✋ Pixel 7a hands-on, CES surprises

⚡ Welcome to the Weekly Authority, the  Android Authority newsletter that breaks down the top Android and tech news from the week. The 226th edition here, with everything from CES 2023, a hands-on look at the Pixel 7a, the OnePlus 11 launch, some of the biggest video game releases this month, and more.

???? It’s the first Weekly Authority of 2023, and I started the year by watching Noah Baumbach’s latest movie, White Noise. If anybody can explain to me what on earth it is about, I’d be most grateful…

The new year is a great time to think about changing your cell phone carrier, but with so many providers and plans out there to choose from, it feels like a bit of a minefield! That brings us nicely to our sponsor this week.

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Gaming:

• HTC announced the Vive XR Elite headset, offering support for both VR and XR content at a significantly cheaper price than the Meta Quest Pro.
• Sony’s Project Leonardo is a very different PS5 controller for gamers with disabilities.
• MSI announced a new version of its Titan GT77 gaming notebook, with the world’s first 4K 144Hz Mini LED display for a notebook, but no word on price or release date yet.
• From budget to high-end, Dell’s latest gaming laptops cover every need, all offering Geforce RTX 40 series GPUs.
• Speaking of Dell, it unveiled second-gen Concept Nyx, the gaming controller of the future.
• Razer unveiled its new generation of Razer Blade laptops, the Razer Blade 16 and 18, both using the latest 13th-gen Core i9 HX Intel processors.
• Gamers will also love Samsung’s new OLED S95C 4K TV with its 77-inch display and 144Hz refresh rate, plus its 75-inch QN95C 4K TV.
• Samsung also revealed the massive 57-inch Odyssey Neo G9 gaming monitor.
• Meanwhile, Asus announced the Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip, made specifically for PC cloud gaming, with support for GeForce Now and more, though no word yet on release date or price.

TVs:

• Samsung announced its new 2023 Neo QLED, MicroLED, and OLED TV lineup.
• New start-up tech company Displace showed off its 55-inch, 20-pound TV that’s completely wireless, launching late 2023 for $2,999.
• TCL announced its first 2023 smart TVs, and they’ll be sold in two model categories: The S-Series will be the new TCL budget TVs, while the Q-Series will include more advanced features such as QLED screens, with pricing and release dates yet TBA.
• Also: You probably can’t afford LG’s latest TVs — LG’s 136-inch micro-LED TV will set you back $250,000, while its new OLED TV costs $25,000.
• Plus: Roku to sell its own smart TVs this spring, with prices ranging from $119 to $999, OLED TVs to come later.

Tech Calendar

• January 5-8, 2023: CES 2023 (Las Vegas)
• January 24: Forspoken releases on PS5, PC
• January 26: Razer Edge released
• February (date TBC): Samsung Unpacked (Galaxy S23?)
• February 7: OnePlus 11 global launch
• February 22: PSVR 2 launch date

Something extra: We hope you got some nerdy books for Christmas, but never fear if not, as Shift Happens, the history of keyboards, is launching via a Kickstarter next month, and it’s a beaut!

Paula Beaton, Copy Editor.