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8K at CES 2020: The future or a waste of time?
It was hard to escape 8K TVs this year at CES. Sony, Samsung, LG and TCL all showed off new 8K models, with the full intention of actually selling them to consumers. That's a big shift from previous years, when it's always seemed like some far-off technology awaiting industry support. So what's the point of buying an 8K TV in 2020? Our TV nerds, Devindra Hardawar and Richard Lawler, have two very different stances on the matter.
Samsung's clamshell foldable phone may be called the Galaxy Z Flip
Samsung may not be particularly attached to the Galaxy Fold name. Historically reliable leaker Ice Universe has claimed that Samsung's reported clamshell foldable phone will be called the Galaxy Z Flip, not Fold 2, Bloom or other rumored names. We'd take the claims with a small grain of salt when there isn't much corroborating evidence (Ice acknowledged that the logo is a mockup), it would make sense given the nature of the device -- it's a flip phone that folds in the Z axis, after all.
Samsung Galaxy S20+ leak appears to confirm its name and cameras
You might not have to rely on renders or other hard-to-verify reports to know what Samsung's next Galaxy S phone will look like -- you may be staring at it. XDA-Developers has obtained pictures of what it says is the Galaxy S20+ 5G. The boot screen appears to show the rumored S20 name and a 5G variant, as you've no doubt noticed, but also reveals the elaborate camera array that reportedly includes a 12MP 1.8-micron main camera, an ultra-wide, a telephoto and possibly a macro lens. There might also be a rear microphone to boost audio quality when you're recording videos.
Six ways to 'win' at CES
With more than 4,000 exhibitors, if you want attention at CES 2020, you have to work for it -- or at least give the herds of media, analysts and attendees something for paying a visit. This year, it was an unusual mix of approaches that won the crowds and the headlines here in Las Vegas. Whether you're in charge of a multinational tech company, a startup or a research group, here's how to grab all the headlines and hype at the Consumer Electronics Show.
Samsung will launch its rugged XCover Pro worldwide
No, you won't have to go to Finland just to get Samsung's latest rugged phone. The tech giant has confirmed that the XCover Pro will be available around the world. It'll also be available in some markets as an Enterprise Edition with both two years of guaranteed availability and four years of security updates. Samsung will sell the phone in the US for $499 in the first half of 2020, with Verizon (Engadget's parent company) as a partner.
An exclusive look at Samsung Ballie
The first thing I notice when I pick up Ballie is how light it is: It's about the size of a hefty grapefruit but much less dense. Ballie's plastic, scalloped frame gives this otherwise nondescript ball a sense of playfulness, one that might not have been possible if Samsung had gone with the cloth finish it first considered.
CES 2020 recap: It's a wrap!
CES can be predictable, but what devices blindsided us in 2020? The Vision S EV did because Sony isn't known for building cars. While meant to show off Sony's automotive tech chops, it was far more practical than other CES concept cars (*cough* Mercedes AVTR). Another delightful surprise was Samsung's Ballie, a rolling robot meant to capture our hearts like Star Wars' BB-8 droid. Samsung has grand plans for Ballie as a home assistant, fitness coach and even safety monitor, but all it really did at CES was, well, roll. Finally, we got to see the killer feature of the streaming service Quibi. Called Turnstyle, it allows videos to be played in either vertical or horizontal orientations with no black bars. All of these things managed to surprise us and that's saying something because a flying car didn't even make the list. For more, follow our complete CES 2020 coverage.
Samsung’s SmartThings app will soon connect to your car too
Samsung wants to add cars to its smart home ecosystem. At CES, Samsung announced that it's teaming up with Smartcar to make its SmartThings app compatible with "most new cars" in the US. Through the app, users will be able to do things like locate and unlock their vehicle or check its mileage, fuel level and EV battery status.
US Samsung Pay users can't send money internationally after Travelex hack (update)
Travelex's ransomware attack continues to affect people and businesses around the globe -- including those that might not consider themselves affiliated with the company in any way. Engadget can reveal that Samsung Pay's international money transfer service -- which relies on the Travelex platform -- has been suspended as a result of the issues faced by its partner.
Samsung's rugged Galaxy XCover Pro includes a swappable battery
If you're pining for the days of phones with swappable batteries and durable bodies, relief is at hand -- at least, if you're willing to import from a Nordic country. Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy XCover Pro, a mid-tier rugged phone that's only expected to launch in Finland. It has modern Samsung staples like a 6.3-inch 1080p display, a hole-punch front camera and an on-screen fingerprint reader, but it also come in a military-grade chassis with a 4,050mAh removable battery. Yes, you can swap power packs during a camping trip. The screen is also friendly to people with gloved and wet hands, and there are two programmable buttons to spare you from poking at the display in the first place.
