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The 9 coolest gadgets of CES 2024: robots, TVs and the successor to the smartphone


CES is the biggest gadget party of the year, because tech companies in Las Vegas show the coolest new products. We have listed the nicest and most striking CES 2024 gadgets for you.

CES 2024 gadgets: the successor to the smartphone?

The year has only just started, but parties are already starting in the United States. For fans of films and series, the Golden Globes and Emmys are the highlight, but for gadget enthusiasts, CES 2024 is the place to be.

In case you don’t know, CES stands for Consumer Electronics Show and is a huge tech trade show that has been held in Las Vegas since 1967. Here the big tech companies show their latest gadgets. This year there is again plenty to look at greedily, so we present the best CES 2024 gadgets in this article.

1. Ballie: robot with a projector

Samsung introduces a new version of its ball-shaped robot Ballie, which keeps your home safe. The cheerful-looking robot can control the various devices in the house, has a camera so you can watch and even a projector to place screens on the wall or floor.

2. LG Signature OLED T: transparent television

If you don’t watch television, you will be left with a large, black area in your living room. LG has come up with a solution for this with its transparent television. You can simply look through this screen when you are not streaming.

You can also watch normal television, but it is more fun to place images on the screen with a transparent background. This gives you the illusion of a hologram.

3. LG Smart Home AI Agent: cheerful robot for your home

LG has a robot similar to Ballie, which monitors your house while you watch via the camera or talk via the speaker. The AI ​​technology allows the robot to understand its environment, but also your commands.

Thanks to built-in sensors, the robot knows whether the air quality, humidity and temperature in the house are OK, and then provides tips on improvements. You will even receive a notification if you have left a window open while you are no longer at home.

4. Rabbit R1: successor to the smartphone

This small, orange AI device may be the start of a smartphone-free future. The makers find it annoying that you always have to find the right app on phones and then learn how to use that app.

With the Rabbit OS operating system you should be able to do the same things, but this happens invisibly while you give all your commands via voice control. The Rabbit R1 can now be pre-ordered for 184.95 euros and will be delivered from March.

5. MSI Claw: Competition for the Steam Deck

Valve’s Steam Deck is a great success. This handheld is a small PC for playing games on the go or on the couch. There is more and more competition on the market, including the ASUS Rog Ally and now MSI also wants to participate through the Claw.

The Claw stands out for its powerful Intel processor, while the Steam Deck and ROG Ally use an AMD processor. Some games will therefore run better on one device or another. The MSI Claw is available from $699 and will be available in stores at the end of February.

6. HRM-Fit: heart rate measurement for women

Garmin comes with a heart rate monitor especially for women. That sounds strange, because women’s hearts don’t work any differently than men’s. The difference is in the way you attach this HRM-Fit.

You can attach this to a sports bra. This should provide a better experience compared to a band that shifts during exercise. The HRM-Fit is now for sale for 159.99 euros.

7. iLume Dog Bowl and Collar

Even your dog is not safe from artificial intelligence. The company iLume wants to monitor the health of your four-legged friend with a combination of a smart food bowl and a collar.

The collar serves as a kind of Fitbit, which monitors your dog’s activity and sleep. The system also knows how much your dog eats via the food bowl. You will then receive tips on how many calories your dog needs to combat obesity.

8. Ultrahuman Home: a tracker for your home

You may know Ultrahuman from its smart rings that monitor your health and activity. Now the company wants to do the same with your home through the Ultrahuman Home.

This device measures, among other things, air quality, humidity, noise and light in a room, and then gives you tips on how to improve the situation. This data is of course combined with the data from the rings, for more tips on sleeping better or working better.

9. Skyted Mask: Talk in complete privacy

With this Skyted mask over your mouth you can talk without the person next to you hearing. Handy if you want to make calls on the plane, for example. The mask looks like an average face mask that we all wore a few years ago, but slightly thicker.

You decide how much should be muted in your own bubble. The muting can also be turned off to talk to the person next to you. Your voice will then be slightly amplified. The Skyted Mask now costs $299 for early birds. The mask will later cost $399.

The smartphones of CES 2024

In addition to the CES 2024 gadgets, smartphones were of course also shown. The ASUS ROG Phone 8 has been officially revealed and the Oppo Find X7 Ultra has an impressive camera. There is also a new Galaxy Xcover 7 and Tab Active 5.

