Things I found interesting (and possibly promising) at CES 2020: OnePlus Concept One, Samsung T7 SSD and more

It is a mandatory ritual for the tech world to witness new things and trends we can either love, hate, or troll. This ritual becomes all-the-more prevalent during major tradeshows and CES 2020 or Consumer Electronics Show is the inaugural one. And 2020 wasn't any distinct; we saw the introduction of things that can be categorised as best, OK, weird, worst, interesting, as per your choice. 

As CES 2020 just got concluded, I went through all the things that were showcased and came up with things that intrigued me the most. Hence, here are the things I found interesting at CES 2020, and which could possibly be promising as well.

Before I commence, here’s a disclaimer: the following is my own opinion and doesn’t declare these things as the best.

Interesting things at CES 2020 (My Take)

1. Bluetooth Audio LE

Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) introduced a new Bluetooth audio standard called the Bluetooth Audio LE, wherein LE stands for low energy. The new standard uses low energy and works on Bluetooth Low Energy Radio. All this will be done by using a low-power, high-quality audio codec. It is meant to enhance the audio quality and will bring in new features that will be loved by everyone (that includes me too). It will support Universal Sharing, wherein you can connect a source device to multiple devices. You can easily connect your smartphone with multiple devices.

It also has the Hearing Aids feature that will provide Bluetooth features to those who have a hearing impairment. Then there is location-based audio sharing, which will enable you to share audio with people in your vicinity, and Broadcast Audio feature to let one source device (say, a Bluetooth speaker) to allow multiple audio streams.

All these features are expected to solve issues we have been facing for years. They sound promising and might prove efficient too.

2. OnePlus Concept One

OnePlus, since its first step in the mobile world, has managed to impress everyone and that’s what it did this time. It introduced its first-ever concept phone at CES 2020 -- the OnePlus Concept One -- which seems to be an intriguing one.

The smartphone is the first one to use the colour-shifting glass technology, which gives the concept of invisible cameras. How this works you ask? OnePlus has an explanation too. The tech uses organic particles due to which the glass on the rear camera lens can easily go from being opaque to being transparent. This tech also has a secondary use; it works as a polarising filter for sharper and crisper photos. For the design, OnePlus has yet again joined hands with McLaren.

The concept is interesting and the design is attractive- two reasons why it is on my list.

3. OrCam MyEye 2

This product is something I personally liked. Enabling a convenient world for the visually impaired makes OrCam MyEye 2 a promising one. To put things into perspective, the wearable device converts visuals into audibles.

The device reads out texts, recognises faces, identifies products, enables voice commands, and is easy to use. Another thing worth noting is that it is portable, which adds to the convenience. Specifics-wise, the MyEye 2 has a 13MP camera, a 320mAh battery, and has dimensions rated at 76 x 21 x 14.9 mm.

I feel the device tries to mix technology with a social cause and it can be of great help for the visually-impaired who are still relying on others. It’s for a good cause and could have promising results.

4. NextMind

The future is here! NextMind came to CES 2020 and unveiled something that could be of use for many. The company showcased the brain-sensing wearable that can convert a person’s thoughts into actions (at least for digital devices).

You wish to change a TV channel, you can just do with your brain. The brain-sensing wearable is a portable one that has to sit on the back of your head. It will decode your brain’s signals. The device uses artificial intelligence for you to interact with devices with your brain. The company will be releasing a developer kit for the same, which will be shipped in the second half of this year.

The device aims to leverage a digital world, which we could have imagined in at least one decade to come. For me, being able to send commands to devices with my thoughts is quite interesting and might be of great help. However, being a new tech it requires more polishing so that it doesn’t cause discomfort to users in any way.

5. Coolpad Legacy 5G

I remember how Coolpad was a smartphone maker of importance but succumbed to its contenders. Trying to get back in the mobile game, Coolpad took the stage at CES 2020 and launched its 5G smartphone -- the Coolpad Legacy 5G-- which is touted as the cheapest 5G smartphone. The smartphone will be priced under $400 (around Rs. 29,000) and I am eagerly waiting for an affordable 5G phone to come.

Specs-wise, the Coolpad Legacy 5G has a 5.53-inch HDR 10 display and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 processor, coupled with Snapdragon X52 5G modem. On the camera front, there are two rear cameras (48MP, 8MP) and a 16MP front snapper. There is a 4,000mAh battery, Android 10 OS, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage.

While the specifications aren’t as impressive as other smartphones in the market, the price tag makes it a decent option to consider. The Coolpad Legacy 5G will be available in Q2, 2020.

6. Samsung SSD T7 with a fingerprint scanner

Samsung was one of the tech companies that made headlines during CES 2020. The South Korean company launched a bunch of things for us, (from not-so-amazing Neon human AI to the robot Ballie) which also included its latest portable SSD -- the Samsung SSD T7 Touch.

What’s so interesting about the SSD external storage is that it comes with a fingerprint scanner so that your data remains safer. The sleek and compact SSD based on the USB 3.2 Gen 2 standard and enables a read speed of 1,050MB/s and a write speed of 1,000MB/s.3

 
This is 9.5 times faster than the predecessor T5 SSD and ensures lightning-fast data transfer. The SSD comes in three storage options: 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB and will start at $129.99.

While it is just a mere external storage device, the added security layer makes it stands out in the external storage arena and it intrigued me to pieces.

7. L’Oreal Perso

All the girls out there, this one is for you. L’Oreal is one of the known companies when it comes to skincare and cosmetics. Trying to up the beauty game, the company introduced the L’Oreal Perso, which is an AI-based tech beauty device. The 6.5-inch device makes use of AI to produce on-the-spot personalised skincare and cosmetic formulas.

With the help of ModiFace technology, the Perso device analyses your skin and also analyses the environment that can cause changes to your skin. It will also make customised lip shaded and even foundations.

The device is the future of makeup and skincare and proves to be a handy one when for us girls. I liked it a lot and m looking forward to its official launch soon.

8. Y-Brush

The Y-Brush aims for a quick dental cleanup and will clean your teeth in just 10 seconds. The Y-Brush came to CES 2019 and returned in 2020 with the final product. Developed by FasTeesH, the Y-Brush has a motor and nylon bristles to deep-clean your mouth.

It uses the sonic vibrating tech and copies the dentist-recommended ‘Bass Method’ to clean the teeth. This involves small, sideways movements of the brush.

While the design and look of the Y-Brush seem slightly hideous, it claims to do the job in just 10 seconds, which is something I could use when I am late for work in the morning.

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