CES 2024 report: 🍎 Apple Vision Pro date, 🫥 Transparent LG TV, 🎮 Steam Deck rival, 💻 New Dell laptops, 🤖 AI everywhere

We're reporting from CES 2024 – tech's biggest show – all this week

The Shortcut team is bringing you daily coverage of CES 2024. Here’s us, badged and ready to preview the future of technology

Thanks to paid subscribers of The Shortcut, we’re at CES 2024 in Las Vegas all this week to report on the future of technology from tomorrow’s innovators. We wouldn’t be able to bring you banner-ad-free reporting without your crowd-sourced help.

And wow. There’s a lot of exciting tech to see here. The biggest trends include:

• 🫥 Transparent TVs

• 📺 Bigger and brighter OLED and QLED TVs

• 🎮 New Intel-powered gaming handhelds

• 💻 Faster laptops with even more RGB lights

• 🤖 And, of course, AI

Almost every gadget we’ve seen so far has this year’s buzzword ‘AI’ ad nauseam – some are better than others. How will know what’s good and what’s bad? Well…

The Shortcut team, backed by an audience of one million followers and subscribers, will be handing out 20 awards at CES – complete with The Shortcut CES 2024 trophies – to honor the very best cutting-edge technology. Look for that this week.

One thing to note: Apple isn’t here, but there’s a lot of buzz about its Apple Vision Pro today, as the release date just got announced. There are smaller start-ups at CES trying outmaneuver Apple, Xreal being the biggest of the bunch (more below).

Here’s what we’ve seen so far before the CES show floor officially opens tomorrow.

The 10-story newsletter starts below the calendar ⤵️

📆 Your Tech Calendar

• 🎰 Jan 9, Tues: The CES 2024 show floor opens (see our early coverage below)

• 📱 Jan 17, Wed: Samsung Galaxy S24 series expected to launch

• 🛍️ Jan 19, Fri: Apple Vision Pro pre-orders

• 🥽 Feb 2, Fri: Apple Vision Pro release date

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🫥 1. I saw through the transparent LG OLED T TV at CES 2024 – it's a clear winner

🤩 👍 A glimpse into the future: LG’s transparent TV certainly catches the eye

LG wowed attendees during the first day of CES 2024 with its transparent OLED TV, a television that acts as a window into another world. I demoed the 77-inch transparent LG OLED T TV and was blown away by the technology on show. It features a contrast screen backing that can be rolled down, something that’s been adapted from the LG Rollable OLED TV which debuted at CES a few years ago. But this time, it reveals a striking transparent screen that displays images on almost completely clear glass.

This isn’t just a mere concept, either. The LG OLED T TV is due to launch sometime this year, letting consumers transform their TV into a real statement piece that’s both seen and unseen.

• 😲 The LG OLED T TV is an all-new picture format that’s stunning to behold

• 👏 It’s due out this year and is free from wires thanks to LG’s Zero Connect Box

• 💰 Pricing remains a mystery but expect to pay a premium for the new technology

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😎 2. Xreal's new Air 2 Ultra glasses have the Apple Vision Pro in its sights

👀 👍 The eyes have it: Xreal wants its Air 2 Ultra glasses to rival the Apple Vision Pro with AR technology at a significantly cheaper price

We got to test the newly announced Xreal Air 2 Ultra glasses at CES 2024 and hear how the company wants to take on the AR-focused Apple Vision Pro headset. How? Well, for one thing, the latest Xreal glasses are going for $699, not $3,500.

They provide full positional tracking in a sunglasses-style form factor – lighter than the previous generation. You can still use them to create a big-screen cinematic experience when watching movies or playing games, but what makes the Air 2 Ultra a potential Apple Vision Pro rival is that they’re also capable of running AR apps. You can pre-order the Xreal Air 2 Ultra now with shipments expected to begin in March.

• 🆚 The Xreal Air 2 Ultra glasses are the first Apple Vision Pro rival

• 👏 It cost $699 with a scheduled release window of March

• 🤩 The Air 2 Ultra glasses are capable of “spatial computing”

• 🤔 If developers support the Air 2 Ultra, they could be a great alternative to the Vision Pro

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📺 3. TCL's QLED TV is the biggest and brightest at CES 2024

😎 👍 TCL’s new TVs really pop: You won’t be able to take your eyes off these displays

If a big and bright TV is something that you’re after, TCL should be on your radar. The company revealed four cutting-edge QLED TVs at CES 2024, and the TCL QM891G was the biggest and brightest 4K television at this year’s Las Vegas tech show.

At a gigantic 115 inches, the QM891 can produce more than 5,000 nits of peak brightness with its over 20,000 lighting zones, delivering an eye-popping HDR experience that few displays will be able to match. As we’ve seen from a few manufacturers this year, TCL has embraced Mini LED technology, which allows finer control of lighting levels to deliver inky blacks and searingly bright colors.

• 👌 TCL has a range of Mini LED TVs out this year

• 📏 The star of the show is the 115-inch TCL QM891G

• 💡 It promises to deliver exceptional peak brightness and color accuracy

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🍎🥽 4. Apple Vision Pro release date has been revealed

📆 👍 Apple has kept its word: Get ready for a new era of computing

Apple isn’t even at CES 2024, and yet it’s making big headlines here. The company did say it would release the Apple Vision Pro early in 2024, and it’s stuck to that promise. The AR headset will release on February 2, with pre-orders beginning on Friday, January 19. You’ll need to part with $3,499 for Apple’s spatial computing headset, which means it’ll appeal to early adopters of tech. That said, Apple will be hoping its first foray into a new product category will pave the way for successful and more affordable iterations in the years to come.

