CES 2012: Day one highlights
HP Envy 14 Spectre
The HP Envy 14 Spectre is the first consumer-oriented Ultrabook from HP. The most stylish laptop we've seen at CES 2012 so far, we like its Beats Audio analog dial (similar to the HP Envy 15) and glossy Gorilla Glass-covered body.All that glass adds up to a laptop that's worth its weight in gold (or Gorilla Glass, in this case), resulting in a pretty penny--beginning at US$1,399--for an Ultrabook.
Photo by HP
Caption by Jacqueline Seng/CNET Asia
Intel multitouch Ultrabooks
Intel showed off a concept Ultrabook where users touch the screen to scroll through windows, much like navigating a tablet. Another concept called the Nikishi enables users to access the touchpad even when the device is closed.We'll also be looking forward to Ivy Bridge-powered Ultrabooks becoming available later this year.
Photo by James Martin/CNET
Caption by Jacqueline Seng/CNET Asia
Lenovo Yoga
For people who want to have their cake and eat it too, Lenovo's IdeaPad Yoga is both an Ultrabook and a tablet.Unlike the Lenovo IdeaTab S2 that debuted yesterday where the keyboard can be folded 360 degrees into a tablet, the Yoga can also be folded into a stand like an easel or a photo frame.
Photo by Lenovo
Caption by Jacqueline Seng/CNET Asia
Nvidia's 7-inch US$249 tablet
Nvidia revealed a mid-range 7-inch slate that's a worthwhile competitor to the Nook Tablet and Amazon Kindle Fire. For US$249, you'll get a quad-core Tegra 3 processor and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS).The company also announced that the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime will be updated to ICS starting today.
Photo by Josh Lowensohn/CNET
Caption by Jacqueline Seng/CNET Asia
New Monsters
Perhaps emboldened by the success of celebrity-endorsed earphones such as Lady Gaga's Heartbeats 2.0, Monster has unleashed a line of earbuds and over-the-ears in collaboration with more famous people. These include rapper Nick Cannon, soul band Earth, Wind & Fire and Korean artiste J.Y. Park, with fashion label Diesel thrown in for good measure.And all that bling and celebrity backing don't come cheap. Prices start at US$69.95 for the Nick Cannon headphones to US$280 for the Inspiration over-the-ears with interchangeable headbands. Hey, at least when your wallets are empty, you'll still look good.
Photo by Monster
Caption by Jacqueline Seng/CNET Asia
Nokia Lumia 900
Hopes are riding on Nokia's first 4G LTE-equipped Windows Phone handset, the Lumia 900, to help the company become a significant player in the US market.The Lumia 900 has some pretty high-end specs--such as a Carl Zeiss lens, longer-lasting battery and 4.3-inch screen--but whether that will translate into a popular handset is another story altogether.
Photo by Lori Grunin/CNET
Caption by Jacqueline Seng/CNET Asia
HTC Titan II
Like the Lumia 900, the HTC Titan II is also a 4G LTE-capable Windows Phone handset. It's big on specs too, with a 16-megapixel whopper of a camera and 4.7-inch Super LCD screen.Seeing that the original Titan isn't available in Singapore, we're hoping that its follow-up is able to make its way to our shores (and Asia) this time.
Photo by Lynn La/CNET
Caption by Jacqueline Seng/CNET Asia
Huawei Ascend smartphones
Huawei is trying to ascend the ranks of the high-end smartphone market with its two new handsets. The specs of the Huawei Ascend P1 and P1 S are not to be sniffed at: A 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch Super AMOLED qHD display and the Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) OS.And is it us, or does the back of the Huawei handsets remind you of a certain Samsung phone? You be the judge here.
Photo by Aloysius Low/CNET Asia
Caption by Jacqueline Seng/CNET Asia
Sony highlights
Also trying to make a splash is the 4G LTE-equipped Sony Xperia ion and its 3G cousin, the Xperia S. The rear- and front-facing HD cameras are already quite a feat, along with its HD (1,280 x 800) display and HDMI capabilities.Perhaps you'd like a pair of oddly-shaped Sony speakers or a shiny new TV set to go along with the smartphone? The HomeShare and AirPlay-enabled speakers are able to stream music from both Apple and Android devices.