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Samsung Galaxy S23 FE review: complete smartphone with premium extras


Samsung is back with a Fan Edition of the Galaxy S23, but how do you like this affordable device and is it a good buy? We tested it and in this review you can read our experiences with the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE.

This is the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE review

Samsung released the first FE device in 2020. With the S20 Fan Edition, the manufacturer stripped down the regular S20 model to the most important hardware and saved on the housing. Samsung also did this with the S21 FE, not with the S22 series and again in December 2023 with the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE.

With a suggested retail price of 699 Euros, the Galaxy S23 FE is indeed cheaper than the regular S23 at launch, but this smartphone is now available for €679. Is the S23 FE the best buy? In this review of the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE we weigh the pros and cons for you.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE review

Design Hardware Screen Software

Cameras Battery and charging Conclusion Buy

Recognizable design

At first glance it is immediately clear that we have a Samsung device in our hands. With the Galaxy S23 FE, the manufacturer continues the same design style as on the regular S23 series and cheaper A models. In fact, the FE’s casing looks almost identical to that of the Galaxy A54. It has a size of 6.4 inches, the side is made of aluminum and the back is made of glass.

We were able to test the device in the purple color. That should be your thing, but the silver rings around the cameras look especially nice. The smartphone is also available in black, off-white and mint green, if purple doesn’t quite suit you. The phone fits well in the hand, but is not as easy to operate with one hand as the smaller 6.1-inch S23.

The smartphone has a USB-C port and loud stereo speakers. There is no headphone jack, but that is normal on high-end devices these days.

The lock and volume buttons are located on the right side and the fast optical fingerprint scanner is incorporated below the screen. The housing is also IP68 dust and waterproof, which comes in handy on a rainy day.

Not the fastest hardware, but smooth

The chip on which the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE runs is causing some commotion here and there. Many (and secretly we too) would have liked to see the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip as in the Galaxy S23. Instead, Samsung has opted for a faster version of the Exynos 2200 chip. This processor was also in the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus from almost two years ago.

Samsung’s Exynos chip is less fast and energy efficient than the Snapdragon, but to be honest you don’t notice much of that in daily use. This way you can switch smoothly between apps and stutters are rare. The loading time of apps is also not noticeably slow. Do you play really heavy mobile games? Then the S23 FE is not the best choice.

Our test model has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space. Do you think that is too little? Then you can also go for a 256GB model. This allows you to store even more photos, videos and apps locally. Of course, you can also use Google Drive to back up your documents to the cloud.

Gorgeous screen

The fact that the phone feels so fast is thanks to the 120Hz screen with a variable refresh rate. This means that it alternates between a maximum of 120 images per second (while scrolling, for example) and a minimum of 60 images (when you view a static page). This way you save battery, but navigation remains smooth.

It is an AMOLED panel, which means that the S23 FE displays bright colors and that black is really black. You especially notice this when watching dark films or video games. The screen has a maximum brightness of 1450 nits, which makes it easy to read in bright daylight. The resolution of 2340 by 1080 pixels ensures a sharp picture, without the screen consuming a lot of energy.

All in all, it is a high-quality display as we have come to expect from Samsung. The only disadvantage is that the edges are a bit thicker than on the regular S23. The chin is certainly noticeable at first. Fortunately, you get used to this after a while, but do you want a screen that extends to the edges? Then look further.

Latest software

Samsung has a recognizable Android shell that differs considerably from stock Android. The S23 FE comes out of the box with Android 14 – the latest version of the mobile operating system – and the accompanying One UI 6 shell from Samsung. Are you used to a bare-bones version of Android, like you see on the Pixels? It may take some getting used to, but One UI 6 offers a lot of useful extras.

The ‘Quick settings’ menu is more extensive and you can open it faster. You can also change the location and style of the clock on the lock screen. Dragging apps, widgets and other files is now easier with two hands and the camera app is a bit clearer. All in all, the Android 14 shell is clear and modern in design.

Samsung is giving the Galaxy S23 FE in the Netherlands three major Android updates, which means that you will still receive Android 15, 16 and 17. You will also receive security updates until 2028. The manufacturer thus digitally protects you against malicious parties. A nice prospect.