• 📆 Apple Vision Pro launches on February 2

• 🔜 Pre-orders begin on Friday, January 19

• 💰 Prices start from $3,499 for the 256GB model

• 👍 Apple promised the Vision Pro would launch “early in 2024”

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💻 5. Dell introduces a larger XPS 14 and XPS 16 during CES 2024

👑 👍 Return of the king: Dell is ready to dominate the laptop market once again

Dell’s new range of XPS laptops looks set to continue the company’s streak of offering an excellent alternative to the MacBook Pro from Apple. The new XPS 14 and XPS 16 feature all of Dell’s latest design cues we’ve come to love including tiny screen bezels, a no-gap keyboard, illuminating function keys, and stealth trackpad. The laptops are also built with premium materials including an aluminum chassis and a Gorilla Glass 3-coated screen.

• 💻 Dell has revealed its new XPS 14 and XPS 16 Ultrabook laptops

• 📺 The new upgraded XPS 13 features a PLED or plastic screen OLED display

• 🎩 Dell’s new XPS family features thin-bezel, bright displays with adaptive refresh rates

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🖥️ 6. Dell's new ultrawide monitors are easy on the eyes

👐 👍 Wide-eyed creatives: Dell is targeting creatives with eyestrain-reducing tech

Dell has unveiled a pair of new ultrawide monitors that are, quite literally, easy on the eyes. Both include a five-star eye comfort certification from TUV Rheinland, a new industry standard that helps to reduce signs of eye fatigue. Dell’s ultrawide monitors are aimed at creatives, mainly, promising pinpoint color accuracy with 99% DCI-P3 coverage. You can also calibrate the colors of the monitor to your liking using Dell’s Color Management software.

• 🆕 Dell has announced two new ultrawide monitors ahead of CES 2024

• 🤓 They’re aimed at creatives and are designed to reduce eyestrain

• 📏 Two sizes are available: 40-inch and 34-inch

• 💰 Prices start from $2,499 and $1,019, respectively

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🟩⚙️ 7. Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super revealed as a gaming + AI one-two punch

🏆 👍 Next level: Your next 4000-series GPU just leveled up to super

If you’re looking to upgrade to the ultimate graphics card for 2024, Nvidia is at CES with three new options, and the headliner is the new Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super. It’s being marketed to be a gaming and AI solution and arriving at the end of the month – literally January 31 – for $999.

Nvidia’s two other GPUs come out a bit earlier and cost a little a bit less: the RTX Ti 4070 Super arrives on January 24 for $799 and the RTX 4070 Super is priced at $599 and is available on January 17.

• 🙌 Nvidia is releasing three new GPUs this month

• 💪 RTX 4080 Super, 4070 Ti Super and 4070 Super promise performance upgrades for AI and gaming

• 💰 Pricing starts from $599 for the RTX 4070 Super

• 🆚 New GPUs will rival AMD’s 7900 XT and XTX cards

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📺 8. Roku Pro TV at CES includes 4K, QLED and Mini LED with local dimming

🆕 👍 Roku has an impressive lineup of TVs on the way

The new Roku Pro 4KTV debuted at CES 2024 and comes in 55-inch, 65-inch and 75-inch sizes with high-end specs: 4K resolution, QLED, Mini LED, and local dimming. It also features enhanced audio for wide cinematic sound, and AI and machine learning to automatically adjust the picture for the best viewing experience.

• 💰 Prices start at $1,500

• 📆 Expect a Spring 2024 release date

• 💡 The TVs use Mini LED and local dimming

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📺 9. LG reveals its 2024 OLED TV range at CES – and gamers will be pleased

💨 👍 144Hz, baby: LG OLED TVs are getting a big upgrade for gamers

LG has unveiled its new lineup of 2024 OLED TVs – and they promise to deliver some pleasing upgrades. The jewel in LG’s 2024 OLED lineup is the M4, which features the company’s clever Zero Connect box, eliminating any need for cables and wires. Everything is sent to the TV wirelessly, including Dolby Atmos audio, with little to no latency. Every panel apart from the B4 increases its max refresh rate from 120Hz to 144Hz, too, which has become the standard for PC gamers.

• 📺 LG’s new lineup of 2024 OLED TVs boasts some key improvements

• 🔆 The M4 and G4 models will use the brighter MLA panels

• 🎮 Every model apart from the B4 also now supports 144Hz refresh rates

• 🔜 Expect the TVs to be shown during CES 2024

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🖥️ 10. New Samsung OLED gaming monitors announced at CES 2024

🙏 👍 OLED for everyone: Samsung’s new monitors are coming

Samsung’s popular Odyssey gaming monitors have received an upgrade, offering deeper blacks, faster panels and an anti-glare finish. The Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 in particular will be one to keep an eye on, as it’s promising to be the most affordable OLED gaming monitor with a QHD resolution and 360Hz refresh rate.

• 🆕 Samsung announces three gaming monitors: the G9, G8 and G6

• 😳 The 49-inch G9 is the pick of the bunch in terms of specs

• 👀 But many will be focused on the G6 due to its price-to-performance

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