The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) took place last week in Las Vegas. Known as the gathering place for the world’s best and brightest in consumer technologies, CES sets the bar and provides many companies, including Rymax, a framework for the latest and greatest technologies to hit the marketplace.

At this year’s show, our team was exposed to over 20,000 new products and services—from many of our own brand partners—in addition to countless trends that are defining the future of not only this industry, but how consumers are choosing to live their lives daily.

With Rymax executives and buyers back in the office and inspired by all the new trends and technologies presented, we are excited to break down the Best of CES 2020 and what Rymax is looking to bring to the Incentive Industry in the year ahead.

Technology on Display

One of the main takeaways from this year’s show is television upgrades. Two of Rymax’s premiere electronics brands, Samsung and LG, both promoted their revolutionary 8K TVs and all they have to offer. The one big difference between the 8K feature that sets the models apart is the resolution, which provides four times more detail than traditional 4k resolution.

Another must see when it comes to Samsung TVs is the bezel-less television, which is basically a TV without a frame around the edge.  Samsung’s Sero Frame TV is the first TV that rotates so you can view content horizontally or vertically. Use the remote to rotate the screen or sync it to your Samsung phone…every time you turn your phone, the TV will turn with it!

Smart Home

This new year marks the start of a new decade, but one trend that has carried over is connectivity. Consumers continue to be connected to their devices both at home and on the go, and convenience continues to be paramount in this digital age.

The Amazon Echo Show is a perfect example. The Echo Show is a compact smart display assistant that is shifting the way we accomplish our daily tasks. This smart device has a screen that allows people to stream media, video chat with friends and family who are Alexa or Echo compatible and leave video messages while on the go. Designed with convenience in mind, the Echo Show can also be used completely hands-free. One of the major topics at CES was regarding privacy with these virtual assistants and smart devices, and how advancing technologies plan to keep people’s information secure. Amazon specifically built this device with multiple layers of privacy protections and controls, including a microphone/camera off button that disconnects the two features, thus satisfying consumer privacy concerns.

Diving further into connectivity throughout the home, Google Nest has a plethora of smart home devices to help keep people connected with convenience. The Google Network Mesh System is so much more than a traditional router. By using multiple Wi-Fi points together, the Mesh is able to create a connected system that gives you a strong signal throughout your entire home. This new technology helps eliminate dead spots and buffering while using the internet. Parents can also benefit by using the app and pausing the Wi-Fi on kids’ devices.

Another piece of the smart home connectivity trend is home security. Now there are many devices available that allow users to have a set of eyes on their homes even while they’re away. From cameras and video doorbells, consumers can always feel secure knowing exactly what is happening at their front door. For an additional layer of home security, consumers might consider the Amazon Blink XT2, which is an indoor/outdoor smart security camera with cloud storage included. Designed for all day usage, this camera records in 1080p HD video during the day and with infrared HD vision after dark. If users are worried about constant notifications to their phones, the Blink XT2 has customizable motion detection to choose activity zones where motion is detected so they receive the alerts that matter to them.

Something for Everyone

CES 2020 offered something for everyone, from a high-end viewing experience on 8k TVs, to connected home devices, to products a bit more practical like a portable power station.

The Mophie Powerstation Go is a portable battery pack with enough juice to jumpstart a full-size SUV.  At an amazing price point, the charger comes with a set of mini jumper cables and a has a built-in LED light, while its wireless charging surface lets any Qi-enabled device pick up a little boost, too. This must-have item is great for your car’s emergency kit.

To summarize, Stephanie Sheehan, Director of Vendor Relations, states, “CES is not only exciting for exploring the future, but for reimagining the past.  Some of our favorite childhood products are getting a fun makeover, including arcade games from Arcade1Up, record players, the Walkman, the Discman, and the boom box from Victrola, and instant photos from Polaroid, all offering options that are interactive and Bluetooth or Wi-Fi enabled.  If only we had Tile in the 80’s, we wouldn’t have to stress over where we left our headphones!  Skullcandy and Sennheiser both picked up on that problem and offer models with built-in Tile technology as a solution.  Continuing with this theme, security and home automation expand and advance with brand partners Google Nest, Ring, and Chamberlain introducing new products. And while we’re solving problems, next time you want to show off your tiktok video to a group, you don’t have to reformat the view because the Samsung Sero TV will auto-mirror from horizontal to vertical portrait with your phone! These, of course, are just a few of the highlights. We look forward to sharing more and announcing launches in tandem with our partners.”

In order to modernize reward offerings and compete with the greatest in consumer electronics, Rymax will be buying into these hot new technologies and offering these products to our clients within the Special Markets space this year.

Contact Rymax today for more information and to learn more about new models from brands like Samsung, LG, Google Nest, Amazon, Victrola, Polaroid, Ring and many more!