Cameras for almost every situation

Where the S23 FE stands out is with its cameras. The three lenses on the back are all very usable and photograph in high quality. This way you can shoot beautifully exposed, sharp and naturally colored photos with the 50 megapixel main camera. Even at night the lens performs well. Although the dark and blurry areas in photos show some noise, the images are clear and usable.

Main camera

Then there are two additional lenses. First, the wide-angle lens with a resolution of 12 megapixels. While photographing, you will clearly notice when the camera switches to this lens. The raw image looks less sharp and grayish.

Wide angle lens

However, the automatic post-processing manages to make up for this to a large extent and the final image looks very nice. Only in the dark does the wide-angle lens not hold up and you will have to switch to the main camera.

Telephoto lens

And then the lens that distinguishes the S23 FE from cheaper smartphones: the telephoto lens. This allows you to zoom in up to 3 times without losing quality. Although the lens ‘only’ has a resolution of 8 megapixels, it takes sharp photos from a distance (even in the dark), which can provide unique perspectives.

Battery life is fine

There is little to complain about the battery of the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE. With a size of 4500 mAh, it is considerably larger than the regular S23. However, the less efficient chip seems to ensure that the battery does not necessarily last longer. In practice, this means that with average use you will simply make it to the end of your day. As soon as you go to bed, you have to put the smartphone on the charger.

By charging the S23 FE overnight, you won’t notice much of the 25 Watt charging speed. This charges the phone in about an hour and a half. That is slow compared to many other manufacturers, but Samsung has a good reason for it. According to the manufacturer, the slower charging speed means that the battery has a longer lifespan and maintains a higher maximum battery capacity.

This is less convenient if you want to charge quickly before leaving the house, but otherwise there is little to criticize about the battery. Wireless charging is also supported with a maximum speed of 15 Watts and you can charge other devices wirelessly by placing them on the back of the device. This is not quick, but is useful in emergency situations.

Conclusion of the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE review

The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is a solid smartphone in many areas. The cameras are usable in many circumstances, the chip is fast enough and the battery lasts all day. In addition, you will receive updates up to and including Android 17, which means that you can use it for years to come.

It has a suggested retail price of 699 euros not the best deal. The regular S23 is now available from €679 and offers a much better chip, premium materials and longer battery life in a compact housing.

Fortunately, the S23 FE is also quickly dropping in price, because you can get it for €604. Do you want a smartphone with a large screen, long software support and does the fastest hardware matter less to you? Then the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE is definitely worth it.

Positives


  • Clear AMOLED screen


  • Battery lasts all day


  • Three high quality cameras


  • Five years of security updates and major updates up to Android 17

Negatives


  • Battery charges slowly


  • Not the best value for money


  • Chip not the fastest and most economical

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The Honor 8C smartphone is equipped with a dual camera and a high-capacity battery


Huawei introduced the Honor 8C smartphone. It is made in a plastic case and is equipped with a 6.26-inch LCD screen with a cutout at the top and a resolution of 1520×720 pixels that is more than modest for its size.

Honor 8C became the world’s first serial smartphone built on a single-chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 platform, which combines eight Kryo 250 computing cores, an Adreno 506 graphics accelerator and a Hexagon 546 DSP. The configuration includes 4 GB of RAM, 32 or 64 GB of internal flash memory, hybrid GPS/GLONASS receiver, Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b/g/n) and Bluetooth 4.2 wireless adapters. A fingerprint scanner is installed on the back panel of the case.

The front camera resolution is 8 megapixels. The main camera of this model is dual: a 13-megapixel sensor is complemented by a two-megapixel sensor; each one works in tandem with its own lens. An LED flash is installed nearby.

The device has two slots for SIM cards and a separate one for a removable microSD memory card.

The smartphone is powered by a built-in rechargeable battery with a capacity of 4000 mAh.

The new product comes with Android 8.1 (Oreo) OS, which is complemented by the proprietary EMUI 8.2 graphical shell.

Honor 8C case dimensions: 158.72 x 75.94 x 7.98 mm; weight – 167.2 grams. You can choose from four color options: black, blue, lilac and gold.

The start of retail sales of the new product in China is scheduled for October 16. Prices for modifications with 32 and 64 GB of internal memory will be about $160 and $200, respectively.