Technologies

Folding, AI and Gaming Phones: The Most Eye-Catching Mobile Tech at CES 2024

There was plenty of movement in the mobile world to get excited about at the world’s largest tech show. Here’s what you should know about.

CES 2024 is an annual parade of flashy tech gadgets, from see-through TVs and other innovative concepts we wish were real today, to practical products you can buy right now. Then there’s the downright bizarre. As expected, AI is everywhere.

Here are the mobile gadgets that piqued our imaginations so far at the show. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for more as we continue to rove the world’s largest tech conference.

Samsung Flex In & Out Flip concept phone

Samsung seems to be reimagining the future of its clamshell-style lineup. The company’s new Flex In & Out concept phone is similar to the Galaxy Z Flip 5, except you can fold it in both directions. It can be folded open, folded shut and bent over backwards to turn the screen into an outer display.

Instead of a cover screen, the 360-degree folding display allows you to interact with content on the screen even when it’s folded. It could replace the need for a cover screen, and it has left us asking whether this flexible display will eventually make its way to the Galaxy Flip lineup.

Samsung Concept Flip Phone Lets You Bend It in Both Directions

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Asus ROG Phone 8

The Asus ROG line is a series of smartphones designed for gamers. The latest model, the Asus ROG Phone 8, once again comes with the top-tier specs that we’ve come to expect from this lineup. The 6.78-inch phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and serves up the option of 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage in the Pro model for those who want extra juice.

To make sure gameplay runs as smoothly as possible, this phone has an ultrafast refresh rate of 165Hz and a 5,500 mAh battery that supports 65-watt fast charging. Because of its audience, the Asus ROG Phone 8 Pro still puts a lot of emphasis on how the phone works horizontally for gameplay, including sensors that can function like shoulder buttons.

Going beyond gameplay, this phone also gets some AI-based features such as semantic search and noise canceling. The Asus ROG Phone 8 starts at $1,100 and is expected to be released within the first quarter of this year in the US.

TCL 50 XL NxtPaper 5G

The TCL 50 XL NxtPaper 5G is a smartphone that’s designed to be easier on your eyes. It has a 6.8-inch display that uses reflective screen technology similar to e-paper displays. The company claims it filters blue light by up to 61%. The display has a normal view for general use, a low-contrast color paper mode for comics and a black-and-white mode to act more like an e-reader. A stepdown model, the TCL 50 XE NxtPaper 5G, is also coming with a smaller 6.6-inch display.

While this tech isn’t new to its phone (the company launched two phones last year with it), TCL’s first NxtPaper phones for the US market are launching as part of its broader TCL 50 series phone lineup.

Rabbit R1 AI device

AI devices hoping to reduce (or eliminate) the need for smartphones are coming. The Rabbit R1 is a $199 AI gadget that wants to be a better personal assistant than your phone. It’s like if you had your friend order takeout for you rather than doing it to yourself, the company’s CEO said. The Rabbit RI apparently achieves this by swapping out apps for a push-to-talk button and an operating system that can learn how to use apps on your behalf.

The company says the device can execute tasks such as scheduling appointments, setting reminders and sending messages. The hardware it relies on includes a 2.88-inch display, a camera, 128GB of storage and 4GB of RAM. It runs on a 2.3GHz MediaTek Helios P35 processor. The Rabbit R1 is expected to ship in late March.

Clicks keyboard for iPhone

CES tends to showcase the gadgets of the future, but the Clicks keyboard case for iPhones is a nod to the past. The $139 iPhone case, from Clicks Technology, literally swaps out your digital keyboard for a physical one. It features a retro keyboard with real buttons that click when pressed, serving up the tactile smartphone experience many old-schoolers crave. The Clicks keyboard is compatible with the iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, and no charging is required.

Doublepoint remote control concept for WearOS

cnet-ces-2024-doublepoint-watch-nick-wolny

Imagine being able to dim the living room lights with a turn of the wrist. Or browse Netflix with a few taps of your fingers. Finnish startup Doublepoint’s new software can turn an Android watch into a remote control for any device via a Bluetooth connection. It’s up to developers and app-makers to decide what a small gesture like tapping fingers or rotating your wrist will actually do, but it still offers exciting possibilities. The software for WearOS watches is expected to drop within the first half of this year.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 28 #635

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Nov. 28, No. 635.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is pretty tricky. If you’re not familiar with certain superstitious beliefs, you might not find all the answers. And some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: If all else fails…

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Don’t tell, it won’t come true.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

GLUB, RATS, TARN, DALE, FONT, FOUNT, LASH

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

DANDELION, STAR, COIN, FOUNTAIN, LADYBUG, EYELASH

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is MAKEAWISH. To find it, start with the M that’s three letters down on the far right, and wind backwards.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 28, #901

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Nov. 28, #901.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is kind of tough. If you need help sorting the answers into groups, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Appropriate.

Green group hint: I win!

Blue group hint: Musical instrument.

Purple group hint: Time to talk.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Fitting.

Green group: Achieve victory over.

Blue group: Parts of an electric guitar.

Purple group: Phonetic elements of speech.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is fitting. The four answers are fair, just, proper and right.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is achieve victory over. The four answers are beat, best, take and worst.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is parts of an electric guitar. The four answers are fret, peg, pickup and string.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is phonetic elements of speech. The four answers are intonation, loudness, rhythm and stress.

Technologies

Anker’s New MagSafe Car Mount Keeps Your Phone Cool While Charging, and It’s 30% Off for Black Friday

Get wired-like charging speeds and MagSafe compatibility with Anker’s wireless car charging bundle for $62.99.

Black Friday is the best time of the year to upgrade the little essentials that make your everyday tech life more pleasant. I’ve found the perfect deal to amp up the phone charging setup in your car. This Anker MagSafe wireless car charging bundle is 30% off for the holidays, and it gives your iPhone a fast and steady way to power up while you navigate. It delivers up to 25-watt wireless charging speeds and with onboard active cooling, your phone stays comfortable to the touch.

Get it now for $62.99 verses the list price of $89.99.

What sets this charger apart is that its performance and cooling tech is built into a surprisingly compact package. The stand uses an ultra-strong Qi2 magnetic lock to keep your phone secure through bumps and turns. You can even tilt the mount and switch between portrait and landscape modes for navigation without blocking the view. The bundle has everything you need to get started including a 60-watt dual-USB-C charger, an adequately long USB-C cable, and cable organizers for a clean setup. Anker also includes a two-year warranty for peace of mind.

If you are getting your car prepped up for driving to a holiday vacation or just need a faster charging mount for your daily commute, this deal makes a lot of sense. CNET’s experts are also tracking more Black Friday and Cyber Monday picks across Apple products, headphones, and more, so you can score more savings before the sales season wraps up.

MOBILE DEALS OF THE WEEK

iPhone 17 Pro on Us With Any Condition Trade-in and Qualifying Plan
Google Pixel 10 Pro 128GB Unlocked Phone (Obsidian):

$749 (save $250)
Samsung Galaxy S25 FE 128GB Unlocked Phone (JetBlack):

$475 (save $175)
Google Pixel 9 128GB Unlocked Phone (Obsidian):

$499 (save $300)
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 256GB Unlocked AI Phone (Titanium Black):

$900 (save $400)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

A high quality charger is a great addition to any car to speedily top up your phone on the go. You will especially want to look out for options from a top-tier brand like Anker for its fast charging speeds and reliability. This Black Friday deal is an excellent opportunity to save big on a staple car accessory. With holiday shopping heating up and tech accessories being one of the most popular categories, we expect the deal to sell out quick. So don’t wait too long before jumping on it.

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