Apple picker CES 2015 in Las Vegas has closed its doors and we can take stock. Although Apple does not traditionally participate in the largest consumer electronics fair, it was very interesting to see how much it influences the field of consumer electronics with its products. But let's go in order.
TV
Televisions are traditionally one of the most important products at CES, as they are the most important commodity in terms of total funding. In contrast to previous years, this year's CES was much more moderate and focused on real products in terms of TV. Manufacturers stopped competing to make the biggest screen in the world and showed real products for real customers. The standard for the new models is 4K resolution known as UHD. However, manufacturers are not lazy and are already looking at 8K or 16K as the next generation, because it seems that the increase in resolution thanks to Quantum dot technology does not fundamentally increase the cost of production.
But it was more interesting than the resolution to watch the battle of operating systems for smart TVs. It seems that Google will not have a bed of roses with its GoogleTV solution. Samsung started mass deploying its Tizen and then we have WebOS 2.0 or perhaps Fire TV. And if Apple were to enter this market in 2015 with a modified version of iOS for TVs, interesting things could start to happen. A number of Asian manufacturers do not like their dependence on Google solutions, which is fragmenting the market, and this could represent an interesting market opportunity for Apple.
Smart phones
In the field of smartphones, technological development has visibly slowed down. Today, the phone is increasingly replacing a number of other devices such as MP3 players, MP4 players, GPS, compact cameras, e-book readers, but they are all starting to look the same. Every manufacturer can make a phone big or small, fast or thin, with a great camera and tuned software. So, more than a battle of hardware manufacturers, there is a battle of platforms going on today. Customers choose between iOS, Android and Windows Phone. Which hardware they choose is far from important.
In the field of smartphones, there were two interesting facts at CES this year. The first is that, apparently, Microsoft will come with a new version of the system already in the spring, which is earlier than expected, and it can be seen that it is not giving up its fight for a place in the sun.
The second fact is that, although statistics speak of Android's growing market share, all independent accessory manufacturers continue to focus primarily on iPhones and their users, who, unlike Androidists, are willing to pay extra for quality or unique accessories.
Smart watch in light dimming
While last year it seemed that smartwatches would be an absolute blockbuster and everyone would be making them, this year there has been a kind of sobering up, or perhaps the calm before the storm. Those manufacturers who bet on Google's operating system have not yet found a way to sell their watches in bulk, which is why Samsung, for example, regularly gives them away for free with their high-end smartphones. In terms of parameters, none of the manufacturers surprised, so most of the innovation took place in the area of design. From my point of view, LG and unexpectedly Alcatel presented the most beautiful watches. Both brands bet on the round shape and their watches look great.
Still, I can't help feeling that everyone is waiting to see what the Apple Watch will be like, and especially what the market's response will be. Visually, small producers from Asia and startup projects have decreased a lot, because the willingness to invest in a product that directly competes with Apple is visibly small. However, I will return to smart watches in a separate article.
Fitness and Wellness
On the contrary, the area that is literally going full blast is products focused on fitness and wellness. From fitness bracelets to various sensors to solutions for relaxation or improving the sleep cycle. This is an area where customers have learned to spend big, and the product offering matches that. Again, I will devote a separate article to this segment, but we can definitely look forward to a whole range of excellently tuned products this year.
Drones and self-driving cars
Probably the strongest theme of this year's CES was autonomous and connected solutions. This is particularly true of the automotive industry, which this year turned away from promoting electric cars, apparently due to the falling price of oil, and returned to the topic of self-driving models. All the players presented their solutions and it can be seen that they have made a big move, at least from a technological point of view. Still, I can't shake the feeling that this is still a fairly distant future.
On the contrary, drones are a completely up-to-date product. Various quadcopters and similar flying devices were offered by literally hundreds of companies at CES! Think of any size, equipment, design, control and you will definitely find your drone.
3D printing
Another area that experienced a huge boom at CES this year is 3D printing. Forget that a 3D printer is either something unaffordable or a strange puzzle of technical university students. Today, 3D printers are offered in all imaginable sizes, with different technology, used materials and software. From home desktop solutions to professional industrial solutions. The field seems to have come of age.
External battery and selfie stick
If we were to look at the product categories purely from the point of view of the number of products presented, external batteries and selfie sticks definitely had a clear dominance. Today you can have a battery of literally any shape, size, capacity and color. It can be built into a case, strap, flashlight or even a mirror. It's just that the lack of energy is one of the most pressing problems of modern smart devices, so external batteries are a product that users really need.
No one needs a selfie stick to live, but it is so incredibly trendy that, at least in Asia, it is a completely obvious part of everyday life. Well, every era has some kind of phenomenon that certainly won't last long, but now it's just going.
Curved TVs, iWatches, desktops and seamless design everywhere, selfie photos, phones as big as shovels - the world has gone crazy...
Well, I have to admit that, for example, a curved TV or monitors seemed bizarre to me, but really, if you try it, it's not so bad :) the disadvantage is perhaps the viewing angles when there are more people...
Tivizen are mobile TV.. OS is Tizen =) "Samsung has started mass deployment of its Tivizen.. "