Intel debuting its 12th-generation Core processors and AMD showing off its Ryzen 6000 line. Both companies touted their respective chips’ performance capabilities, as well as their power efficiency.
Intel in particular took shots at its former partner Apple (AAPL), which stopped using Intel chips in its laptop in favor of its own processors. In its presentation, Intel specifically called out Apple’s M1 Pro chip, saying that it falls behind the new Intel chip in terms of performance.
Not to be outdone, graphics giant Nvidia (NVDA) rolled out its latest RTX 3070 Ti and 3080 Ti laptop graphics processors — both of which should offer some serious firepower for video editing and gaming.
TVs as far as you could ‘virtually’ see
TVs are always my favorite CES products, mostly because I end up drooling over sets that I’ll never be able to afford. This year, the big themes revolved around three display technologies: Mini-LED, MicroLED, and OLED.
Mini-LED TVs are more or less the same as standard LEDs. They just pack hundreds rather than dozens of LEDs into their backlighting. Using more LEDs allows for better control over things like light distribution across a screen, which can mean better colors in a range of on-screen lighting scenarios.
OLED (organic light-emitting diodes) TVs don’t need backlights because their pixels emit their own light. Because of that, pixels can be turned on or completely shut off, allowing for better color control — making OLED TVs superior to LED sets. LED TVs, however, are typically brighter than OLEDs.
MicroLED TVs combine the best of LCD and OLED by using millions of individually controllable pixels to create on-screen images. That means you get the brightness of LCDs and the vibrancy and balance of OLEDs. But they’re also super expensive — in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Samsung’s 89-inch model will end up in penthouses and mansions at first, but the tech will eventually come down in price and should become the go-to for everyone in the future.
LG debuted its latest OLED TVs ranging in size from 42 inches to 97 inches. The company also showed off its own 136-inch MicroLED TV.
Then there’s Sony (SONY), which showed off its own OLED sets ranging in size from 65 inches to 42 inches, as well as its own mini-LED TVs.
Cars everywhere
Finally, an enormous number of cars debuted at CES 2022. One of the biggest premieres was Chevy’s (GM) new Silverado EV. An all-electric pickup, the Silverado EV is expected to get some 400 miles on a single charge and can get 100 miles of range on a 10-minute charge. The company says it will first launch with a Work Truck Trim and a First Edition Trim.
The Work Truck will cost $39,900, while the First Edition will cost just a tad more: $105,000.
Outside of the Silverado, though, many of the cars were concepts or prototypes. Chrysler (STLA), for instance, brought out its new Airflow concept EV, and Mercedes Benz brought out its 620-mile per charge EQXX concept.
Finally, there’s Sony’s (SONY) Vision S-02. A 7-seat electric SUV, the Vision S-02 is Sony’s second prototype vehicle following 2020’s Vision S-01. More importantly, however, is the news that Sony will launch a new company called Sony Mobility in 2022 to determine if it should actually sell its cars to the public.
Those are the cliff-notes from this year’s CES. While much of this stuff seems super futuristic, plenty of these products will end up in your home, or driveway, in the coming years.
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