This year’s ESC was different than usual, but like every year, there was a mountain of new devices for the smart home. The Google Assistant is the source of many ads, whether it’s for TVs, Chromebooks, Wi-Fi cameras, or anything else.
Every year we close out CES with a review of all the products with Google Assistant. There are fewer announcements than usual this time, but you may have missed a few anyway.
Konka
Konka, a Shenzhen-based electronics company, announced a range of smart TVs at CES. Most will use LG’s webOS, but the high-end Q7 Pro series with Quantum Dot will run on Android TV – and therefore have Google Assistant. The 55-inch, 65-inch and 75-inch models will be available from April through May.
Konka will also sell the H3 series of small and medium-sized TVs, which are also powered by Android TV. They feature a voice-activated remote control, a no-name design and a personal audio system via Bluetooth 5.0. Prices are also unknown, but the H3 series will ship in April and May in sizes 32 and 34.
C of GE/Cync
General Electric has already launched several smart home products under the C by GE brand, including light bulbs that connect directly to the Google Home application. GE’s smart-home division was sold to Savant Systems last year, and at CES Savant unveiled a new brand and several new products.
C by GE is now called Cync, and at CES the brand unveiled a smart new outdoor power outlet, with two outlets in a waterproof housing. It connects to the hub via Bluetooth and supports Alexa and Google Assistant. Smart outdoor plugs are nothing new, but more options never hurt anyone. The outer series will be released in March.
In May, Cync will also launch an indoor camera that has the distinction of being a privacy shutter. It has a microSD card slot for local recordings and an optional subscription service for backing up recordings to the cloud. Cync’s announcement didn’t explicitly mention whether the camera will connect via Assistant and Alexa, but it seems likely.
Finally, the Smart Switch Fan Speed Smart will be released in June. It replaces the standard wall fan switch and probably works without the hub connected. You will be able to control the connected fan with a physical button or the Cync app, and Alexa/Assistant will likely be supported as well.
JBL
Submarine Harman JBL made a lot of announcements at CES. We talked about all the new headsets, speakers and sound bars in the above post, but not all of them have a Google Assistant. JBL Tour One in-ear earphones support Alexa and Google Assistant, have 50 hours of battery life (or 25 hours with ANC enabled), four microphones, USB C charging, auto play/pause and adjustable volumes via the JBL Headphones app. It costs $299.95 when published on the 30th. Mai is coming out.
There are also JBL Tour Pro+ True Wireless headphones, which are compatible with Alexa and Assistant. They offer 8 hours of battery life (or 6 hours with ANC activated), 6.8mm dynamic drivers, IPX4 sweat resistance and touch controls. They will cost $199.95 when they are released on the 30th. It can happen.
If the Tour series is too expensive for you, JBL has also announced four new products in the Live line. There are two in-ear headphones, the Live 660NC for $199.95 and the Live 460NC for $129.95, which offer up to 50 hours of playback and Alexa/Assistant support. The only difference is that the 660 has adaptive noise reduction and the 460 does not. There are also the truly wireless Live Pro+ earphones for $179.99 and the free NC+ for $149.95, which offer C-type recharging, up to 7 hours of battery life and support for Google’s fast pairing.
JBL also showed another pair of true wireless headphones, the Reflect Mini NC TWS (great name, guys). Designed for training and outdoor use, they feature IPX7 water protection, ANC support, up to 7 hours of playback time and Google Fast Pair support. They work with both Alexa and Google Assistant.
Finally, the JBL Bar 5.0 MultiBeam was announced, which has four passive radiators (but no subwoofer) and supports virtual Dolby ATMOS. It works with Alexa Multi-Room Music Groups, Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast and Bluetooth. It will be available this spring for $399.95.
Aromeo
I’m not sure if anyone has ever said that I really need a fragrance diffuser that fits in my phone, but that’s exactly what Aromeo announced at CES. Aromeo Sense combines scents, lights and music (the latter played by a connected device) to supposedly make you feel calmer.
Aromeo wrote that aromatherapy works thanks to a diffuser body that allows the waterless diffusion of 3 capsules of natural perfume from plants and non-toxic ingredients. Colored light therapy is provided by a 40 LED light ring around the diffuser. Aromeo Diffuser works with Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit.
