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Samsung Event at CES 2021: 110-inch MicroLED TV, Bespoke 4-door Refrigerator and More Launched
Samsung is kicking off the traditional annual technology curtain raiser with its launches, which will include new TV tech and smart refrigerators, among others.
Samsung Event at CES 2021: Samsung has held its first event in the space of a week, opening the Consumer Electronics Show 2021 with a crisp, 30-minute keynote. Among fresh launches is its new range of Bespoke refrigerators that you can mix, match and combine into different configurations — all depending on what you expect from your refrigerator. Samsung has also launched its first MicroLED TV, which will be commercially available in a couple of months in a whopping, 110-inch avatar. The price for this is yet to be announced, but being one of the first adapters in the industry, expect it to be pretty pricey.
Samsung also spoke at length about its AI ecosystem and smart home software, as well as its sustainability efforts. Alongside the catchy demos of its smart home stuff, two of Samsung’s sustainability efforts caught the eye. The first is its shift to its DRAMs and SSDs in its data centres and servers, which can apparently make a 7TWh (Tera-Watt-hour) difference in energy consumption — that’s apparently as much electricity as all of California consumes in a month. The second is its proposed software updates to older Samsung Galaxy phones, which can turn them into specific use-case devices such as baby monitors or long-range remotes for appliances. That can really help people find use for discarded old phones that are no longer fast or feature-rich enough to serve as daily drivers.
While most events through 2020 had already happened at least once in the virtual format, this is the first edition of the coveted Consumer Electronics Show that is being hosted virtually, with the 2020 edition being one of the very last tech conferences that was hosted physically before the pandemic put regular things on a halt. Samsung, as is the trend every time, kicked off the proceedings with its event on the eve of the CES 2021 opening day. Later this week is when all the excitement is really expected to take off, as Samsung hosts Galaxy Unpacked 2021 to launch the Samsung Galaxy S21 series of flagship smartphones. Last year was 100x zoom, what will it be this time?
That's that for tonight then. Tune in tomorrow for more CES 2021 coverage, and on January 14 for the Galaxy Unpacked that should give us the Samsung Galaxy S21 line of smartphones. Good night!
We wrap up tonight with a new range of customisable smart refrigerators, a 110-inch MicroLED TV that will actually be sold in markets, and a whole lot of AI smart home technologies. Oh, and key moves from Samsung as part of its sustainability efforts too.
And with that, we come to a wrap for everything that Samsung had to show today. Its next presentation will be on January 14, with its very own Galaxy Unpacked. That is where the real sparks will fly.
Okay, this is legitimately neat. Samsung will update the firmware in your older Samsung Galaxy phones, using which you can use your discarded phones as long-range remotes, baby monitor and other usage-specific tasks. That's a very, very good initiative from Samsung.
Samsung says that switching to its DRAMs and SSDs in its data servers can save 7TWh (that TERA-Watt-hour) of energy on a regular cycle. That can apparently power every home in California for an entire month. The tech industry really needs to talk more and more about their sustainability efforts. This is a good bit of insight from Samsung here.
That's one thing about robotics and AI today: as demos, they work in ideal conditions. Give the JetBot 90 AI+ a home as messy and different as a traditional Indian home, and it will likely take a number of years before we can get the robots adjusted to such different lifestyles.
Samsung's CES 2021 event is essentially all about consolidating its home AI and smart appliances ecosystem. PSA: You'd really need a very ideal home setting for it all to work for now. It's all impressive on a curated video demo, but we all know how the real life applications work for these things.
Moral: an AI robot can now clean your dog's mess, show it movies, feed it treatos, and basically make sure that you don't need to be a pet mom (or dad) compulsorily. That's... useful for those who leave their pups behind at home alone for work, I guess.
To show more of what its AI can do, Samsung is showing its JetBot 90 AI+, which has LiDARs and 3D sensors to intelligently gauge what is an obstacle, and what may be a fragile table stand at the corner.
Samsung says that its new neural AI processor on TVs can take 'HD' content and upgrade it all the way to 8K.
I have three fitness trackers at home, and NONE have managed to get me to work out everyday. Do we really believe that an AI service inside a TV will do it, finally?
Next up is Samsung SmartHealth, which syncs with the Samsung Smart Trainer on your TV. Pair it with a camera, and train live with the AI health service.
And now we are talking about AI services integration, with SmartThings Cooking. It can sync your TV, your oven, your phone and monitor your grocery supplies too. Watch things on your refrigerator display, get reminded for groceries on your phone, get stuff automatically delivered home, and sync with the oven too.
Samsung's taken cues from The Wall TV that it showed before, to create this TV. And yes, if you have the money for it, Samsung will sell you one of these in a couple of months.
And that's that for fridges. Samsung's now showing us its first TV of the year -- a 110-inch microLED TV. It looks even more bezelless!
The new smart fridge in the lineup is called a '4-done Flex Bespoke'. It literally comes with one door that Samsung calls the 'flex zone'.
Now, we're talking about Samsung's new line of refrigerators, called 'Bespoke'. It's literally... bespoke.
This event is clearly going to be about smart homes and smart appliances. To be fair, that's something that Samsung has always been pretty good at.
Before I can crack any further pointless jokes (yeah they were jokes), Sebastian Seung, head of Samsung Research, opens the 30 minutes-long event.
Talking about smart, Samsung will apparently show us a few smart appliances today. Do you really believe in smart homes? I find the idea of intelligent geysers and microwave ovens rather scary.
A gentle reminder: CES has rarely been about phones, so... you'll likely find this entertaining and interesting only if you like refrigerators that can talk. Or, at a far shot, if you find us smart and funny.
Hello, and a very early welcome to our live coverage of Samsung's event at the ongoing CES 2021 mega tech event!
