The January 12, 2018 Droid Life article titled “Best of CES 2018: Nanoleaf Light Panels, NVIDIA BFGD, Synaptics!” was a personal favorites list, not an official CES awards ranking. It mixed a working smartphone demonstration, experimental lighting hardware, a proposed gaming-display category, an OEM platform, a consumer smart display and a broad Google Assistant trend. Eight years later, the useful question is not which items were “best,” but which ideas became products, which changed form and which never moved beyond the show floor.
At a glance: six CES picks, six different outcomes
| 2018 pick | What CES actually showed | What happened afterward | Practical status now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nanoleaf touch-panel concept | Early square panels with touch-reactive lighting; no release timetable | Touch features appeared in later Shapes and Canvas products. Nanoleaf says original Light Panels do not have touch. | Shapes is the clearest current continuation; the prototype itself did not ship under that name. |
| NVIDIA BFGD | 65-inch, 4K, up-to-120-Hz G-SYNC HDR display concept with SHIELD | Partner products reached formal product stages, including HP OMEN X Emperium 65 documentation. | A niche, legacy category; current stock and support require model-by-model verification. |
| Synaptics in-display fingerprint | Working Vivo phone demonstration | Under-display fingerprint readers became a broad smartphone design category, with varied implementations. | A lasting technology direction, not a reason to seek a particular Synaptics-branded phone. |
| Qualcomm Smart Audio Platform | OEM reference platform for assistant-enabled speakers | It was infrastructure for manufacturers rather than a retail gadget. | Evaluate the finished speaker, not the platform name. |
| Lenovo Smart Display | Announced 8-inch and 10-inch Google Assistant displays | It became a historical consumer product with 2018 launch specifications and prices. | Those prices are archival; current availability and software support are not established here. |
| Google Assistant at CES | An ecosystem presence across cars, headphones, speakers, displays and TVs | The selection was a trend observation, not one product launch. | It should not be scored like a single piece of hardware. |
The original roundup is available at Droid Life.
Nanoleaf: an eye-catching prototype that evolved
What was demonstrated in 2018
Droid Life described a “hacked-together” square-panel prototype. Swiping across connected panels created a wave-like lighting effect. The report repeated Nanoleaf’s CES-era claim that the system could expand to as many as 1,000 panels, compared with roughly 30 panels for the then-current system. No shipping date was available, so this was a technology demonstration, not a product announcement.
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The same article covered Nanoleaf Remote, a 12-sided, dodecahedron-shaped controller. Turning different sides selected lighting scenes and spinning it changed brightness. The report said it used one AA battery and that Nanoleaf expected up to two years of battery life; those were period claims, not independently verified current specifications.
Why “Nanoleaf Touch Panels” is misleading
The 2018 story called the experimental squares “Light Panels,” but Nanoleaf’s current documentation separates the product families. Its FAQ says original Light Panels do not have touch control, while Shapes and Canvas do. The commercially relevant successor is therefore the Shapes family, not a released product officially called Nanoleaf Touch Panels.
#1 Best Overall
- NOT FOR NANOLEAF SHAPES. ORIGINAL AURORA ONLY. These are flat and thin, four pads, no springs. Pull one linker out of your panels and compare it to the photos. If yours has springs, this will not work. Please do not purchase if you have a different model.
- Compatible Models - Direct replacements for Nanoleaf Aurora and Light Panels, NL22 AND NL28 MODELS ONLY. The original triangle panels, sold roughly 2016 to 2020.
- Not Compatible - Shapes Triangles, Mini Triangles, Hexagons, Elements, Canvas, Lines or Blocks. Shapes Triangles look nearly identical from the front, so check the back of your panel first.
- Pack of 12 - Twelve replacement rigid linkers, fully tested for quality and functionality. Restore your Aurora setup without replacing panels. Perfect if you have lost or broken linkers.
- 1:1 Replacements - Engineered to connect panels just like the originals. No tools required and seats flush. Still unsure? Compare your existing linker to the product photos above.
Shapes listings advertise touch control, music synchronization, screen mirroring, Connect+ support within the Shapes family and 2.4-GHz Wi-Fi. Shapes comes in triangle, hexagon and mini-triangle forms; a Shapes Triangle is approximately 7.75 by 9 inches. See the Nanoleaf Shapes FAQ and the official 10-panel listing.
