Over the past year, many have been talking about the Metaverse and its potential as the next big tech platform. But the latest edition of CES, the world’s largest technology show, shows that hardware giants like Sony are focusing on pushing their technology into a more unique area: electric vehicles.
Electric vehicles have become another platform for digital manufacturers to compete for
CES used to be a stage reserved for the biggest names in TV, computing and smartphones. Remember the announcement of the Palm Pre and webOS at CES 2009? That was when everyone was still focusing on consumer electronics, and most importantly, the Las Vegas-based CES has traditionally been the host to the launch of boundary-pushing products that went on to have a real impact on the industries they were trying to disrupt.
But lately, CES has lost its edge as a pioneer of innovation — major automakers have replaced established tech companies as purveyors of the show’s biggest attractions. At CES 2023, keynotes from the likes of Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen drew a slew of competitors. Samsung and LG are of course also there, and news of camouflaged electric and self-driving cars is more exciting to onlookers than the latest foldable phone or 8K TV.
Given the deluge of technology pouring into new and existing electric models, it’s no surprise that cars have become a regular and popular fixture at CES, and even household names in traditional consumer tech seem intent on getting in on the act. Take Sony’s new car company, Sony Honda Mobility (SHM), for example, in partnership with Japanese manufacturer Honda — and at CES 2023, the fledgling brand unveiled its first electric car concept, the Afeela (technically new sub-brand of the company, but it could also be the name of the concept itself).
Sony’s strength in software and hardware in entertainment content will become an advantage in models
A close cousin to Sony’s Vision-S sedan prototype, which first appeared at CES 2021 and returned in a slightly updated form at last year’s show, Afeela’s groundbreaking concept aims to embody the “human-to-human relationship.” new relationship”. Mobility” – a catchphrase in SHM’s marketing that means “technology you can expect to see in real-life cars soon” (the company has brought a 2025 Published Commitment).
Key features of the model include its 45 motion-tracking sensors and platform based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon architecture — which, according to SHM, will allow similar vehicles to have a “digital twin” that can be used on simulated roads before you drive the real one. drive. But the more interesting aspect of Afeela is the company’s overall vision to develop a “mobile entertainment space.”
In recent years, CES and other consumer tech shows have been hampered by a lack of real innovation to showcase their brands. Almost every major tech product category has innovated to saturation point; is it really possible to further improve our experience of using smartphones or watching movies at home? The answer, of course, is yes — just look at Samsung’s glorious new 77-inch OLED display — but there’s not as much room for a revolution in our pockets as there is on our roads.
How much has the car really changed in the past decade, despite the different sources that give soft drive to the wheels? The best smartphones have grown by leaps and bounds in the same period, but automotive technology, or the experience — which plays an equally important role in our daily lives — has remained relatively stagnant since the advent of electric car batteries.
Part of the reason for this stagnation is a lack of demand for change — we don’t replace our cars as often as our handhelds, so we’d prefer to stick with technologies that might be described as yesterday’s for longer.
But the auto industry is also fraught with more practical and legislative hurdles than the smart home or TV industries. Cars are huge, fast pieces of metal. They have extremely high security requirements. Surely someone, somewhere, has found a practical answer to the flying car problem, but the financial and legal difficulties of bringing such a compelling, world-shattering product to the masses are too great for even the world’s largest companies.
However, there is so much room for innovation. Considering how far cars will go in our lifetimes, it’s hard not to conjure up images from Blade Runner, The Fifth Element, Minority Report, and I, Robot — especially when Much of the pocket tech in these films has been realized.
Yes, things have to go slowly. But SHM’s commitment to developing a “mobile entertainment space” marks a long overdue next step in the evolution of the car. The convergence of mobility and interactivity is the next frontier for Sony, one of the world’s largest technology companies – a combination that is bound to be on our way for years to come. At the same time, Sony has the extremely attractive game content of its powerful PS5 game console, which is also its advantage when it is transformed into its own Afeela model.
Just look at the other automakers attending CES 2023. Like SHM, Audi is turning its attention to in-car entertainment at this year’s show — specifically, the Four Rings brand unveiled its proprietary virtual reality (VR) technology, allowing passengers to enjoy Oculus-style entertainment from the comfort of their cars. The game heated recliner. Stellantis also has virtual worlds in mind at CES 2023. The parent company of Chrysler, Peugeot, Vauxhall and Fiat has taken the wraps off its two-seater Synthesis concept car, a mock-up of the cockpit designed to showcase various technologies – including a 37-inch advanced infotainment screen – —Soon to be used in various production vehicles.
The next opponent of Sony’s electric car must be Apple
Lest we forget the Apple Car. While Tim Cook’s vehicle project didn’t make an appearance at CES — Apple doesn’t usually attend — it’s almost certainly in development, and the latest news suggests it will (finally, yes) show off one technology — the compact The interior features potentially self-tinting windows and Audi-style VR integration.
Self-driving cars are a bigger problem in general, but with the likes of SHM, Stellantis, Tesla, and (we think) Apple all actively working on self-driving car technology, it won’t be long before cars give us something more than lane assist. more important technology.
But here’s the bottom line: The new iPhones and OLED TVs aren’t the breakthrough products they once were. A hundred years ago, cars were the future – and in 2023 they are the future again. The next boundary-pushing innovation will be on four wheels, and the race is on to be the brand to lead this new era of automotive technology.
As far as Sony is concerned, the layout of mobile phones, TVs, entertainment, VR, games, and content will eventually be implemented on the car platform. These resources, Apple also goes beyond. Obviously, Sony and Apple will be another group of opponents on the road of smart entertainment cars in the future. It’s just who will win, now we need time to find the answer.
