CES 2026: 7 biggest news stories across TVs, laptops, and other weird gadgets you missed

CES 2026 Signage

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

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The annual Consumer Electronics Show, CES, is officially over, and we saw many innovative and exciting products and devices from the world's leading consumer electronics brands, including Samsung, LG, and Hisense. ZDNET reported on the ground, in-person at the show, as well as remotely, so no news was missed.

Also: Best of CES 2026 Awards: Official List of Winners (CNET)

This year's agenda? More ambitious pitches from companies, small and large, including how AI would assist and enhance our daily lives in various ways, modes of transportation that extended beyond city streets, and TVs that surpassed conventional specifications, form factors, and sizes. Here's the full recap.

The top news stories

1. The next frontier of TV tech is brighter (and more colorful)

By Allison Murray, Senior Editor / Jan. 7 at 2:37 p.m. ET

While nearly every TV brand showcased some sort of RGB TV at CES this year, the TCL X11L TV features TCL's Super Quantum Dot (SQD) Mini LED panel, which the company claims achieves 100% of the BT2020 color gamut. It offers 20,000 dimming zones and 10,000 nits to achieve premium brightness and contrast, which, according to ZDNET's Kerry Wan, felt like "the figurative interpretation of having my socks blown off" when seen in person.

This impressive TV comes at an extravagant price, though. The smallest size (75 inches) costs $7,000, solidifying it as one of TCL's most premium TV models that raises the bar.

By Kerry Wan, Managing Editor / Jan. 5 at 9:55 p.m. ET

Throughout the week, you'll hear from a lot of TV brands about how their latest sets support Dolby Vision 2, the latest playback standard that promises brighter and more vivid imagery while uplifting the output of your speakers. Among the first content to play in the new standard is Peacock's streaming content, including live sports.

The company announced at CES that, soon, both NBA and MLB content will be broadcast in Dolby Vision 2, and will automatically upgrade existing Dolby Vision content to the newer standard. All you'll need now is a TV that supports the new imaging tech.

Also: Your Peacock sports broadcasts are about to look and sound a lot better - here's why

By Kerry Wan, Managing Editor / Jan. 5 at 12:20 a.m. ET

There was no greater "Welcome to CES" moment for me this weekend than LG presenting the new Wallpaper TV on a glass panel. It's the return of an old model, now with improved processing power, a high 165Hz refresh rate, Zero Connect box support for wireless connectivity, and an ultra-thin profile.

LG hasn't confirmed the official price and availability of the TV, but it did hint that it'll fall within the lines of the brand's other premium OLED sets, so I'd ballpark between $2,000 to upwards of $20,000.

Also: I saw LG's ultra-thin Wallpaper TV at CES 2026, and it made my OLED feel outdated

By Kerry Wan, Managing Editor / Jan. 2 at 4:50 p.m. ET

There's never a dull moment with TVs, and I blame manufacturers and their extensive dictionary of tech jargon for that. This year's hot word is "Micro RGB," a meticulous arrangement of LEDs that produces enhanced light control and accuracy. Samsung has a version of this, LG has a version of this, Sony has a version of this, and so on.

The big question is how accessible this recent display tech will be, as most TV models in the market currently are both too large and too expensive.

2. AI and robots in all shapes and sizes

By Allison Murray, Senior Editor / Jan. 6 at 8:05 p.m. ET

Motorola and Lenovo have teamed up at CES to launch Qira, an AI assistant that works across both brands' devices. The assistant isn't just a chatbot; it can perform actual tasks such as transferring files, making contextual suggestions, obtaining directions, and more.

Lenovo referred to Qira as a fused knowledge base, which combines user-selected interactions, documents, and memories from across devices to create a personalized experience and develop a "living model of the user's world."

Motorola also debuted an AI Pin device, which it's calling Project Maxwell, that utilizes Qira to help with everyday tasks when you don't want to use your phone.

By Allison Murray, Senior Editor / Jan. 6 at 12:58 p.m. ET

At last year's CES, Roborock debuted a robot vacuum with a mechanical arm, and this year, the company announced a two-legged robot vacuum that can navigate up and down stairs within your home. The Saros Rover is equipped with foldable legs mounted on the main wheels, allowing it to extend its legs and lift its body almost a foot off the ground.

Aside from going up and down the stairs to clean between floors, the robot can even execute small jumps, sudden stops, and directional changes, and tilt its body to avoid obstacles.

