Laptop Trends at CES: Bigger, Faster, OLED Displays
Open, close – are all laptops the same? Not allowed. Because this year, the CES technology fair presents laptops with new ideas and a lot of power.
Las Vegas – A 3D image without heavy 3D glasses? And the latest video games in full optical quality on a laptop? Looking at what’s new in laptops at the CES tech show (until January 8), there are still other trends. Some may require a larger backpack. An overview.
– More power: The difference in standing is noticeable. The new generation of gaming laptops equipped with Nvidia’s new Geforce GTX 40-series consumes less power while delivering higher frames per second and better rendering.
Two things make this possible according to Nvidia: on the one hand the new chip architecture called Ada Lovelace. And on the other hand, Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS 3). In other words, this means higher performance and more frames per second thanks to artificial intelligence.
And because the new notebook graphics chips consume less power than the previous generation, more powerful chips can now be built into thinner computers.
– New old measurements: The 18-inch was all the rage for gaming laptops, then it disappeared from the market – and now it’s back. 17 inches is a bit like 2022. Alienware and Acer are each showing 18 inch models with Geforce RTX. Unlike in the past, large laptops are now relatively light, though the Acer Predator Helios 18 is no featherweight at about 3.25 pounds.
Also back to the old dimensions for the screens: The 16:9 format is increasingly giving way to 16:10 – so there’s more space at the top again. And why these new measurements? There is no clear answer in the show. Some say: laptops that are too small are impractical for many in the home office. Others say: for the time being, large screens with good quality or with OLED technology have become affordable.
– Always more OLED: The benefits of self-illuminated OLED screens for laptops are really clear. More colors, better contrast, deeper blacks and, depending on the application, lower power consumption. The problem now: “It needs to develop in affordable areas first,” says one industry representative. It’s over now. Even Lenovo, Acer, LG or Asus, without forgetting the gaming brands, all have one or more models with an OLED screen in their offer for the living room.
– More screens: Lenovo introduced a two-screen laptop twice. The Yoga Book 9i consists of two screens joined by a 360 degree hinge with a built-in speaker. The device can be used as a dual screen, as a laptop with a virtual keyboard and one and a half screens.
The Thinkbook Plus Twist takes another route. The laptop has dual screens – a 4K OLED screen on the inside and a full-color E-Ink screen on the outside. This makes it possible, for example, to type or read while walking while saving energy. A vertical hinge lets you move from one side of the screen to the other.
– 3D without glasses: Spatial depth on a flat screen – some still know that from the Nintendo 3DS mobile console. In the case of the Acer Predator Helios 300, two cameras placed above the screen track the user’s eyes and the screen generates a 3D image using cross-sectional images. Only people sitting directly in front of the computer can see this image, but the effect is quite impressive. No need to wear annoying 3D glasses either.
Asus’ ProArt Studiobook also uses this 3D technique with eye-tracking. But here, during a presentation of this professional laptop in the context of a trade show, the emphasis is rather on the delivery of knowledge or virtual shopping applications.
– Maintenance : A big word, but there are also concrete examples of success in terms of recycling or more respectful use of resources. For example, Acer’s Vero range, which consists of the Windows Aspire Vero laptop and Chromebook Vero. The chassis is made of one-third recycled plastic – and more specifically post-consumer plastic, that is, used and discarded plastic items. The result is a discreet and elegant gray chassis, which is pleasant to the touch.
According to Acer, future models should also receive marine plastic keyboard keys. Another advantage: the case can be opened with a normal Phillips screwdriver if you want to change the SSD memory or the RAM. Lenovo and Asus are also betting aggressively on recycled materials, both in devices – Lenovo uses recycled magnesium and aluminum, for example – and in packaging. Renewable and compostable raw materials are used here. dpa