What a buyer can realistically get
On Nanoleaf’s U.S. shop, prices observed August 18, 2026 included approximately $149.99 regular (about $130 promotional) for a seven-panel kit, $199.98 regular (about $179.98 promotional) for a 10-panel Triangle kit and $249.97 regular (about $229.97 promotional) for a 13-panel Triangle kit. Promotions, inventory, shipping and regional pricing can change; these are not guaranteed checkout prices. The Shapes collection is the appropriate place to check current listings.
- Choose Shapes or Canvas when touch interaction is essential.
- Do not buy original Light Panels expecting touch; Nanoleaf’s FAQ explicitly distinguishes them.
- Shapes cannot be physically joined with Light Panels or Canvas, although the app can control products together.
- Plan the wall layout, adhesive limits, power-cable route and Wi-Fi dependence before installation.
- Do not confuse the number of panels in a kit with the number of independently controllable lighting zones.
NVIDIA BFGD: the giant gaming monitor CES promised
The original specification
NVIDIA announced Big Format Gaming Displays (BFGDs) on January 7, 2018. Its proposal combined a 65-inch screen, 4K resolution, refresh rates up to 120 Hz, NVIDIA G-SYNC, HDR with a claimed 1,000-nit peak brightness, full-array backlighting, Quantum Dot Enhancement Film, DCI-P3 color support and an integrated NVIDIA SHIELD platform. Acer, ASUS and HP were named as initial partners. NVIDIA’s announcement is documented at GeForce News and its press release.
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #2
- Compatibility: Rigid linker designed exclusively for Nanoleaf Aurora Light Panels
- Quantity: Pack of 12 linkers to expand your Nanoleaf Aurora Light Panels setup
- Material: Durable plastic and copper construction for long-lasting use
- Design: Minimalist style to blend seamlessly with your decor
- Connector Type: Proprietary connector for secure attachment to Nanoleaf Aurora Light Panels
Droid Life saw HP, Acer and ASUS demonstrations and emphasized that the displays were PC-gaming monitors rather than ordinary televisions. Early units lacked tuners, so they technically were not TVs. The pitch addressed a gap between a huge living-room television and a high-performance desktop monitor: large-format 4K gaming, variable refresh, low latency and PC-oriented HDR in one enclosure.
What reached product stage
The launch materials promised partner products later in 2018 but supplied no pricing. HP’s later OMEN X Emperium 65 datasheet, associated with CES 2019 materials, lists 4K support, G-SYNC HDR through DisplayPort and a default 120-Hz mode. That confirms the idea progressed beyond a CES demo, but it does not establish a broad, current product category. The HP datasheet is historical documentation.
Why BFGD remained niche
A 65-inch 4K display operating at high frame rates requires a powerful gaming PC, substantial room depth and a large budget. It is excessive for casual PC use, ordinary television viewing or many console buyers. A quoted 1,000-nit peak was NVIDIA’s specification, not an independent HDR measurement, and “120 Hz” did not guarantee 4K/120 performance from every input.
Rank #3
- [Build & Expand Your Designs] Create beautiful symmetry in any room, or get completely abstract - the choice is yours. Modular design allows you to mix and match Shapes (Hexagons, Triangles, Mini Triangles) and expand your setup with various Expansion Packs to create next-level designs that can be as large as 500 panels.
- [Color-Changing Animations] Customize your lights with colors and motions; transition colors slowly for an ambience that sets the perfect mood or turn up the speed to get the party started.
- [16M+ RGBW Colors] Virtually limitless color options. Select from or create your own color-changing Scenes for the perfect ambience.
- [See Your Music Come to Life] Transform your favorite songs into dancing symphonies of color and light. Set how your lights react to music and sound in real-time with different Rhythm Scenes available on the Nanoleaf App.
- [Mirror Your Screen] The colors from your screen are reflected on your panels for an immersive entertainment experience. Use Match mode for next-level movie nights and gaming sessions.
- Verify the exact model’s ports, input bandwidth, refresh modes, G-SYNC behavior, HDR performance and firmware support.
- Confirm whether the seller offers current warranty service and replacement parts.
- Decide whether you need a tuner-equipped television; early BFGDs were monitor-style products.
- Check that your graphics hardware can drive 4K at the frame rates you expect.
No current official NVIDIA BFGD retail catalog or active buying page was established. Treat legacy listings cautiously, especially if modern HDMI 2.1 support, firmware updates or warranty coverage matter.
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Synaptics: the demonstration whose idea outlasted the branding
The roundup highlighted a Vivo smartphone using Synaptics’ in-display fingerprint reader. The architectural change was straightforward but important: authentication could occur beneath the screen instead of on a visible front or rear pad, allowing different bezel and hardware layouts.