By Kerry Wan, Managing Editor / Jan. 5 at 10:55 p.m. ET

Nvidia today unveiled its next-gen "Rubin" AI platform, designed to power autonomous Agentic AI and trillion-parameter models. The company states that Rubin is built on a 3nm process with ultra-fast HBM4 memory; the new Vera Rubin Superchip delivers five times the performance of the previous Blackwell generation, significantly boosting efficiency for massive AI workloads.

Expected to ship in late 2026, the Rubin architecture integrates new CPUs and high-speed networking to cut inference costs by 10x. By maintaining a yearly release cycle, Nvidia aims to stay ahead of the curve, providing the essential infrastructure for the world's largest cloud providers.

Also: Why Nvidia's new Rubin platform could change the future of AI computing forever

By Allison Murray, Senior Editor / Jan. 5 at 9:48 a.m. ET

Pet parents will appreciate this one: Satellai just debuted a new Petsense AI model at CES that converts raw pet biometrics into meaningful insights. Using the company's pet wearables, Petsense AI creates a digital health profile that allows owners to view activity levels, sleep quality, temperature, and even detect early signs of disease.

You'll even be able to ask the AI questions about your pet, such as "Is my pet acting normally for their age/breed?" when the model rolls out to the Satellai ecosystem in upcoming weeks.

By: Nina Raemont, Wearables and Health Editor / Jan. 4 at 10:00 p.m. ET

I'd gladly let this robot fold my laundry and wash my dishes for me. SwitchBot unveiled the Onero H1 ahead of CES. It's a wheeled robot that cleans, washes, and cooks for you.

**"**The robot learns and reacts to its environment using visual perception and tactile feedback to perform tasks such as grasping, pushing, and opening, which are necessary for household chores," ZDNET's smart home expert, Maria Diaz writes in her news story.

Onero H1 is coming to the market "soon." In the meantime, you'll have to mop your floor yourself.

By Kerry Wan, Managing Editor / Jan. 4 at 10:40 p.m. ET

Narwal has unveiled the Flow 2 robot vacuum, which makes one of the most convincing cases for incorporating AI into consumer hardware. With it, the robot can perform adaptive tasks, such as cleaning more quietly when near a baby's crib, send reminders for misplaced items, and even notify you if it detects something that you have marked as missing.

Also: This robot vacuum at CES 2026 can find lost items on your floor and alert you of them

It's also just a really solid robot vacuum, with 30,000Pa of suction, the ability to mop and wash, and prolong its battery life by self-docking.

By Kerry Wan, Managing Editor / Jan. 2 at 5:02 p.m. ET

CES is home to many things, including AI vaporware, but Project Luci may change that narrative. It's a compact, magnetic AI pin designed to act as a searchable digital archive of your daily life.

Like the Meta Ray-Ban glasses, it features a 12MP ultra-wide camera and dual microphones capable of recording continuously for up to four hours.

Also: The most exciting AI wearable at CES 2026 might not be smart glasses after all

Using a proprietary AI model called Mavi, the device allows users to perform "semantic searches" to recall specific details, such as what they ate or who they met. To address privacy concerns, it includes a physical camera shutter and a dedicated companion hub for local data processing.

Priced at approximately $99, does a "memory-augmented" experience entice you at all?

3. It's all about easier living with smart home tech

By Kerry Wan, Managing Editor / Jan. 4 at 9:00 p.m. ET

Lockin is releasing the V7 Max smart lock this year, which features a unique charging technology called AuraCharge. It effectively receives power from an optical output device plugged within four meters' distance to wirelessly recharge its internal battery. Crazy, right?

This feels like a conventional vaporware product at CES, but the company is confident that the lock will perform as intended when it finally hits the market. We'll have to see for ourselves.

Also: This unassuming smart lock has a useful charging feature I've yet to see on the market

By: Nina Raemont, Wearables and Health Editor / Jan. 3 at 7:10 p.m. ET

The latest smart home decor makes artwork out of your own words. Fraimic is an e-ink canvas that's powered by OpenAI, and it generates artwork based on user-provided prompts. People can also upload their favorite artwork through the Fraimic app for further customization. The smart canvas gives home decorators further control of their space -- as well as a personalized, changeable touch.

Could it make paper artwork prints obsolete? Not so fast, since it'll run users $399 for the standard canvas and $999 for the large canvas. Kickstarter shipments begin in May and direct-to-consumer availability is estimated for June.

4. Ultralight, long-lasting laptops is the theme (with one exception)

By Allison Murray, Senior Editor / Jan. 7 at 4:15 p.m. ET

Aside from Lenovo's announcement that it's bringing back the XPS line, we were also impressed with this rollable laptop we saw at Lenovo's booth. The Legion Pro Rollable updates Lenovo's ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 display, turning it sideways to expand horizontally from 16 inches out to 21.5 inches and then the full 24 inches in length.

