Smart Home

LG's new line of soundbars for 2021 includes units that support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, as well as the latest developments resulting from the OEM's partnership with Meridian Audio. They start at US$179, although the most expensive goes for $1,000. Most are available from now, although one 3.1.2-channel unit is not available until June 2021.

A German security researcher who goes by the alias "stacksmashing" posted a YouTube video detailing how he was able to dump the firmware of an Apple AirTag. Furthermore, he was able to inject a custom firmware that changed the AirTag's "Lost Mode" function. This could open the door to more malicious jailbreaks of AirTags in the future.

Xiaomi had hinted that it would debut its Mi 11 Ultra flagship Android phone in Europe on May 11, 2021, and has just delivered with a German launch event for this device. The 50MP camera monster has arrived in its new market alongside the region's first Redmi Note 10-series phones and the Mi P1 smart TVs.

Lenovo has officially confirmed that the Yoga Pad Pro 13 will launch on May 24, 2021 in China. Moreover, the device's new teasers show it has a new take on its series' classic stand/hang-tab and barrel grip. It is said to pack an HDMI port, as well as dual USB type Cs.

TCL's latest press event served to unveil next-gen displays for the TVs, rollables or laptops of the near future. They include new 15.6- and 17.3-inch panels described as ultra-high-res with scope for ultra-thin bezels. The conference also unveiled the OEM's Star Obsidian Screen for 75-inch mini-LED 8K devices, as well as the latest version of its 17-inch scrolling display.

OPPO's latest product event was a bumper update for its device ecosystem in general. Not only did it introduce the new K9 smartphone, but it also revealed the new TVs of the same name. The Enco Air TWS earbuds also debuted at the show, as did the Vitality Edition of the OPPO Band.

Qualcomm has now released its fiscal performance report for the second quarter of 2021 (2FQ2021). The OEM claims to have made a total of US$7.9 billion in terms of revenue, ~$1.8 billion of which is its net income. Most of this has come from its semiconductor-producing arm, which has posted a 137% growth in pre-tax earnings year-on-year (YoY).

Although it lacks Wi-Fi 6, the rock space AC2100 wireless router features a dual-core processor, a maximum speed of 2033 Mbps, and 1300 square feet coverage thanks to 4x4 MU-MIMO and Beamforming+. Only available in the US, this product is now on sale with a 40 percent discount that takes the price below US$40.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) had indicated that its flagship Consumer Electronics Show (CES) might be able to return to a live format in 2022. Now, the group has confirmed that this is indeed the case. Therefore, the conference will be held in its classic Las Vegas setting through January 5 to 8 of next year.

Xiaomi has introduced its most premium offering, the Mi QLED TV 75 smart TV in India recently. The QLED TV 75 offers the Android 10 smart TV platform with Google Assistant, Chromecast, and Alexa support. The TV also features wide color gamut support, a MediaTek MT9611 SoC, and the company's PatchWall content aggregation service that connects to more than 25 streaming services.

The Ultenic U10 enters a saturated market, but the company hopes to set its vacuum apart with its 'infrared dust detection technology', HEPA Filtration System and its 23,000 Pa of suction power. The U10 retails for US$189, but Ultenic is currently selling it for just US$149. The Ultenic U10 is available in the UK and the Eurozone, too.

Apple has finally updated its 4K TV box as part of its April 20, 2021 hardware event. This new model is powered by the same A12 Bionic processor found in ex-flagship iPhones. It can also balance the colors of the screen to which it is attached using one of the same smartphones, and comes with a new Siri-enabled remote with improved controls.

Sony has announced pricing and availability for its 2021 TVs. They include the BRAVIA XR MASTER Series A90J, which, as the OEM asserts, integrates its best OLED panel to date. It also has new LED models with 4K and 8K options, including the 100-inch BRAVIA XR X92 now set at US$20,000.

Sony has launched its latest 4K projectors aimed at the home cinema market. The two new SXRD units are rated for native 4K resolutions and have the same X1 processor found in many high-end BRAVIA TVs. The higher-end model has an ARC-F lens for image quality that goes right to the edge of the window it throws.

Amazon has announced its Echo Buds (2nd gen). The company claims to have addressed multiple issues customers had with their predecessors: they are now rated for better audio quality, active noise cancellation and fit in the ear. They are not available for purchase yet, though, but can be ordered in May 2021.

