CES 2020: checking in with 2019’s best tech one year later

Each and every CES, technology companies pull out all the stops to show off the boldest, most outlandish, and experimental products to wow the public, impress journalists, and plant flags in the sand that competitors will take note of. Sometimes, that means a ludicrously large and expensive television or, in some cases, a modular gaming PC. It could be a concept electric vehicle or a sophisticated pet robot. But what often goes unsaid after the flurry of announcements and the fading excitement is the eventual fate of these products. After all, CES is among the safest places in the tech industry to announce what might become vaporware in the future — without being held accountable for actually shipping a real device to consumers. But that’s also part of the fun. Companies know they can get away with something a little more out-there or something just plain weird when it’s under the banner of CES where wow factors and envelope-pushing take priority over ship dates and price points. That’s why we here at The Verge feel it’s necessary to take stock of the big CES product announcements and categories of 2019 (as well as some stragglers from years prior) to see where they stand. Some, of course, will always be prototypes. Others are surprising in that they not only shipped but are also finding dedicated consumer audiences. Here’s what’ve managed to dig up on the past products of CES. (Be sure to check out last year’s roundup for a look back at CES 2018.) Image: LG LG Rollable OLED TV Current status: Delayed indefinitely Originally announced at CES 2018, LG’s stunning rollable OLED TV was promised to ship sometime in 2019, at the very least for South Korean customers. That never happened. Instead, the product’s global launch was pushed back to 2020 while LG said it was aiming for a late-2019 launch in Korea. Then at IFA, LG said it may not arrive outside Korea until 2021. We still don’t know how much the TV will cost, or what size options it will come in. It’s still not available for sale even in Korea. But earlier this week, LG gave us a sneak peek at what it plans to show off at CES next week: an all-new rollable display that falls from the ceiling like a projector instead of rising up out of a TV stand on the floor. GIF by Chris Welch / The Verge It’s an interesting concept, and perhaps this one is slightly more viable than the rollable prototypes LG has been showing off these past few shows. Maybe the company will have more to say about its entire rollable lineup come next week, and hopefully we get some type of release window or pricing details. Photo: Samsung MicroLED TVs (aka Samsung’s “The Wall”) Current status: Available now Samsung has been playing up next-gen MicroLED display technology for years now, starting with “The Wall,” an eye-popping modular 146-inch 8K screen introduced at CES back in 2018 that was
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