Results of CES 2017: the five most interesting premieres

The AR symbols in the model name of the flagship smartphone from Asus indicate their support for augmented and virtual reality technologies — Google Tango and Google Daydream, respectively. In addition, the phone is "stuffed" with the most advanced hardware, which ensures the launch of any modern applications at maximum graphics parameters.

A powerful and performant Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor is installed in the heart of the smartphone, in conjunction with which 6 or 8 GB of RAM works (depending on the specific version). The components are protected from overheating by the liquid cooling system, so long intensive loads are not terrible for the smartphone. The top-end hardware of the gadget runs Android 7.0 OS with the ZenUI 3.0 branded shell rolled on top, which is famous for its flexibility and friendliness of the interface.

The AMOLED screen of a smartphone with a 5.7" diagonal and a resolution of 140x1440 pixels is perfect for consuming VR content through the Daydream VR virtual reality helmet — one of the key devices of the updated virtual reality platform from Google. Augmented reality functions are implemented with the help of an additional motion tracking camera and depth sensors located in close proximity to the eye of the main camera. They help to complement the real world with virtual objects that are displayed on the phone display.

Returning to the main camera module with a resolution of 23 MP and an aperture of f/2.0, it should be noted that it is equipped with optical and digital image stabilization systems, and also handles well with recording videos in 4K format. Only the front—end is not surprising — the 8-megapixel module has a typical set of functions for flagship-class devices.

Among the many flattering words about the smartphone, only its battery is outstanding. With such characteristics, the battery charge with a capacity of 3300 mAh is unlikely to be enough for more than a day of battery life of the gadget. However, the model's support for Quick Charge 3.0 technology smooths the situation and allows you to quickly replenish the battery's energy reserves in a matter of minutes (see the article "Brief educational programme on fast and wireless charging technologies").

The Predator from the Taiwanese brand Acer has become the world's first gaming widescreen monitor with a curved screen, in the arsenal of functions of which there is a Tobii eye movement tracking function.

The resolution of the 30-inch monitor screen is 110 x 1080 pixels. Such atypical figures appear in the characteristics due to the fact that the aspect ratio of the display is 21:9. The screen provides natural colour reproduction with coverage of 100% of the sRGB colour space and has wide viewing angles (178 ° on all fronts). In highly dynamic scenes, the G-Sync proprietary "trick" comes to the user's aid — automatic adaptation of the screen refresh rate to the frame rate of the incoming signal. This technology works exclusively with NVIDIA graphics cards.

The key feature of the Acer Predator Z301CT is the support of the user's gaze tracking technology. In the corresponding games (Elite Dangerous, Watch Dogs 2, etc.), it expands the possibilities of gameplay by adding new management tools to it. For example, with the help of a glance, you can more accurately aim at the target, quickly turn around or look for hidden objects.

The monitor is supported by an ergonomic stand with height adjustment and the ability to tilt the device screen. A 4-port USB hub, 3-watt stereo speakers with good sound and a number of interface slots for connecting external devices were built into its "aggressive" case. Only there is only one HDMI port.

The model is able to impress even avid gamers with its capabilities. In addition, it will be convenient for them not to break away from virtual battles for a long time, since the use of visual load reduction technologies effectively protects the user's eyes during gaming sessions.

Laptops with indexes of the Y520 and Y720 models became the discoverers of a new series of Lenovo gaming laptops, called Legion.

The older model Y720 is equipped with a 15.6-inch screen with an IPS matrix, the resolution of which varies from FullHD (1920 x 1080 pixels) to 4K (3820 x 2160 pixels). Optionally, the laptop keyboard can be illuminated with a spectacular RGB backlight, and the integrated signal receiver from the Xbox One controller allows you to connect up to four corresponding gamepads to the laptop.

