Samsung came to CES 2014 with the same goal it seemingly has for all it’s press conferences: make an impression. Unfortunately for Samsung, things did not go as planned. Amidst the new tablets and curved UHD TV displays, a man famed for his explosive filmmaking imploded on stage in front of the entire press and media.
After Samsung had set the scene for a seemingly impressive UHD (4K) lineup, director Michael Bay exited the stage abruptly when his teleprompter apparently malfunctioned. Joe Stinziano, EVP of Samsung Electronics America, tried to ad-lib off-script with the shaken-up director, but it was no use–Bay was gone.
In addition to the spectacle that was Michael Bay, Samsung did actually show off some cool products.
They started the event by announcing a partnership with the NBA and the PGA for connected apps on Samsung televisions. Things moved quickly to the highlight of the event, the UHD TVs. UHD stands for Ultra-High Definition, or 4K. Samsung kicked off this segment by bringing out the flagship of their lineup, the whopping 105-inch curved LED UHD TV, the worlds largest. Samsung claims the curve gives this set a wider field of view and twice the ratio of a regular TV.It also lets you view images in 3D without glasses. Other features include a zero-lag startup time, streaming services from Comcast Xfinity and DirecTV, a multi-link screen (lets you view smart content alongside regular programming) and a games hub where video games can be played without the need for a separate console.
If this weren’t impressive enough, Samsung had what I believe was their “wow” moment–a flat panel UHD TV that bended into a curved screen with the touch of a button. I’m not exactly sure why I need a screen that can bend from curved to flat and back, but Samsung seems keen on making sure we want one.
Two chefs were brought out on stage to talk about Samsung’s “Chef Collection” of smart appliances which range from an oven that keeps cooking temperatures even across multiple food items, to “Waterwall” dishwashers, which has jets that run up and down both walls. There was also a mention of series 9000 laundry machines.
Finally, Samsung announced a new line of tablets for the pro and business-minded consumer: The Note Pro and the Tab Pro. Both have available 12.2 inch displays, running at WQXGA resolution, 2560 x 1600.
They run a new UI called “Magazine UX”, which puts all your content into a flipboard-style layout and is separated into three screens. The Note has an updated stylus and both have a ridiculously huge on-screen keyboard. Other specs include MIMO ac WiFI, a 2.3 Ghz quad core processor, 3 Gb Ram, is 750grams heavy, 7.95 mm thick and runs Android 4.4.
Samsung ended the event with a slide showing some new cameras and lenses, including the NX30, Galaxy Camera 2 and two new lenses, but no new info was shared besides this. The press was told to visit their booth to learn more and demo the products.
In all, Samsung had a pretty standard event here at the 2014 CES. The big ticket items were obviously the curved UHD TVs, but the new pro line of tablets made waves as well–especially in the business community. And of course, there were plenty of gasps when the flat-panel TV was bent by a motor, as well as when Bay was bent by his own emotions.
Be sure to return to Cychron for more coverage of CES, including hands-on with all the latest Samsung unveiled today!