While only a concept model, this display could be a game-changer for gamers by creating a more immersive viewing experience. If Lenovo ever decides to bring the Legion Pro Rollable to market, it would stand out as one of the most distinctive gaming laptops in the company's lineup.

By Allison Murray, Senior Editor / Jan. 7 at 1:30 p.m. ET

At CES, Asus conducted the world's first Wi-Fi 8 throughput test with its new concept Wi-Fi router, the ROG NeoCore, marking the beginning of an era of next-generation Wi-Fi 8 technology. The router can work with multiple Asus routers to make a combined mesh network.

Asus says Wi-Fi 8 makes speed degradation much slower and connections more stable, helping to ensure smooth performance. The ROG Neocore is also designed to address network congestion problems, as well as enabling better collaboration between smart home devices, cloud services, and AI assistants.

By Allison Murray, Senior Editor / Jan. 6 at 8:07 p.m. ET

The saying goes, "If it isn't broken, don't fix it," but in the case of Lenovo's new ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14, you can actually fix it. That's because the laptop features a new "Space Frame" motherboard that enables replacements of parts like USB ports, battery, keyboard, speakers, and fans. This means if an individual component of your laptop breaks, you don't have to go out and buy a new one; you can repair it more easily and with better access.

It's a subtle change, but it's one that is highly optimized for customers who have been wanting to increase their products' lifespans, which is something we can definitely get behind.

By Allison Murray, Senior Editor / Jan. 6 at 1:03 p.m. ET

Move over, Microsoft Surface Pro, there's a new 2-in-1 in town. Asus debuted the ProArt PZ14 at CES, and the biggest difference between it and the Surface Pro is that you get the attachable keyboard in the box, without having to spend an extra $150, unlike with the Surface Pro.

The ProArt PZ14 is being dubbed as a high-performance, ultra-mobile workstation designed for creators who require professional-grade tools in a portable form factor. It makes for a good tablet option thanks to its 14-inch OLED display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, a 3K resolution, and a 144Hz refresh rate.

By Allison Murray, Senior Editor / Jan. 5 at 6:20 p.m. ET

Sometimes at CES, it isn't necessarily about what's new, but about what is returning. A year after retiring the XPS flagship line, it has brought it back at CES with a few notable changes. The new XPS models are built with Intel's latest Series 3 "Panther Lake" processors, providing up to 57% and 78% faster AI performance in the XPS 14 and 16 models, respectively. Plus, you can expect up to 27 hours of battery life, a 2K or 3.2K display, and a much thinner design.

To say we are happy the Dell XPS is back is an understatement.

By Kerry Wan, Managing Editor / Jan. 5 at 1:05 p.m. ET

Qualcomm has announced a new Snapdragon X2 Plus chipset at CES, and it looks promising for midrange laptops. The main model features a 10-core Oryon CPU, an updated Adreno GPU, and LPDDR5x memory. There are also some other nice-to-have features, such as Wi-Fi 7 support, Qualcomm's Snapdragon Guardian security technology, and enhanced energy efficiency.

If it all pans out, we can expect more performative laptops later this year that won't break the bank.

5. Samsung dominates the mobile category

By Kerry Wan, Managing Editor / Jan. 7 at 12:30 p.m. ET

In a private showcase of Samsung Display's various concepts this week, I got a glimpse of what appeared to be a creaseless foldable phone screen, something that even Samsung's latest Galaxy Z Fold 7 lacks.

It was quite refreshing to swipe my finger across the center of the screen, only to feel no dip or bump. More importantly, there wasn't any glare that distracted from the screen content.

Besides its aesthetic significance, such a display panel may be exactly what Samsung ends up supplying to Apple for its rumored iPhone Fold.

After all, Apple is notorious for releasing hardware that's well-polished and short of design flaws. With the crease being the main flaw of existing foldables, it's safe to assume that Apple would want something different.

By Allison Murray, Senior Editor / Jan. 7 at 9:37 a.m. ET

The Mcon MagSafe accessory is like a small Nintendo Switch that can fit into your pocket. By connecting it to your smartphone on the magnetic pad and flicking outward, it becomes a game controller with joysticks and control keys that make playing mobile games a lot more fun.

Thoughtful ergonomics and a built-in kickstand make the Mcon stand out from other accessories like it, plus, it's only $150.

