This wireless 55-inch TV is basically a giant phone that runs on batteries for up to a month
We’re takingall those great smartphonesfor granted these days, but if you think about it, they’re incredibly powerful computers condensed into a small pocketable form factor that can last up to two days or so on a single charge. The same is true for laptops and tablets, which are also as powerful as desktop computers of old, but portable. 2022 newcomer company Displace wants to bring this paradigm to TVs and has introduced a 55-inch wireless TV atCES 2023with proprietary batteries that can last up to a month on a single charge.
The Displace TV is essentially just a 55-inch rectangle with a 4K screen that’s a fair bit bulkier than your average TV. That makes sense, as it needs to reserve some internal space for the four proprietary, hot-swappable batteries that enable the wireless functionality of the TV. They’re positioned on opposite sites on the frame of the TV, where they are easily ejected for charging.
On the back, the Displace TV features an active-loop vacuum system that supposedly makes it possible to stick it to any surface, all without distructive wall mounts. The TV itself doesn’t have any connectors, but it features a retractable camera at the top which you need to use to control it—it’s gesture-based and doesn’t come with a remote. For what it’s worth, touch and voice input are alternatives, and the company wants to offer an app with remote functionality.
All the smarts and the usual connectors are hidden out of sight in an extra box that wirelessly connects to the TV, though the box itself has to be plugged in. This makes clear that despite its wireless properties, the TV is meant to live in a single household, as setting up the box as you move around might be a hassle. So far, the company hasn’t shared many details at all about this part of the equation, though.
Despite the shortcomings of the box, the Displace TV is impressive enough on its own, but the company is thinking even bigger. The base station can connect to multiple TVs inside your home, and it’s supposed to allow you to seamlessly switch between screens as you move through rooms. That’s why the company wants to sell its TVs in packs of up to four, with discounts available the more you buy at once.
Up to four TVs can also be stacked together to form an incredibly big 220-inch 8K TV (the company claims this would result in a 16K image, but that math simply doesn’t check out).
Displace demoed its TV for a few journalists during CES, and it seemed to work well enough. There is still enough room to remain sceptical, though. It’s unclear how fast the wireless connection between the TV and the base station is, so things like surround sound systems or video games might be a challenge due to lag.
It also remains to be seen how well the TV’s gesture navigation will work, especially when multiple people in front of it interact with each other. The vacuum-based mounting system is also something that owners will have to put a lot of trust in to protect their expensive TV system. The company claiming that the stacked together 4K screens form a 16K panel and some glaring typos on its website don’t exactly inspire confidence.
At $3,000 for a single unit, Displace needs to make sure to absolutely nail the experience, otherwise, it might be a short-lived business. In the beginning, Displace will only sell a limited number of unitsas part of a pre-order deposit, with units expected to ship much later in 2023.
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