That’s another one in the books as CES 2022 has wrapped up. The event provided some big wows for those who attended both virtually and in person. From home theatre gear like TVs and soundbars to home appliances, computing products, and smart home, there was plenty to see. Here, we’ve rounded up the biggest and best trends and notable products in each of these core categories.
New appliances announced at CES 2022
There was plenty to see in appliances at CES 2022, with a focus on elegant and modern design, convenience features, and multi-functionality.
New kitchen appliances
When it comes to design, for example, Samsung‘s Bespoke line stole the show with its modern—even futuristic—look that allows you to customize the colours of the panels on the front to your liking and to match your kitchen decor. First announced for its refrigerators, the Bespoke option is now available across a range of Samsung appliances.
When it comes to functionality, plenty of appliances shown at CES 2022 aim to simplify the cooking, prep, and storage of food. LG‘s InstaView double oven range, for example, not only includes a standard interior oven and stovetop cooking surface but also convection bake, air fry, and even sous vide cooking. The unique InstaView door, meanwhile, helps prevent mishaps by letting you easily knock twice on the outside to illuminate the interior instead of opening the door to peak inside.
Panasonic, meanwhile, revealed the interesting HomeCHEF 7-in-1 compact oven. As the name implies, it can cook just about anything much more quickly and efficiently than other methods while also retaining nutrients, moisture, and flavour thanks to features like steam cooking.
High-tech isn’t left out of the equation, of course, with integrations like smart technology in Panasonic’s latest microwave, allowing you to control it by voice using Alexa.
Other appliances
Vacuums are a big part of CES every year, and given the high-tech nature of the show, it’s not surprising that the robot vacuum category is what brands focus on more than anything else. This year, innovations shift from single-function robot vacuums to dual function ones, like the Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni and Roborock Dyad, which can both dry vacuum and wet mop. The BONA BV351AA, meanwhile, has a UV sterilization function built in.
Another big growth category at CES 2022 was, not surprisingly, air purifiers. From mini, travel-friendly models to larger ones designed to purify an entire floor or one room, there was plenty of variety. The one that really stood out, however, was LG’s PuriCare AeroTower, which is ultra-stylish and can function as a fan as well, blowing both hot or cold air, depending on your needs. Samsung also revealed its Bespoke Cube air purifier, which is customizable in design like other Bespoke products in the line and has a dedicated Pet mode.
New for TV and home theatre at CES 2022
The best in TVs
As is the case every year, big screen televisions stole the show, and this year, while there were innovations in every TV type, there was a particular spotlight on OLED and Mini-LED technology.
The highlight for LG was its G2 OLED TV with evo OLED panel and Alpha 9 Gen 5 intelligent processor, along with Brightness Booster technology. It will come in a huge 97″ size along with 83″ and 42″. But LG also turned heads with its unique StanbyME TV, a 27″ wireless LCD touchscreen TV on a rolling mount you can use just about anywhere in the house. LG’s Objet TV, of course, was the star of the show when it comes to gorgeous aesthetic, designed to mount on or lean against the wall to look like an art canvas thanks to its raisable fabric cover.
Samsung, meanwhile, impressed with its true RGB self-emitting Quantum Dot OLED, QD Mini-LED TVs, which offer blazing quick refresh rates of 144Hz, and a new 110″ size for its mesmerizing MicroLED TV. Samsung also has a new innovation in 8K with its Neo QLED 8K TV that offers better contrast and backlight control through the Neo Quantum processor.
Over at Sony, the big news was of its Master Series A95L QD-OLED TV, the first of its kind, which combines both OLED technology with Quantum Dots. Sony also announced its own Mini-LED TV that boasts 8K resolution, Google TV, and the new Bravia Cam, which mounts magnetically to the top of the TV. It can be turned on or off and used to do things like automatically turn off the screen when you walk out of the room or advise that the kids are sitting too close to the TV.
Panasonic also has plans for a new OLED TV in the LZ2000, the 77″ size of which will be named the Master OLED Pro Cinema model. The company promises the TV’s processor is faster with an RGB sensor to adjust the picture based on the ambient light in your room. Interestingly, the built-in speakers are now at the bottom of the panel, and you can adjust the direction by switching among modes.
TCL has a new Mini-LED TV as well in the X9 ODZero, which offers 8K resolution, Google Assistant, and a pop-up camera for video chatting on the big screen.
Smart TVs are not only getting smarter by integrating additional features, the picture continues to get bolder, brighter, more responsive, natural, and realistic.
The best in soundbars
No home theatre experience is complete without audio to complement the video. You can achieve this through a full speaker set-up, including immersive audio above via technologies like Dolby Atmos. But there’s also the option for soundbars. And there were plenty of soundbars announced at CES 2022, a few of which stand out.
