The 4 Coolest Things from Samsung’s 2017 Press Event
Samsung has had one hell of a year… and not in a good way. With all the bad press it’s received over the exploding Galaxy Note 7, it’s not a huge surprise the tech giant opened up their 2017 press event with a demure address of the entire fiasco. “This was a challenging year for Samsung,” Tim Baxter, President and COO of Samsung Electronics America, admitted. “Despite our setbacks, we have not stopped innovating.” And — in some places — innovate, they did.
1. QLED TV: Last year, Samsung announced the UHD TV (that’s ULTRA High Definition, for those of you who don’t know). With 14.5M units sold, it’s been a smashing success. That’s why Samsung is the number one TV brand 11 years running, we suppose. This year, they’re pushing the envelope some more with the brand new QLED TV. Featuring Samsung’s patented Quantum Dot Technology, the new TVs have 100 percent of color volume even in bright light, a consistent picture quality from any angle and features a super sleek, pretty design.
The TV has a slimmer bezel than ever and mounts flush against the wall. And in case you don’t like hanging your TV, the tech co. has also designed a variety of ultra-attractive stands that blend your TV with your furniture. The best part is all your add-ons like your cable box, WiFi router, etc. connect to the body with a super slim 16 foot optical cable, so there aren’t a ton of ugly wires hanging around. Nice! The TV has also won the prestigious 2017 CES Best of Innovation Award.
2. Flex Wash + Flex Dry Washer and Dryers: When it comes to smart home appliances, Samsung definitely has the upper hand. The Flex Wash + Flex Dry washer and dryer might be the first time you’ve lusted over laundry machines. The washing machine features a five cubic foot front loading compartment which is, while the largest in the industry, still pretty standard. But wait. It also has a built-in second top compartment that stands at one cubic foot, ideal for quick, small loads or for separating your darks and lights. Amazing. And same goes for the dryer too. There’s a larger bottom dryer and a smaller top dryer which all together adds up to 7.5 cubic feet of drying capacity. And yes, it is IoT-enabled, so you can control your appliances from an app on your phone.
3. Family Hub 2.0: Last year, Samsung unveiled the Family Hub smart fridge that blew everyone away. The smart hub could track your calendar, show you the contents of your fridge, make shopping lists and so much more. This year, they’re building the Hub into more of their refrigerator models and giving the software a makeover. Now, the 2.0 version of the Family Hub can stream music from Pandora, is voice-enabled and even has TV mirroring so you can watch whatever you want ON YOUR FRIDGE. What?!
4. New Computers: Samsung announced two new additions to their Google partnership: the Chromebook Pro and and Chromebook Plus. Both are tablet computers that can run ANY app from the Google PlayStore (!!). Plus, they both come with an embedded digitizer pen, so you can take notes or doodle to your heart’s content. Also, they both feature Quad HD screens. Nice! The difference is the Chromebook Plus comes with an ARM processor while the Chromebook Pro is equipped with an Intel Core m3.