Sadly, Sony's 55-inch Crystal LED display is only a prototype TV set, but is promising based on the fact that it actually uses miniature light-emitting diodes instead of pixels.
And if you like to watch movies on the go, you'd better hope that the new portable Blu-ray player from Sony is offered at a lower price, as it doesn't seem to have much improved specs.
Photo by Sony
Caption by Jacqueline Seng/CNET Asia
Panasonic does big LED TVs
This year, Panasonic chooses to complement (or compete with, depending on how you look at it) its plasma TV business with larger, higher-end LEDs up to 55-inches wide.The other big surprise we didn't see coming is Panasonic's passive 3D TV, seeing that the company has always championed active 3D technology.
On the camera front, the company also announced six new compacts, one of which is the long-zoom Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ1.
Photo by Panasonic
Caption by Jacqueline Seng/CNET Asia
Canon G1X and Ixus cameras
The latest addition to the PowerShot G-series cameras, the Canon G1X is fitted with a new 14.4-megapixel CMOS sensor that's much larger than its predecessors, as well as those found on Micro Four Thirds cameras.Canon also announced two new additions to its High Sensitivity (HS) series--the Ixus 125 HS and Ixus 500 HS ultracompacts. These shooters sport the same BSI-CMOS sensor and DIGIC 5 image processing engine. Both come in fetching hues such as pink, red, silver, green and blue.
And yes, still no interchangeable lens camera (ILC) from the company.
Photo by Canon
Caption by Jacqueline Seng/CNET Asia
Fujifilm X-Pro1
The first mirrorless shooter from Fujifilm, the X-Pro1 is one costly ILC. The estimated price for the body alone is around US$1,700, and lenses could cost about US$650 each.Will you be getting good quality? Fujifilm claims that the new 16-megapixel 1.5x APS-C EXR sensor is better than a full-frame version. And it doesn't hurt that the retro-style body looks good, too.
Photo by Sarah Tew/CNET
Caption by Jacqueline Seng/CNET Asia
Sharper TVs?
As if 4K (four times the resolution of 1080p) isn't "Sharp" enough, the company showed off its prototype, 85-inch 8K TV at CES. 4K content is still not widely available, much less 8K movies or broadcasts, so you can't really take advantage of the uber-high resolution.Upcoming and relatively more practical models from Sharp include 3D Quattron TVs upsized to 60 and 70 inches, ultraslim LED-edgelit smart TVs with narrow bezels and LED-backlit smart TVs.
Photo by flatpanelshd
Caption by Jacqueline Seng/CNET Asia
Samsung highlights
Samsung CEO BK Yoon presented a vision of a smart, connected ecosystem that is made up of its new range of consumer electronic products--PCs, tablets, phones, TVs, cameras and appliances.Among the many products unveiled by the Korean chaebol at its press conference, the ES8000 series LED TV powered by a dual-core processor and the 55-inch Super OLED TV stood out amongst the home A/V portfolio.
The company jumps on the Ultrabook bandwagon with the Series 5 Ultra in 13.3-inch and 14-inch options. The new Series 9 may be slimmer and smaller than its predecessor, but don't call it an Ultrabook.
On the camera front, Samsung introduced a new Wi-Fi and GPS-capable long-zoom 16-megapixel camera with BSI sensor.
Finally, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 was also showcased, but hey, we've seen it at IFA 2011 already.
Photo by Samsung
Caption by Jacqueline Seng/CNET Asia
LG 55-inch OLED whopper
Within five years, LG's organic light-emitting diode (LED) TVs will cost the same as an LCD TV.Until then, we can only drool at its 55-inch OLED whopper of a TV, with all the latest extras such as smart TV capabilities, the new Magic Motion remote with four modes and a built-in mic, and passive 3D. You'd have trouble finding a bezel on the 4mm thick flagship model, as it is reportedly only 1mm wide.
LG also unveiled a Bluetooth soundbar that doesn't support AirPlay--perhaps to be compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
Photo by LG
Caption by Jacqueline Seng/CNET Asia
About the author
Jacqueline Seng is a presenter/writer for CNET Asia, focusing on mobile phones. Her induction into the world of IT involved typing out stories on a computer in kindergarten--not that much has changed. The only girl on the editorial team (for now), she is also an avid potato chip connoisseur, heist movie enthusiast and indie/hiphop music aficionado.
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