That demonstration should not be confused with Synaptics inventing every later under-display system. Optical and ultrasonic readers from many suppliers subsequently appeared, and phones differ in enrollment, unlock speed, wet-finger behavior, screen-protector compatibility and security implementation. The enduring outcome was the category itself, not a guarantee that every later reader matched the Vivo demonstration.
Rank #4
- [REQUIRED] Nanoleaf Smarter Kit required for use.
- [Build & Expand Your Designs] Create beautiful symmetry in any room, or get completely abstract - the choice is yours. Modular design allows you to mix and match Shapes (Hexagons, Triangles, Mini Triangles) and expand your setup with various Expansion Packs to create next-level designs that can be as large as 500 panels.
- [Dynamic Color-Changing Animations] Create & customize your own colorful lighting effects with over 16M+ colors to illuminate your room.
- [Simple Adhesive Setup] Easily mount Shapes onto any flat surface using the included Mounting Tape, no drilling required!
- [See Your Music Come to Life] Transform your favorite songs into dancing symphonies of color and light. Set how your lights react to music and sound in real-time with different Rhythm Scenes available on the Nanoleaf App.
Qualcomm and Lenovo: infrastructure versus a finished device
Qualcomm Smart Audio Platform
Qualcomm presented a reference platform that manufacturers could use to build smart speakers supporting assistants such as Google Assistant, Alexa or Cortana. It was an OEM development system, not a consumer product a visitor could simply purchase. Its significance was enabling hardware makers to bring assistant speakers to market more quickly.
Lenovo Smart Display
Lenovo’s announced consumer device came in 8-inch and 10-inch versions. Droid Life listed a Snapdragon 624 platform, up to 2 GB of RAM, 4 GB of storage, a 1080p display, a 5-megapixel front camera and dual 10-watt speakers, with horizontal or upright placement. The article reported July 2018 availability at $199.99 for the 8-inch model and $249.99 for the 10-inch model. Those are historical launch claims, not current prices or a present buying recommendation.
Google Assistant was a CES theme, not a gadget
The article’s Google Assistant selection described the service appearing across cars, headphones, speakers, displays, TVs and other connected products. That breadth mattered: CES was showing an ecosystem strategy in which one assistant connected many device categories. Because it was a trend observation rather than a single model, it cannot be judged by retail survival in the same way as a light panel or monitor.
Best Value
- Perfect Compatible: Our connectors compatible with Nanoleaf aurora rhythm light panels smarter kits and expansion packs.
- Widely Used: Replacement regular rigid connectors for Nanoleaf light panels (NL22 or NL28 models only)
- Seamless Connection: The original size connectors design provides a seamless connection. Constructed from upgraded materials, it ensures your lights remain uninterrupted and consistent.
- Sufficient Quantity: Each package includes 18 Pcs connectors, meets your alternative extension needs.
- Built to Last: Made of high-quality copper and durable material, these linkers offer exceptional strength.
What the roundup got right—and what it could not predict
- Directionally right: touch-reactive ambient lighting, living-room PC gaming and embedded biometrics all became meaningful product directions.
- Too optimistic about prototypes: Nanoleaf’s touch demo had no release timetable, and a CES prototype was not proof of a shipping product.
- Names and capabilities changed: current touch-capable Nanoleaf products are Shapes and Canvas, while original Light Panels are documented as non-touch.
- Categories were mixed together: a working phone, a display concept, an OEM platform, a future consumer device and an ecosystem trend need different standards of evaluation.
- Ownership friction was underplayed: BFGD required powerful hardware and considerable space; Nanoleaf required premium decorative-lighting spending, mounting and ecosystem compatibility.
Buying guidance in 2026
For readers seeking the closest living product to the CES lighting idea, Nanoleaf Shapes is the clearest option, provided touch control and the Shapes ecosystem meet your needs. Nanoleaf’s 4D Screen Mirror + Lightstrip line may suit someone who wants screen-synchronized ambience instead, but it is not a touch-panel replacement; an observed promotional price near $79.99 versus a listed $119.99 regular price is likewise temporary.
Do not buy a legacy BFGD solely because it carries the 2018 label. Verify live inventory, ports, firmware, warranty and seller legitimacy for the exact model. Do not select a phone merely for historical Synaptics branding; evaluate the complete device and its biometric behavior. Treat Lenovo Smart Display pricing as archival unless current software support and availability are independently confirmed.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
