After its original wireless TV literally fell to the ground at CES 2023, Displace is back with two wireless TVs that not only suction themselves to walls but also have two features you’d never expect to find in any TV.
The startup plans to debut the 55-inch Displace Flex and 27-inch Displace Mini wireless TVs next month at CES 2024, which will hopefully redeem itself from the disastrous demo that we saw. On top of reworking its suction design with new safety features, Displace says the new wireless TVs include — we swear we’re not making this up — NFC payment readers and thermal cameras.
Why would you want a TV with an NFC payment reader and a thermal camera? That’s a damn good question.
TV With a Side of Shopping and Telehealth
The new features will work in tandem with the gesture controls that were promised with the first Displace TV. With the Displace Flex and Mini, you can raise your hand to pause the TV and see products that are relevant to whatever you’re watching. After that, you can place these products into a cart and pay for them using NFC via the Displace app by bringing your phone next to the TV, much like Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Meanwhile, the thermal cameras are meant to create body heat maps that work with telehealth apps... in case that’s something you’ve been looking for in a futuristic TV. For most people, these features add some nifty convenience, but we could see how this may feel like a major privacy risk for others.
Displace says both the Flex and Mini wireless TVs will get a month of battery life with around six hours of viewing time per day, and they can be paired with additional units to make an even larger display.
Not planning to suction a Flex to the wall? Displace plans to sell a “portable magnetic Displace Stand” that it says can also charge the TV. It’ll cost you $499, though.
Three Wireless TV Releases in 2024
Displace says you can reserve both the 55-inch Flex ($5,999) and 27-inch Mini ($2,499) starting January 9 with a fully refundable deposit. The two upcoming models are expected to start shipping in late 2024, while the original Displace TV is expected to ship in the middle of the second quarter of 2024. (That’s right, the original Displace wireless TV still hasn’t shipped a whole year after its announcement.)
Of course, Displace will be making a triumphant return to CES 2024, so you’ll be able to see both the Flex and Mini in person starting January 7. Even more ambitious, Displace says it’ll also have a 110-inch model alongside the new wireless TVs.
