Upgrade your gear at GITEX

GITEX Shopper's Convention, from September 24-28, is set up to be another big hit

GITEX, the extremely popular technology convention in the UAE, is set to hit World Trade Centre this season. GITEX is traditionally split into two separate conventions, with GITEX Shopper being a more commercial enterprise, focusing on providing customers with deals on electronic items. GITEX itself is a more serious convention, where tech giants and start-ups alike unveil prototypes and concept pieces to the public and to investors, showcasing new ideas that are yet to hit the market.
The shopper's convention is set to begin on September 24, and is a four day affair. As usual, the convention will be held in World Trade Centre, taking advantage of their huge halls. The shopper's convention has a ticketed entry fee, with each day costing AED 20 per person. Most people within the UAE flock towards the GITEX convention, either to buy electronic items at cheaper prices, or to see current technological trends.
Indeed, most shoppers in the UAE tend to wait till GITEX to shop for electronics; most large-brand electronic retail stores also participate in the GITEX Shopper convention as well.
This year, the GITEX shopper convention will take place 2 weeks before the GITEX exhibition, set to begin on October 6 and end on October 10. Last year, both events were combined into one, inviting both commercial buyers and potential investors.
This year, the two conventions have been split apart, allowing more room for brands to sell products to a wider range of customers, while also taking advantage of a separate event to promote upcoming technology.
These conventions have continued to be immensely popular, ever since its launch in 1981, under the name GITE, occupying one hall at Dubai World Trade Centre. For the past few years, GITEX has expanded to occupy the entire complex, taking up all 10 exhibition halls.
GITEX Shopper 2019 is set to be bigger than ever, with newer sections, bigger Shopper games, and more unboxing sessions. One interesting section is the new 'Shopper Smart', filled with smart technology including voice assistants, smart lightbulbs, Wi-Fi enabled smart speakers and smart TVs, and smart cameras. The goal is to make the home a smart one, responsive to either voice commands or instructions from a smartphone.
Another interesting section is 'Shopper Bfit', which features wearable technology to monitor health and fitness levels, along with activity trackers and action cameras that can capture beautiful moments with high resolution - perfect technology for the technologically and physically active. The goal here is to make sure you are safe while exercising (by keeping track of your vitals and of how much exercise you've done), and to make exercising more interesting (by having additional music apps, cameras, and more).
GITEX Shopper will also introduce a section for those interested in DIY activities, making technology more and more inclusive. This will include technological hardware for outdoor activities, including barbecues, camping gear, garden lighting, power tools, and car accessories (for those who love to take care of their vehicles).
The shopper's convention will also feature new essential products, including TVs, laptops, and phones.
With technological leaps and bounds, competing companies have introduced a plethora of different products, making it difficult to choose the best product. When it comes to choosing a new TV, the newest display standards include Ultra HD and HDR. When it comes to making a new purchase, make sure you ask for an Ultra HD Premium certification, to make sure you're up to date, rather than lagging behind when newer products are released next year.
Another interesting development is the OLED screen, which have now become affordable and accessible to the everyday consumer. OLED screens are interesting because of one feature - the true black. Earlier LED screens would show black as a combination of colours, meaning that every pixel on the screen is still switched on. OLED ensures a 'true' black by switching off the pixels; here, the colour is not a mix of other colours, but the absence of light itself.
This means that the black is deeper, the contrast between colours is greater, and the battery time gets extended as your entire screen is not being used 24/7. OLED has been introduced to TV screens, Android phones, and laptop screens, making this feature the hot new thing to be released during the convention.

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