1 - Sony Glass Sound Speaker
This gadget manages to be both mainstream and quirky. It’s a wireless speaker (Bluetooth and Wi-Fi) with a delicate, beguiling tone that is highly attractive.
But it looks like something Florence Nightingale might carry because it has a glass cylinder growing out of it, with a light at its base.
In fact, the glass vibrates and its resonance is what creates the sonorous sound.
The light can even be set to flicker like a candle. It is perfect for romantic candlelit dinners, though it’s not cheap: £550.
2 - Panasonic GZ2000 4K OLED TV
This was far from the only TV launched at CES but many of them seemed highly gimmicky: The LG rollable TV is plenty impressive and the Samsung 219-inch microLED screen called, appropriately enough, The Wall, looked just amazing.
But for a TV you can actually buy without breaking the bank, the GZ2000 was revelatory. The image quality on Panasonic is routinely outstanding, and there were certainly improvements over previous models.
But this is a Dolby Atmos TV, and the first with upward-firing speakers hidden behind the screen.
In action, these transformed the experience, creating a deeply immersive sound, especially when watching sport. The roar of the crowd was no longer just coming from in front of you.
3 - Sphero Specdrums
This was one of the coolest surprises at the show and comes from Sphero, makers of spherical robots and a brilliant Star Wars R2-D2 toy.
But the company’s toys have always had a considerable educational angle to them, encouraging youngsters to learn how to code, for instance.
Now, with Specdrums, there’s a musical angle, too. Two silicone rings fit to your fingers and when you touch a colour, then notes, loops or beats will sound.
The colours can be on the coloured pad that comes with the rings or things in the world around you. Very smart.
5 - Royole FlexPai folding smartphone
A smartphone with a flexible screen that folds out to become a tablet, this was a hot gadget in Vegas.
But it will need to move quickly to work – Samsung has said its own folder will be out in the coming months.
There are certain issues with folding phones, such as the aspect ratio. A regular display looks almost square when unfolded or, for it to look like a regular tablet, it requires a wider-than-usual display when in phone mode. But it’s a sign of the future.
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