Neon’s ‘artificial human’ avatars could not live up to the CES hype
Neon and its "artificial human" avatars were the first viral hit of CES. They had everything to get the internet excited: a corporate giant (the company is from Samsung's STAR Labs), buzzwords (Avatars! Realistic AI assistants!) and confusion. Redditors combed the internet for details, and YouTube channel Good Content pulled together a surprisingly comprehensive dossier on a company that's barely half a year old. Neon then officially announced itself to CES in a press release rich in hyperbole, complicated machine learning jargon and a pretty opaque mission statement. There was also the promise of Neons "reacting and responding in real-time." I had to see it for myself.
Vote for the Best of CES 2020 People's Choice Awards!
We've announced our Best of CES finalists, so now it's time for you to cast your vote for your favorite gadget at CES 2020! Just head over here (or below) to pick your three favorite items from our pool of finalists. You have until 6 PM ET tomorrow, January 9th, to get your votes in.
Samsung’s T7 Touch SSD can be locked with a fingerprint
Security is especially important for portable SSDs, which might carry tons of sensitive information yet end up tossed in a bag. Samsung recognizes this. To make its latest portable SSD more secure, it has added a fingerprint sensor to the new T7 Touch, which was named a CES 2020 Innovation Awards honoree.
Don't ask Samsung to say more about its rolling robot assistant
When we rolled (Ed note: groan) into Samsung's CES keynote address last night, we expected lots of platitudes about the power of AI and the experiences made possible by 5G. We got those, but also something else: Ballie, an adorable, rolling smart home control center that comes off like a mix between BB-8 and Haro from the Gundam series. Needless to say, I fell pretty hard for it.
Watch Samsung's CES 2020 keynote in under eight minutes
Between CES and the upcoming Unpacked, at which it'll reveal its next flagship mobile devices, Samsung has already set itself up for a jam-packed year. Even before its keynote, Samsung was having a busy CES, having revealed several TVs, laptops (including a 4K Chromebook) and a Galaxy S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite in the leadup to the event. But it still had some things to showcase, including a spherical robot called Ballie Samsung suggests will be able to manage your smart home.
I skipped breakfast, but Samsung had a robot make me a salad
Normally when I miss breakfast, it's by choice. Today, it was because I was in a rush to get to Samsung's booth on the CES show floor and see if I could get any face time with the company's cute new rolling robot. (That, uh, didn't go so great.) The trip was still well worth it, though, because I got to eat a tofu salad partially made by a pair of robotic arms slung from the bottom of some kitchen cabinets.
Becon's scalp scanner forces you to confront hair loss head-on
To quote the great Thanos: "Dread it. Run from it. Destiny still arrives." Like so many others, I don't want to think about whether my hair is thinning. For now, I'm happy to put my head in the sand (not literally) and pretend the problem doesn't exist. A startup called Becon takes a different view, though. The team, which is part of Samsung's C-Lab program, believes it's better to tackle the problem head on (no pun intended) and track your scalp meticulously. With the right data, they argue, you can identify the root cause (geez, so many puns) and possibly slow the hair loss process.
Samsung SelfieType is a more virtual virtual keyboard
We've all seen adverts for laser keyboards that often lurk in the back pages of the Sharper Image catalog, which promise a lighter bag when you're on the go. But the ideal of using a virtual keyboard to type on your smartphone or tablet is never as practical in the real world, when it's often fiddly and unreliable. Samsung has decided to see if it's possible to make this work but without using any crappy accessories.
Samsung’s Galaxy Home Mini is finally landing in early 2020
Samsung says it will release its first Bixby-powered smartspeaker sometime later this year. Hyunsuk Kim, CEO of the company's consumer electronics division, told Bloomberg the Galaxy Home Mini will be available to buy in "early 2020."
Google Play now supports Samsung's HDR10+ alternative to Dolby Vision
Samsung unveiled HDR10+ as a way to bring HDR tech on par with Dolby Vision without paying Dolby's royalties. So far, it hasn't attracted a lot of other TV makers and content distributors besides Panasonic and Amazon. However, Samsung has now announced two significant new partners in both those areas with Vizio TVs and Google Play streaming. That should make it easier for consumers to not only find HDR10+ content, but play it back as well.