Samsung at CES 2013: 'unprecedented' designs, 4K TVs, and 'Smart' everything

Samsung gave us a brief glimpse during its keynote today of its first phone using a flexible display, and now we've just had the opportunity to handle the device for ourselves. The phone, which is a nameless prototype, has a screen that falls off towards the rear edge of the device on the right side. Samsung hasn't quite figured out yet what to do with this extra screen real estate, but for now the phone displays landscape-oriented notifications along the edge. The idea is that you'll be able to read text messages, stock tickers, and other notifications from the side of the device even if you have a case covering the screen.

As you would expect, representatives were very reluctant to give us any specifications on the prototype. But they did reveal that the screen is about five inches across, with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a resolution "about" 720p. We were also informed that the prototype isn't truly a phone — it lacks a radio, operating system, camera, and most any other feature you'd find in a phone. Instead, in its current form, the prototype is more like a touch-capable digital picture frame that uses a low-power processor to cycle through images of a mocked-up UI. The phone certainly feels like a prototype: it's poorly made of plastic, and it felt completely hollow within. We're skeptical of the utility of a flexible display on a phone, but it certainly makes for a cool tech demo.

Yesterday, Samsung one-upped producers of 84-inch 4K TVs by a hair, promising the 85-inch "world's largest" ultra high-definition TV by March. On the show floor, we've also been able to see its "floating" design up close and in three sizes: 85, 95, and an enormous 110 inches. All three screens are built into a sort of external easel, within which they can be tilted and adjusted. Besides being a pretty interesting piece of design (Samsung has placed framed pictures beside the 85-inch model to drive home the "gallery" comparison), it allows the company to install the 120-watt 2.2 speakers along the legs without worrying about the actual panel thickness.

At the back of Samsung's booth, the company has partnered with Neflix to show off 4K streaming on one of its UHD televisons. The video it's playing is on a loop, helpfully displaying difficult-to-stream types of video like fast-motion boxing and water fountains. Samsung tells us that this is a "beta" test, but is being quite coy about other details, including whether it's over the internet or a direct pipe to Netflix's servers. In fact, Samsung isn't even saying what kind of television this is, beyond a 65-inch UHD TV. The TV itself is mounted on an easel much like Samsung's 85-inch monster that has gathered so much attention. In other words, we could be looking at a new design language for Samsung, or at least for its UHD line.

We've gone up as close as we can to the TV and to be frank, it's difficult to tell if what little artifacting we can see is a result of the streaming or part of the video itself. It's especially impressive when it's showing the children playing in a storm of water droplets coming from the fountain — though when it was pushed that hard it started to become clear that this was streaming video, not a direct connection. Hopefully Samsung or Netflix will be more forthcoming with details soon so we can know more about the "early results of their work on 4K video.

Samsung just announced a host of new TVs at CES, including an extremely beautiful 4K set with an angular, easel-like stand and a new smartphone-inspired gesture UI for its smart TVs. That's a lot of moves towards the future of TV, and I grabbed a few moments with Samsung USA president Tim Baxter to talk things over. Tim told me that he doesn't have a 4K TV in his house just yet, but that he will soon — and from there we talked about the future of television delivery. Can the internet replace traditional cable as consumers demand more and more 4K content? See what Tim has to say in the video below.

Back in November, Samsung announced that it'd show off its first 4K TV at CES. Well, the company has followed through on its promise today — the 85-inch UN85S9 is the world's largest Ultra High-Definition TV, and has some pretty unprecedented industrial design. The huge screen is suspended within a metal frame reminiscent of an easel — it can be tilted up and down — and, while we're not sure how many living rooms the colossal contraption will fit into, the floating effect is a sight to behold. The frame holds a function, too; a 120-watt 2.2 speaker system that surrounds the display.

We first saw Samsung's attempt at a 55-inch OLED TV at CES 2012, and the company has brought it back to this year's show. The final shipping model will include the same Smart Hub software, a 1.35GHz quad-core A15 processor, and voice control as Samsung's 85-inch 4K TV. Unfortunately, however, we still don't have a release date or pricing information, even though LG will start shipping its own set next month. Samsung initially promised its OLED set for the second half of 2012, so the continued lack of detail is disappointing. We do know that it's Samsung's first TV to feature Multi-View where two wearers of 3D glasses can watch separate videos at once, and we expect the set itself to be as stunning as it was last year — it'd just be nice to know when we can buy one, and for how much.

Samsung has also announced details of its new 7000 and 8000 series LED TVs as well as the 8500 series plasma sets, all of which will be released in the first half of this year. The 7000 series is available in 46-, 55-, and 60-inch configurations and includes a Smart Evolution Kit connector for future upgrades. The 8000 series is much the same, but adds 65- and 75-inch sizes and features advanced algorithms to improve picture quality by adjusting the localized backlight dimming. Samsung is touting the black levels of its plasma sets as the main selling point for the 8500 series, meanwhile, and all three lines feature the same Smart Hub software and quad-core processor as the 4K and OLED sets. Pricing information, on the other hand, is still to come.

Samsung may be betting the future on mirrorless cameras, but today's introduction of five new connected point-and-shoot cameras suggests the company isn't quite ready to ditch its old ways. Three new models are coming to the WB series of long-zoom cameras with the WB250F/WB200F (18x optical zoom), the WB800F (21x), and the ultra-slim WB30F (10x). The company's Dual View series gains a new member in the 16.2-megapixel DV150F — which includes a 2.7-inch LCD on the camera's face to assist with portrait shots. The ST150F is the most barebones shooter of the batch, though like the other models, it offers built-in Wi-Fi sharing. Aside from that, you'll find a 25-millimeter F2.5 lens and 5x optical zoom.

Like the upcoming NX300, each camera announced today has been designed for use with Samsung's new Smart Camera app, available now and arriving soon for iOS users. With the app your smartphone can pull double duty as a mobile viewfinder, and it also includes the usual gamut of image editing and backup tools. The future may rest with interchangeable lens cameras, but the point-and-shoot camera lives on at this year's CES.

Smart TVs universally have horrible interfaces, and it seems like Samsung knows that its prior efforts haven't been up to par. The company has shown off its new user interface for 6400 series and up TVs here at CES, and after spending time with it we're glad to report that the old design has been tossed out of the window for one that takes a bit of inspiration from the Xbox 360. Five main screens are central to the design — On TV, Movies & TV Shows, Photos & Video, Social, and Apps — and as you pass through each you're presented with either recommendations, trending content, or other highlights. Samsung comes up with its recommendations by tracking what is watched, and on the movies page it'll pull in upcoming films from your cable box as well as selections from Netflix, Vudu, Blockbuster, CinemaNow, and Samsung's Media Hub. Similarly, The social page pulls in trending shows, Twitter and Facebook updates, and popular YouTube videos. The media page, meanwhile, offers content from other devices in your home using Samsung's AllShare DLNA service.