Apple and Samsung were the talk of the town at CES 2019 Las Vegas. Apple, with a bid to increase its position in services, has decided to open Airplay and Homekit to non-Apple devices. Consumers will soon be allowed to stream music and videos directly to TVs made by Samsung, Sony, and other third-party manufacturers from an Apple device. The uncharacteristic change is reportedly due to the pending launch of the Apple Streaming service. Apple has realized that, in order to compete with streaming giants such as Netflix and Amazon, it has to give more options to consumers. This is a wise choice considering slumping iPhone sales.
Samsung, staying true to form, announced a plethora of exciting new devices and upgrades ranging from giant TVs to robotics. The MicroLED TV, promising less burn-in than its predecessor technology, will be available in a 75-inch form factor for both commercial and consumer use. Bixby, Samsung’s digital assistant, has new capabilities such as searching iTunes as a result of the new partnership with Apple. And lastly, we have ‘Bots’, which is Samsung trying its hand in consumer robotics. They introduced several futuristic products:
-Bot Air will travel from room to room purifying the air in your home.
-GEMS, an exoskeleton-ish device, promises to help with mobility issues with 3 separate models for hips, ankles, and knees.
-Bot Care can gauge the quality of your rest, measure your blood pressure at the press of a button, and let your family or health care provider monitor your vitals remotely.
-Bot Retail is a mechanical waiter ready to take your order.
According to cnet.com, the most buzzworthy announcement is the next installation of the Samsung Galaxy smartphone, the S10, launching February 20th, 2019. The phone is rumored to come with major tech upgrades such as an in-screen fingerprint reader, improved 3D face scanner, a faster more efficient processor, a 5000mAh battery for longer battery life, and a dual lens front facing camera.
Dil Bole Oberoi