Sony
At CES, Sony announced two new home speakers, the SRS-RA5000 and SRS-RA3000. The most interesting (at least in terms of design) is the RA5000, which looks a bit like an electric shaver. The three speakers are designed to help distribute music, along with three other mid-range speakers and a subwoofer for low frequencies.
Both the RA5000 and RA3000 are compatible with Chromecast and Alexa multiroom audio systems. The SRS-RA5000 will cost £500 (€599) when it launches in February, while the SRS-RA3000 will be available for £280 (€359) in the same month.
In addition to the nice speakers, Sony also announced a new series of Bravia XR televisions. They are among the first smart TVs to be equipped with the updated Google TV software, which is also used in the new Chromecast, which supports Assistant. The TVs also feature HDMI 2.1, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Automatic Low Latcy Mode (ALLM) and Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC).
Sony doesn’t have any information on pricing or availability of the new Bravia TVs yet, but don’t expect them to be cheap.
Roborock
Roborock has released more than a few popular intelligent robot vacuums, such as the Roborock S6, which we rated 8/10 in our review last year. The company announced at CES the new Roborock S7 vacuum cleaner with a completely new combination of sonic cleaning (50 Hz vibrations up to 3,000 times per minute) and an intelligent mop lift system.
Roborock is currently developing a self-cleaning docking station that will be compatible with many vacuum cleaners, starting with the Roborock S7. The vacuum will be available from the 24th. March is available on Amazon and works with Google Assistant and Alexa.
Lockly
Lockly has announced two new smart door locks that are compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa. Lockly Duo combines a deadbolt and latch in a single lock that has both a PIN pad and application/cloud control. There is also the Lockly Guard, which is designed for sliding and hinged doors.
The Duo will be available in the first quarter of this year for $400, and the Guard will come in the second quarter of 2021 for $500.
Eufy
Eufy, a smart home company owned by Anker, announced at CES two products that work with both Google Assistant and Alexa. The Eufy L80 robot vacuum cleaner will clean your home with laser navigation and 2x2000Pa suction when it becomes available in June 2021.
TP-Link
TP-Link already sells dozens of smart home products that are compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa, and there are more to come. There is a Kasa Smart doorbell (KD110) with 1080p, local recording on microSD and optional cloud storage. TP-Link also announced a new Kasa Cam outdoor camera (KC420WS) with color night vision and IP65 water resistance, as well as an upgrade to the Kasa Spot Pan Tilt camera (KC410S) that can record 2K video.
There’s also a Kasa Smart dimmer (KS220M) with motion activation that automatically synchronizes lighting with the time of day, and a Kasa Smart Wi-Fi (KP401) outdoor socket with built-in power amplifier. The latter is a single-plug variant of the socket-outlet that will be launched in 2019.
TP-Link has not yet announced the exact price and availability of the advertised products, but they are all expected to launch later this year.
Philips Hue
Mean unveiled at CES several new smart home products under the Philips Hue brand that would be compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa. The Philips Hue Amaranth linear spot adds ambience to outdoor walls, the Philips Hue Appear outdoor lamp has an updated stainless steel finish, and the updated Philips Hue dimmer allows you to control Hue bulbs without an application.
The product that has received the most attention is the Philips Hue Module wall switch, which is designed to convert existing switches into smart bulbs without losing the functionality of the wall (for example, the bulb does not become inaccessible when the physical switch is turned off).
The Philips Hue Amaranth will be available in Europe from January 26 (or March 2 in North America) for $169.99/€149.99, the wall switch module will be available in Europe in the spring (summer in NA) for $39.95/€39.95 and the dimmer switch will be available in Europe on January 26 (February 23 in NA) for $24.99/€19.95.
Twinkly
Twinkly is currently best known for its intelligent light chains, and the company announced several upcoming products at CES. Twinkly Line is a set of intelligent LED light strips, with a basic set of 100 RGB LEDs and available expansions that add 100 more lights each. You can adjust the lighting through the Twinkly application and change the settings through the Google Wizard. Twinkly says the light fixture in the second. It will be available in the fourth quarter of 2021, but the price is not yet known.
Twinkly also plans to bring two more intelligent lighting products to market. There’s Twinkly Flex, a ribbon of 200 lights that can be bent and curved at your convenience, and in the second half, there’s Twinkly Flex, a ribbon of 200 lights that can be bent and curved at your convenience. It will be published in the second quarter of 2021. Twinkley Squares is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter. It will launch in the fourth quarter of 2021 and will compete directly with Nanoleaf lighting.