Features focus on more power output, support for immersive audio experiences like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, and boosting of dialogue so you don’t have to crank the volume all the way up in order to understand what is being said. Among the standout soundbars revealed at the show include the LG Soundbar, which features the first centre upward-firing speaker; the Samsung flagship Q950B soundbar, which uses Q-Symphony 2.0 technology to sync seamlessly with your TV; the Hisense U5120GW+ with support for Dolby Atmos (like the others); Sony‘s upgraded HT-A7000 and HT-A5000 that now feature 360° audio mapping; and the TCL Alto 9-Series that boasts RAY-DANZ technology for creating a natural sound stage and Master Sound Calibration for analyzing the acoustics in the room and adjusting audio accordingly.
New in computing at CES 2022
It’s no surprise that with so many people working from home these days, or doing hybrid schedules at home and the office, computing would be a big part of CES 2022. Computing innovations at CES include both products for remote workers and students aimed to make the hybrid experience easier as well as computing for gamers.
Dell and its Alienware brand made waves at the show, for example, with innovations like the UltraSharp video conferencing computer monitor, in direct response to the growth in video conferencing, and the curved QD-OLED gaming monitor. Indeed, curved monitors was yet another trend we observed from the show.
Gaming accessories were also a hit at the show, such as the Alienware Tri-Mode line, which includes wireless products like a gaming mouse or headset that can connect to a PC via Bluetooth, USB-C, or 3.5mm connection.
Beyond gaming, there were plenty of new laptops at the show, but one, in particular, that stood out for being different was Lenovo‘s ThinkBook Plus Gen 3, a 17.3″ ultra-widescreen laptop that has a second 8″ screen embedded beside the keyboard.
On the processing end, Intel showcased its 12th Gen Core processors, which are being called the “most significant shift in x86 architecture in a decade”, according to Best Buy Blog author Brad Moon, who cites Intel as calling it the “fastest mobile chip ever”.
New in smart home at CES 2022
As with every year, smart home is a big part of CES, with plenty of products that can help you automate processes in the home, from queuing up music to controlling the lights, as well as enhance home security, and add convenience to your life. There was plenty to see in the smart home category at CES 2022.
Security
In smart home security, the focus was on finding new ways to differentiate from the pack. The eufy Security Video Doorbell Dual, for example, stands out thanks to having two built-in cameras versus one so you can capture both the person’s face as well as packages lower on the ground. Arlo, meanwhile, revealed its new Security System, which has sensors for detecting everything from motion to windows being opened, water leaks, and more. An all-in-one package solution comes in the TP-Link Tapo, which includes a pair each of smart cameras and security sensors along with a smart home security hub.
Lighting
In smart lighting, much of the innovation came in the form of unique strip lighting technology that adds a new dimension to experiences. Sengled‘s Wi-Fi Video Sync TV Light Strips add a more immersive effect to the TV by extending the picture to the wall behind it. It could make for exciting gaming, sports, or even movie experiences. Speaking of strip lights for gamers, Twinkly Dots lights support gaming PCs and provide lighting that can react to gameplay, or even programmed animations. Another stand-out innovation in this category beyond strip lights was Sengled’s Smart Health Monitoring light bulb, which incorporates radar technology to track your sleep, heart rate, body temperature, and other vital stats.
Other smart home gear
Smart home gear extended beyond just the usual categories as well, to include smart technology you can use in rooms like the bathroom and kitchen. Kohler had tons of new products at the show, including its new PerfectFill drain kit and digital valve that can automatically draw a bath for you at not only your preferred water depth but also temperature. Imagine simply using voice commands to get the water running as you prepare to sink in and enjoy some much deserved relax time. (You’ll still need to add the bubbles or bath bombs yourself for now). Moen‘s Smart Faucet with Motion Control, ideal for the kitchen, lets you turn on the water to the desired temperature and flow with simple gestures. This is not only convenient but also hygienic since you don’t need to touch the knobs with raw chicken juice on your hands, for example, and can do things like wash fruit in cold water in a pinch.
One smart home product getting a lot of attention at the show, alongside the growth in fitness, health, and wellness tech, was the Withings Body Scan smart scale. While it’s designed like a standard smart scale that you step atop to get a reading of your weight and body mass, it also has a retractable handle that can be used to measure other information about your body, including taking an electrocardiogram (ECG), nerve activity, sweat gland activity in your feet, and body composition.
Bottom line
This merely scratches the surface of what was on display at CES 2022. Scroll through our CES 2022 hub to check out all the biggest announcements from the show across these categories and others. And check out many of these new products available now or coming soon at Best Buy Online.
necessity is TRULY the mother of invention
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