Logitech has killed Harmony, just as it did with Harmony Link and Squeeze Box. Apparently, Harmony servers will remain active, as will its database. For how long remains to be seen, though.

The Tesvor S6 is relatively affordable by robot vacuum standards, but Tesvor has still managed to include many of the features that its competitors offer. Unfortunately, the Tesvor S6 misses the mark in its execution.

Huawei has launched new smart screens. They are also the inaugural models of a new series by the OEM, and are also the first with speaker arrays tuned by the high-end audio group Devialet. The devices run HarmonyOS out of the box and have 4K LCD panels with a TUV Rheinland low-blue-light certifications.

For an announcement that's all about visuals and connectivity, the manufacturers have failed to even release a picture or two of the actual television in all its glory. Perhaps unsurprisingly, no launch window has been provided.

The Galaxy SmartTag is Samsung's recent answer to Tile-like devices. It was released in vanilla and Plus variants, although only the former has been available until now. The latter is now also on the market, although it is listed with only 1 retailer thus far.

Some Realme fans might already be aware of Realmeow, this OEM’s recently-unveiled visor-rocking feline mascot. Now, some official-looking Twitter accounts allege that this character is to become much more to the brand. In fact, it is due to be rolled out as a smart assistant soon.

Xiaomi has presented a new robot vacuum, the MIJIA Robot Vacuum Cleaner Pro. The company claims that the vacuum can automatically avoid small items, such as cables, thanks to its 3D ToF camera.

If the data found in the latest version of the Galaxy Wearable app turns out to be accurate, Samsung's next-gen smartwatches will only run Google's Wear OS. The Galaxy Watch 4 and its Active sibling are expected to arrive later this year, more precisely before the end of its second quarter.

According to some recent leaks, Huawei is about to launch a new series of TVs. The OEM is also now said to have partnered with the sound specialist Devialet for these putative 2021 smart screens' audio solutions. This collaboration has, apparently, results in inbuilt speakers that might make the user forget about an external set-up.

Xiaomi is slated to launch the Ultra version of the Mi 11, not to mention the latest generation of the Mi Mix line, on March 29, 2021. It now seems that another kind of product might take the stage alongside them: a new Surge SoC. This in-house chipset might be intended to power the next generation of the OEM's connected ecosystem devices.

LG has announced that the release of its latest A1-, C1- and G1-series of 4K OLED TVs to the US market has begun. They start at US$1,299 for a 48-inch model, although the highest-end 83-inch C1 variant is $6,000. Most models are available from now, although the OEM is holding back on some until April to June 2021.

Dyson has unveiled the V15 Detect, its latest cordless vacuum that fights dust using lasers. The battery-powered vacuum uses a laser and an acoustic piezo sensor to do so in the fight against dust, which Dyson has combined with its 230 Airwatt Hyperdymium motor and a 5-stage filtration system.

Amazfit is a popular wearables brand with its own e-store that serves several regions, the US included. It is currently running a promotion that offers a free second strap with every purchase of its latest GTS 2 and GTR 2 series of smartwatches. These bands normally cost about US$20, meaning this might be a good chance to get two in different colors for a limited time.

The Mijia Mi Smart Projector 2 Pro is a relatively portable FHD projector launched by Xiaomi with the potential advantage of a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor for added focus capabilities in late 2020 in China. Now, it has a Global variant, which means it runs Android TV and is available on Banggood from now.

Qualcomm offers a range of products that support or serve mobile wireless audio, ranging from its aptX technology to the entire 8-series of mobile SoCs. Now, it has announced that this panel of technology has a new, unified platform: Snapdragon Sound. It will also act as a badge to signal to the consumer that its specs are present in a given product.

The first television sets with the new MediaTek SoC are expected to become available by the second quarter of this year. MediaTek already powers most smart speakers and smart home products unbeknownst to most users.

Laser TVs are devices much more like ultra-short-throw projectors than conventional big screens. Therefore, they can deliver larger display sizes with less harmful blue light, which is what customers want these days - according to Hisense, at least. This OEM claims that it sold over three times more laser TVs in 2020 internationally compared to 2019.