Arlo
All Arlo products are compatible with Alexa’s Voice Assistant, and at CES the company discovered something new: a doorbell without an actual bell. The Arlo Contactless Video Intercom uses proximity sensors to detect a person approaching the door and activates a beep and light to let the visitor know you called.
Arlo also introduced the new Arlo Essential Indoor Camera, which features a privacy mode that can automatically turn off motion detection, video and audio at certain times (like when everyone is home). Prices and availability of both products have not yet been announced.
TCL
Most TCL televisions use the Roku operating system, but it was revealed to CES that the company will release at least one model with the latest Google TV software (including Google Assistant) later in 2021.
V-Moda
Earphone manufacturer V-Moda announced at CES a new pair of wireless in-ear earphones, the M-200 ANC. They feature active noise cancellation, customizable design plates, 40mm drivers, up to 20 hours of battery life, C-type charging system, aptX and AAC support, and Bluetooth 5.0.
V-Moda’s product page isn’t incredibly accurate, but it looks like the M-200 ANC will have the same Google Assistant integration as the Pixel Buds and JBL Everest 710GA headphones. The V-Moda M-200 ANC is now available via the link below.
D-Link
Networking company D-Link announced at CES a new intelligent water sensor that is compatible with Google Assistant. The Whole House Wi-Fi Smart Water Sensor Kit (DCH-S1621KT) consists of a central hub and a battery-powered sensor, and can detect water leakage due to heavy rainfall or equipment failure. Once a leak is detected, the siren and strobe light and notifications are sent to the smartphone app and assistant speakers.
D-Link has also unveiled a 2K QHD Pan & Zoom outdoor Wi-Fi camera (DCS-8635LH), just in case there aren’t enough smart security cameras to choose from. It has a 360-degree view, an AI people detection system, a vehicle detection system and a speaker siren.
Samsung
Last year, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook was considered one of the best Chrome OS devices ever made, but there were frequent issues with battery life and average battery temperature. This time, Samsung announces the launch of the smaller Galaxy Chromebook 2.
The Galaxy Chromebook 2 will be available in two hardware configurations, with Celeron or Core i3 processor, both with 1080p display and Wi-Fi 6. The Celeron model costs $549 and the i3.699 version costs $549.
Acer
Acer has released some great Chromebooks over the years, and the company announced several new models at CES. The Chromebook Spin 514 is a high-end option with AMD Ryzen technology, up to 16GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and a 1080p touchscreen. Prices will start at $480 when released in the US next month and in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) in March.
The Spin 514 complements the Chromebook Spin 513, which will be released in North America next month but was announced a few months ago. It uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c chipset instead of the Ryzen processor. When it becomes available next month for $399.99 (or this month in EMEA), you can equip it with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
Acer is also planning to release a new desktop for the Chrome operating system, which was also announced a few months ago: the Acer Chromebox CX14. Specs vary by configuration, but it will work with a 10th generation Core i7 processor. Generation in a compact VESA mounting enclosure.
Dell
LTE-compatible Chromebooks are rare, but Dell announced them at CES. The Dell Chromebook 3100 is more or less your standard entry-level Chromebook with a dual-core Celeron processor and an 11.6-inch 768p display, but its main selling point is its optional LTE connectivity.
Dell is selling the laptop primarily to the education market, but direct sales will also be available this year. Prices and availability are not yet known.
Asus
Asus announced three new high-end Chromebooks at CES. The first is the Chromebook CX9, which is powered by 11th generation Core processors. It’s designed for work and business environments with a 2nd generation design, 14-inch screen, dark metal chassis, 8 or 16GB of RAM and up to 4TB of storage. No details on price and availability have been released yet.
There’s also the Chromebook Flip CX5/C536, whose name changes depending on the market. It also features 11th generation Core processors. Generation and up to 16GB of RAM, but with a 15.6 screen and a white/silver design. Again, no information on pricing or availability.
Finally, the Chromebook Flip CM5 will have a slight gamer look, with red borders around the WASD buttons, a black exterior, and a Ryzen 5 or 3 processor. Again, there is no information on pricing or availability at this time.
