CES 2015 Day 0 roundup

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CES technically doesn't start until tomorrow, but that doesn't mean the news can't get underway. And that it has, with announcements and reveals large and small across the spectrum of consumer electronics. From the all-new LG G Flex 2 to the ASUS Zenfone 2, mobile innovation was on display. But there's more than smartphones, with a slew of updates from Sony, Acer, and Lenovo, the first HomeKit home automation devices and new CarPlay-compatible vehicles, new and updated wearables, and a radical new concept car from Mercedes-Benz. There's more news than just about anybody could possibly hope to handle, and that's just the way we like it

The G Flex 2 puts the bend back into the smartphone

64-bit, 5.5-inches, 1080p, bendy

LG's original G Flex was an interesting smartphone and an impressive tech demo, but it was more than a little lacking in the specs department. The new LG G Flex 2 rectifies that, bringing a state-of-the-art 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, 5.5-inch 1080p OLED display, an impressive 13-megapixel camera, and a spacious 3000mAh battery. Plus it runs Android 5.0 Lollipop. And, of course, it's still curved and lives up to its name by actually bending under pressure without breaking.

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Asus has an eye on imagery

Zenfone 2 and Zenfone Zoom

Asus also had a new smartphone on tap. Actually, they had two. First up is the new Asus Zenfone 2, which actually took a page out of the LG playbook by moving the volume buttons to the back (but not power, unlike LG). It sports a 5.5-inch 1080p display, a 64-bit Intel processor, and a whopping 4GB of RAM. As we expect of any major smartphone these days, the Zenfone 2 runs Android 5.0 Lollipop. Camera-wise it has a 13MP unit that Asus is quite proud of. But perhaps more crazy is the Asus Zenfone Zoom, which has not just a 13MP camera, but also packs in a 3x optical zoom. Yes, optical zoom on a smartphone isn't a new thing, but Asus's take is shooting to be the thinnest yet.

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  • Hands-on with the ASUS Zenfone 2
  • The new ASUS Zenfone Zoom has been revealed at CES 2015

Sony, Sony, and more Sony

The refined Sony of old is back

Sony Smartwatch 3

Not to be left out, Sony had their own announcements on tap. While there's no new smartphone coming today from Sony, they did announce that Lollipop is coming to the Z3 line next month. Several months after the platform was announced, Android TV will be on all new Sony Bravia TVs. The technically impressive but aesthetically underwhelming Sony Smartwatch 3 will be better-looking coming up soon with a stainless steel version. Lastly, the premium Walkman is back — and it's a hell of a portable music player, but you'll pay out the nose for one.

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  • Sony to roll out Lollipop to Xperia Z3 lineup starting next month
  • First look at Sony's 2015 Bravia TVs with Android TV
  • Eyes-on the stainless steel Sony Smartwatch 3
  • Sony Walkman NW-ZX2 packs 128GB storage, $1120 price tag

Homekit and Carplay break cover

Apple in your home, Apple in your car

Parrot RNB6 in-dash system

Like Android TV, it's taken a while from the announcement of Apple HomeKit and CarPlay to get to the point where we have products that actually use the software. And now they're coming in droves. Volkswagen will be putting both CarPlay and Android Auto into their new cars, and if you don't want to buy a new VW, Parrot will gladly sell you an in-dash unit that brings both to bear. Belkin's jumping into the HomeKit home automation system, including sensors that can track the flow of water through your pipes. Elgato too is getting in on HomeKit with a whole line of Eve sensors, including weather monitors and smoke alarms.

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Windows is here too

Acer, Asus, Lenovo, galore

ASUS Transformer Book Chi

The ultrabook and Windows tablets are really coming into their own at CES 2015. We'll start with the ASUS Transformer Book Chi, which measures a mere 7.6mm thick, but yet boasts a 12-inch HD display, Windows 8.1, and up to 10 hours of battery life. Acer was on-hand to push updates across their range of Windows portables, adding a 3D-sensing camera to the V 17 Nitro and slipping the just-announced 5th-generation Intel Core processors into their ultrabooks. Lastly, let's not forget Lenovo, who refreshed the Yoga 2 tablet with "any pen" support that lets you use any pointing device as a stylus.

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The wearables of CES

Strap it on

Withings Activité Pop

The Withings Activité Pop is a less-fancy version of the fitness-tracking analog watch while Misfit went for extra-swanky. Garmin has a new Vivoactive smartwatch and a slicker Vivofit 2 fitness tracker. And Parrot's Zik Sport headphones can track your vitals while you run, as well as how well you're actually running.

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Automotive rolls in big time to CES 2015

The biggest gadget you'll ever own

Mercedes Benz F 015 Luxury

Chevy has a new Volt and OnStar vehicle health monitoring. AT&T is partnering with Samsung for better in-car apps and BMW is teaming up with HERE. Toyota wants more people to build hydrogen cars, so they're opening up their patents. Most impressive, however, was Mercedes-Benz, which rolled out the F 015 Luxury automated car with styling that can best be described as "thoroughly radical."

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Derek Kessler
Derek Kessler

Derek Kessler is Special Projects Manager for Mobile Nations. He's been writing about tech since 2009, has far more phones than is considered humane, still carries a torch for Palm (the old one), and got a Tesla because it was the biggest gadget he could find. You can follow him on Twitter at @derekakessler.