Lenovo Legion Y720 runs on a powerful Intel Kaby Lake processor: Core i7 (7700HQ) in the top configuration or Core i5 (7300HQ) in a simpler version. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 6 GB of video memory is used as a discrete graphics card. An external graphics card can be connected to the computer via the Thunderbolt 3 interface.

A pair of JBL speakers with a power of 2 watts each and a subwoofer with a power of 3 watts allowed the laptop to support Dolby Atmos volume sound technology. According to the manufacturer, this technology was used for the first time in the laptop family.

It will take about 5 hours to spend time in the virtual world without being tied to an outlet — that's how much the battery charge with a capacity of 60 Wh should be enough. Real battery life can change in any direction, because the operating time strongly depends on the mode of use of the laptop.

Panasonic has taken as a basis the popular mirrorless Panasonic DMC-GH4 body and improved it in all aspects. As a result, the GH5 model was born — an almost perfect camera for videographers.

A new 20-megapixel Micro 4/3 sensor was placed in the dust- and moisture-proof housing of the camera, which also has resistance to low temperatures (up to -10 °C). It uses a 5-axis matrix stabilization system that effectively compensates for camera fluctuations along all axes. Paired with stabilized optics, it helps to gain up to 5 exposure levels when shooting with hands in low-light conditions.

With the release of all the promised firmware, the camera will be able to record video in 4K format with a frame rate of up to 60 fps and a bitrate of up to 400 Mbit/s. And even with a colour depth of 10 bits 4:2:2, which opens up very wide possibilities in further colour correction of the footage. In FullHD video, the video recording speed reaches an impressive 180 fps — the spectacular SlowMotion will really shine with quality. At the maximum parameters, video recording can only be performed on an external recorder, and at lower settings — directly to the memory card, for which the camera design provides two slots for UHS-II format SD cards at once.

The updates touched the camera screen (its dimensions have grown to 3.2"), the viewfinder (3.6 million points and an increase of 0.76x) and the auto-focus system. 225 points of contrast autofocus cling to the shooting object in 0.05 seconds and do an excellent job in tracking mode. Another improvement affected the 4K photo function, which "pumped up" to 6K: highly detailed still frames in 18 MP resolution can be taken from a video shot at a speed of 30 fps, and in 8 MP resolution — from a video shot with a frame rate of 60 fps.

A new premium zoom is offered as a whale object to the mirrorless Panasonic 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 DG OIS ASPH Vario-Elmarit Price from 31 000 up to 43 801 ₴. It has become an excellent addition to the already wide fleet of optics for the Micro 4/3 system.

The fourth version of the premium TV from the Chinese company Xiaomi may not be noticed in profile — the case thickness of 4.9 mm makes the model almost invisible when viewed from the side. The case expands only closer to the bottom, which is done for the convenience of attaching the TV to the wall.

The TV has a modular design — all the hardware is placed in a separate unit, which is connected to the LED panel via a special Mi-Port. If the user wants to upgrade, then it will be enough for him to purchase a remote unit with hardware without touching the display itself. This will allow you to save significantly in the future.

The TV brain is endowed with the Patch Wall artificial intelligence system, which analyzes the user's actions and habits, on the basis of which suggestions and recommendations regarding content consumption are based. However, fully all the functions of the TV, as it happened initially, are revealed only in the Middle Kingdom. Localization problems may occur in other regions.

Xiaomi Mi TV 4 supports Dolby Atmos surround sound technology. This effect is achieved due to the propagation of sound not only horizontally, but also vertically — due to the reflection of sound waves from the ceiling. If desired, you can additionally purchase a set of wireless speakers and a subwoofer in a pair with the TV.

As usual, the TV operates on the basis of the Android TV platform, on top of which the MIUI branded shell is rolled. It is characterized by a friendly interface and high flexibility in terms of the possibilities of adjusting the system to your own preferences. With such decent equipment, the model a priori can not cost a little money, so you will have to accumulate funds for the purchase of Xiaomi Mi TV 4 beforehand.