Huami is a wearables OEM that has built a market leadership worldwide, mainly through the popularity of its Amazfit devices. Now, the company has announced that it will be known as Zepp Health from now on. This wholesale re-brand is intended to consolidate its position across all its businesses going forward

Xiaomi has officially launched the Redmi Max 86” smart TV. The new television joins the massive 98-inch Redmi Max as part of the affordable range of giant TVs from the Xiaomi subsidiary. For 7,999 yuan (US$1,237) buyers get a 4K TV that is both gaming-friendly and elevator compatible. The Redmi Max 86 also has an HDMI 2.1 port and operates on MIUI for TV 3.0.

The 98-inch Redmi Smart TV Max is soon going to be joined by another monster television set from Xiaomi. The Chinese company has been teasing the fact on Weibo and asking followers what size the new Redmi Max TV could be. While some have their fingers crossed for 120 inches, it seems a smaller 86-inch set is more likely.

Samsung has confirmed that its new Neo QLED mini LED TVs support AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, which should provide a tear-free experience when gaming. The TVs also support HDMI 2.1, meaning that they can output at up to 120 Hz.

Google launched a new smart screen interface in 2020, which it may intend to roll out across all devices that run its UI going forward. A new software update may bring that to fruition, with a new look for Android TVs that bring features like that found on the new Chromecast dongle.

The Wi-Fi Alliance has only just begun to validate hardware with the newest 6E wireless-data standard. This is good news for MediaTek, which has had its latest access point and client-side wireless solutions picked up for use in this official body's new test bed. Therefore, the company might now find it easier to pitch these components to OEMs who make routers, broadband equipment or PCs.

Xiaomi has (perhaps prematurely) announced Mi Air Charge technology which delivers 5 W remote wireless charging to devices within several meters of its base station. Although the announcement is exciting, it is currently only vaporware, with no devices shipping from the company in 2021 and no details about when it will hit the market.

Millions of people search for news on Google or Facebook; therefore, those tech behemoths should pay media outlets for their content. At least, this is the Australian government's position in a dispute with the companies in question. Google has responded by threatening to deprive the country of its Search service.

The Galaxy SmartTag is a new consumer-grade electronic tracker from Samsung. It has a versatile array of use-cases, from potentially protecting bags from theft to finding lost pets. It is rated for up to 6 months of use per charge, and for ultra-wide-band (UWB) technology, which helps with its AR Tracking feature.

Asus has debuted its new Instant Guard facility in the new RT-AX68U Wi-Fi 6 home router. The device also sprouts 3x3 MIMO antennae for speeds of up to 2.7 gigabits per second (Gb/s). It also supports the OEM's AiMesh software, so as to integrate into and proliferate any such network it finds itself in.

With a design that had already managed to receive multiple awards, the Asus ZenBeam Latte projector is the first of its kind to offer a fabric exterior that enhances the audio experience and provides a familiar look. It also sports up to three hours of autonomy on a single charge and features a 10 W Harman Kardon speaker.

TCL's new product launches are mainly display-centric; however, it has also announced the expansion of its smart device ecosystem at CES 2021. They include the new Wearable Display, a name the OEM has seen fit to give its first pair of smart glasses. They are joined here by other devices such as the hybrid ANC-enhanced MOVEAUDIO S600 earbuds, the MOVETRACK PetTracker and the LINKHUB 4G/LTE Outdoor CPE.

TCL's latest generation of mini-LED panel is called OD Zero, ostensibly as the OEM claims to have reduced the distance between the backlight and diffuser layers in these panels to "zero millimeters". This could improve on luminance and color-depth for the devices based on it, not to mention their form-factor. TCL has also announced that its 2021 smart TVs will launch with Google's new UI.

Sony has announced new SRS-series wireless speakers. The RA5000 and RA3000 have been designed with "room-filling sound" in mind, which entails a novel design meant to distribute sound horizontally in all directions, at least. They can also calibrate this output with respect to the room they are placed in and its dimensions.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has announced a raft of Honorees and Best Of winners for its CES 2021 Innovation awards. The first category includes 8 smartphones, of which the LG Wing is a slightly obvious choice. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 5000 series has picked up one of the main prizes.

Lenovo has brought 5G connectivity to the IdeaPad series with the IdeaPad 5G. The IdeaPad 5G, which is also available in a 4G variant, is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Compute Platform promising always-on connectivity and up to 20 hours battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 5G also comes with Alexa Show Mode for hands-free, full screen interaction via voice commands.