Expo offers a new world of high-tech for the home
Samsung launched its new 8K TVs in Shanghai as it meets growing Chinese demand.
The latest in high technology — from ultra-high-definition display to artificial intelligence to the Internet of Things from leading global brands — will be highlighted at the AWE 2019 Appliance and Electronics World Expo that begins in Shanghai on Thursday.
The annual expo is China's biggest home appliance show, which draws major players such as Samsung, Whirlpool and Nasdaq-listed Viomi.
Firms put on a show of some of their offerings on Wednesday. Samsung, the world’s biggest TV maker, unveiled its 8K TVs — with 8,000 pixel definition offering high-level sharpness and vivid quality.
The coming 5G network, the Summer Olympic Games in Japan in 2020 and the Winter Olympics in China in 2022 are expected to boost demand for 8K TVs.
It will create a whole new 8K industry chain, covering content, transmission and display devices, says Samsung.
Within the next several years, more than 400 million TVs will be replaced in China by high-definition units with features such as AI, according to the China Video Industry Association.
Samsung’s new 8K TVs start at 35,999 yuan (US$5,373) and range to 999,999 yuan, still a little high for ordinary consumers, industry analysts say.
Xiaomi-backed home appliances makers Viomi, which debuted on the Nasdaq last year, unveiled over 60 devices with IoT, which can be connected to each other and smartphones.
Viomi also said it would establish a 5G research center and released a new AI chip for smart home devices. Its products on display at the expo include a 5G-featured refrigerator and an AI-powered kitchen ventilator.
China’s Internet of Things consumer market is estimated at US$17.5 billion this year, a 23.8 percent increase year on year, and forecast to hit US$31.1 billion in 2022, according to a joint report by Viomi and International Data Corp, a US-based IT research firm.
