CES is the biggest tech show of the year — and a big deal for most of the marquee manufacturers and, as you’d expect, this year was no different.
From doors of the future to an indoor garden that plugs into your refrigerators, LG came loaded to CES 2020 with a banquet of appliances that offer a look inside its vision for the next year that yes, involves a lot of televisions and it put it all out on display inside a warehouse-sized “booth” featuring walls (and ceilings) built out of countless curved OLED TVs.
But if you missed a few updates from LG’s keynote or our live blog or simply want a recap, here’s our roundup of all the coolest things the company announced at CES 2020.
1. Indoor Home Gardens
One of the more intriguing products LG showcased this year was a smart indoor home gardening system that plugs into the side of its refrigerators.
The unit can house a total of 24 seeds and takes advantage of LG’s engineering chops to automatically tune a controlled environment. Each section has its own set of LED lights that can be dynamically configured to offer just the right amount of light to encourage growth.
On top of that, the pods that hold these seeds themselves come pre-fitted with the necessary fertilizer and peat moss and the gardening system is capable of automatically watering the greens when needed. Of course, you’ll be able to monitor all of these activities right from your phone through an app as well.
Like many products on display at CES, LG’s gardening system is still in early stages and we don’t have a release date, nor a price tag yet.
2. Nvidia’s G-Sync tech arrives on LG’s OLED TVs
This CES, LG brought to Nvidia’s G-Sync technology to a dozen more OLED TVs. Nvidia G-Sync enables a smoother gaming experience by essentially keeping the different refresh rates of the graphic card and TV screen in sync.
G-Sync, in the early days, was limited to computer monitors. However, as consoles continue to dominate and the Sony PlayStation 5 and new Xbox around the corner, it’s gradually making its way onto televisions. For now, though, G-Sync is restricted to PC gaming.
3. New 4K TVs that double as art frames when inactive
Following the footsteps of Samsung, LG also launched 4K OLED TVs that double as art frames when they’re not in use. The new GX Gallery Series TVs measure in at no more than 0.79 inches thick but to ensure they hang flush on the wall like a standard canvas, LG is bundling a special mount.
It will be available in three sizes — 55, 65, and 77 inches and offers the usual smart TV trappings such as HDR, Dolby Vision IQ, and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility.
4. A 65-inch TV that unfurls from the ceiling
LG’s headlining gadget at last year’s CES was a 65-inch television that rolled back into a piece of furniture to save space. This time, the company is taking it to the next level with a TV that unfurls right from the ceiling and folds back into it when inactive. It’s a bold concept and there is a range of challenges LG still has to overcome in order to deliver it.
“The first model of rollable OLED was designed to roll up only. Even if a professional were to figure out a way to hang it from the ceiling, there is no mechanism to reorient the picture, so it would appear upside down. It’s also likely that mounting it from an 8-foot ceiling would result in the panel being too high for comfortable viewing anyway,” LG’s Director of New Product Development Tim Alessi told CNET.
5. A door from the future
Companies are rethinking nearly every element of our home’s entryway with smart locks, cameras, and more. LG went a step ahead this CES and built a door from the future.
From the outside, this door can almost be mistaken for a refrigerator with a steely exterior. But look closer and you’ll find a piece of home tech on each and every one of its corners.
For starters, there’s a biometrics lock that takes your face or fingerprint as identity. The left section houses a bunch of cabins that can hold your packages and keep perishables fresh. On the other side of the door, a mirrored display reminds you to fix your hair in case you forgot and tells you the weather and your commute’s traffic conditions before you head out.
6. A dressing room mirror that lets you digitally try out outfits
LG previewed an A.I.-enabled dressing room mirror that can create your digital avatar in seconds and allows you to virtually try out outfits. The mirror comes equipped with a 3D camera that first scans your body and based on the measurements it picks up, it renders your digital counterpart.
Once that’s done, you can simply tap a shirt or pants to see how it would look on you. LG hasn’t shared a timeline for it and at this point, it’s unclear when the mirror will hit stores and shopping complexes.
7. Refrigerators that can keep tabs on your groceries
At CES 2020, LG’s ThinQ fridges got even smarter. Its new line of InstaView refrigerators can keep track of what’s inside them. Thanks to advanced computer vision and the company’s second-generation A.I. tech, these new appliances can suggest recipes based on what and how much of a particular ingredient you have available.
Plus, it can remind you to go grocery shopping once you run out of an essential item. That’s not all. The LG InstaView’s transparent glass up front doubles as a screen on which you can watch videos and other forms of entertainment while cooking.
Follow our live blog for more CES news and announcements.
