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Spring Product Preview From CES and Beyond

Spring Product Preview From CES and Beyond 

The spring season has arrived, and with it the new wave of consumer tech products arriving on the market. Many of them were unveiled at CES, and some prior to that, but all have the opportunity to make an impact, and drive sales, especially as the weather gets beyond winter.  

The Consumer Technology Association, according to its forecast released in January, is expecting projected revenue of $497 billion in 2023. And while that’s represents a decrease from the levels of the last two years, it remains higher than the figures in 2018, 2019, and 2020.  

“The technology industry is a deflationary force in the global economy,” Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CTA, said in the release of the forecast. “The constantly evolving nature of technology leads industries to find newer, more efficient ways to drive commerce. CES has become the destination for innovators who are making business more efficient and improving our quality of life in industries like agriculture, transportation, health and so many more.” 

What has a chance to break through this spring? A few contenders, in a few different categories:  

The Smart Home, from the Lights to the Gameroom to the Bathroom:  

The connected home is a big part of CES, and yes, that starts in the bathroom. Several companies had smart toilets at CES, including Withings, whose U-Scan “at-home urine lab” is awaiting FDA approval.  

But Kohler’s Numi 2.0 Smart Toilet, which has been shown at CES in prototype form several years in a row, is now finally on the market, at a price point above $11,000. Also new from Kohler is the more affordable Eir Smart Toilet, which offers “heated seat, personal cleansing, auto open and close lid, dual flush, and smart automatic flush capabilities.” 

Getting to other parts of the house, Leviton was one of many smart home manufactures that brought out products compatibly with the Matter standard. The Matter support was added via firmware updates to existing products, starting with Leviton Decora Smart Wi-Fi 2nd Gen. In addition, the new Decora Smart No-Neutral Dimmer ($49.99) and Switch ($44.99) both do not require a neutral switch. 

The Chinese smart lighting brand Yee Light debuted the Yeelight Cube Smart Lamp which also works with Matter, along with Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings.  

“This brilliantly-starry lamp contains three types of units: Spot, Matrix and Panel, which are assemblable like bricks on users’ desktops. The lamp will offer multi-dimensional fun as well as flexible interactions thanks to Matter,” the company said.  

Speaking of smart, Twinkly is a smart light brand who debuted the Twinkly Entertainment Hub in Las Vegas, with a spring arrival set. the application “takes gaming and entertainment to a whole new level by providing a fully immersive experience that allows users to reflect on-screen visuals alongside any form of audio into a LED Twinkly Light Show,” the company said.  

The Laptop Class  

One of the best-reviewed products from this year’s CES was the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i, an OLED dual-screen laptop. It’s a product directed at the age of hybrid and remote work.  

“More versatile than a traditional clamshell laptop form factor, the exceptionally flexible Yoga Book 9i built on the Intel Evo platform offers dual-screen versatility, multi-mode functionality, and superior entertainment options. For a new generation of consumers who bring creativity to a new level, Yoga Book 9i supports their multi-faceted digital demands and empowers their ambitions whether working, creating, learning or entertaining.” It’s scheduled to arrive June 1 at a retail price of $2,099.99.  

Also earning rave reviews at CES were LG’s Gram Style, which come in 14- and 16-inch varieties. Also featuring OLED screens, the Gram laptops were “created for people who love to express their unique style wherever they go,” the company said. The lineup launches soon, starting next month in South Korea.  

The Alienware m18 is one of six gaming laptops unveiled at CES by Dell and Alienware. The m18 is described by the company as its “new 18-inch performance juggernaut.” The product offers Element 31 thermal interface material, seven heat pipes, and a vapor chamber that covers the GPU and CPU.  

Riding the E-Bikes  

E-bikes and e-scooters remain a growing category. This includes from the iconic consumer electronics brand RCA, which offers three new e-bikes and four e-scooters. This is highlighted by the Dirt-E e-bike, which the company calls “reminiscent of the classic Italian super motorcycle.”  

One of the more unique products in the category was the Icoma Tatamel Bike, it’s an electric motorbike that folds into the size of a suitcase. The product of a Japanese startup that was at CES’ Japan Pavilion, and “designed to provide different functionalities, including one as a power source for outdoor activities and emergencies.”  

Another company that announced an e-bike move at CES comes from the car world. The Vietnamese automaker VinFast announced ahead of the show that in addition to four new electric SUVs, it would unveil four electric bike concepts. VinFast opened its first showrooms in the U.S. last year.  

The concepts “feature a fashionable design from frame to battery. The e-bikes also offer a choice of premium luxury with high quality materials, finishings and colors, ensuring an incomparable ride experience,” the company said.