By Allison Murray, Senior Editor / Jan. 6 at 8:06 p.m. ET

While Motorola is known for its clamshell-style flip phones, it just entered the foldable market with the debut of the Motorola Razr Fold. Similar to the Google Pixel Fold or the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, the Razr Fold opens like a book to a large, 8.1-inch inner screen.

Motorola was tight-lipped on the tech specs of the Razr Fold, but did share that it will have a 50MP rear camera system, including a 3x periscope telephoto lens. It will also include support for the Moto Pen Ultra stylus as well as several AI features.

By Kerry Wan, Managing Editor / Jan. 5 at 8:43 p.m. ET

After a good month of teasing, Samsung finally allowed members of the press to touch, fold, and indulge in the upcoming Galaxy Z TriFold. And, you know what? The wait was totally worth it.

Does the phone feel chunky in the hand? I'd say it's bearable, though you definitely can't unfold both sides of the screen with one hand, unlike the standard Galaxy Z Fold. What stood out to me the most wasn't the two creases in the inner display or the amount of fingerprint smudges that accumulate on the back glass and cover.

Instead, it was the aspect ratio for watching and consuming content on the inner, expanded display. There's less letterboxing now, and more room to fill with whatever you're viewing. Now if only Samsung would let me use this on my flight out of Las Vegas.

By Kerry Wan, Managing Editor / Jan. 5 at 5:40 p.m. ET

Belkin has unveiled a new travel case that doubles as a charger for the Nintendo Switch 2, and it's brilliantly designed. The case features a 10,000mAh cell to keep the console topped up when stowed away, and it also includes a flip-out kickstand for setting the Switch 2 upright. The best part? You can buy the accessory right now.

By Kerry Wan, Managing Editor / Jan. 3 at 12:40 p.m. ET

Smartphone enthusiasts -- particularly those who long for the days of the BlackBerry - are likely familiar with the brand, Clicks. This year, the company is releasing two new accessories, one in the form of a MagSafe keyboard that doubles as a wireless charger, and another that functions like a BlackBerry.

The former, the Clicks Power Keyboard, is launching at a relatively accessible price of $79, and its snap-on nature allows you to operate your phone in both portrait and landscape orientations.

Also: My search for the ultimate MagSafe accessory is over: This keyboard checks all the boxes

The Clicks Communicator features a similar physical QWERTY keyboard, but also has a display, 3.5mm headphone jack, and microSD card slot, effectively serving as a secondary device for messaging. That will go on sale later this year for $499.

By Kerry Wan, Managing Editor / Jan. 2 at 5:05 p.m. ET

Ahead of CES, TCL has unveiled the new Note A1 Nxtpaper tablet, an 11.5-inch digital notepad that competes with the likes of the Kindle Scribe and ReMarkable. There is one unique aspect with the TCL, though: It has both a full-color LCD display and a 120Hz refresh rate, yielding both vivid and smooth visuals as the user browses, sketches, and more.

Also: TCL's newest E Ink tablet beats the Kindle and Remarkable with this display tech

The Note A1 Nxtpaper is priced at $549, and positions itself as a faster, more versatile hybrid for professionals and students who want a paper-like tablet experience without the traditional imitations of E Ink.

6. The weirdest tech that spooked us out

By Kerry Wan, Managing Editor / Jan. 6 at 9:50 p.m. ET

Part of the fun of attending CES is discovering unusual tech gadgets that make us question our careers. A prime candidate for the weirdest thing we demoed this year is the Lollipop Star, a consumable lollipop that plays music as you're sucking it. I'm not entirely sure how else to describe the product.

The bone-conduction lollipop is made by Lava Star and is offered in three flavors: Blue Paradise, featuring Akon's "Beautiful Day"; White Peach and Strawberry, featuring Ice Spice's "Munch, Baddie Baddie, Big Guy"; and Lime Sea Salt, featuring Armani White's "Mount Pleasant."

Each one sells for $9.

By Allison Murray, Senior Editor / Jan. 6 at 6:19 p.m. ET

File this under one of the more random products we've seen at CES so far: iPolish touts itself as the "world's first digital color-changing nails." They are press-on nails that you can individually put into a small device to instantly change the color of your nails via an accompany app with over 400 shade options, depending on your mood.

By Allison Murray, Senior Editor / Jan. 5 at 5:45 p.m. ET

We're in the thick of winter, which means less sunlight, but SunLED Light Solutions wants to help. The company debuted Sunbooster at CES on Monday, a device that looks like a webcam and attaches to your monitor, tablet, or laptop through a USB-C port. The device includes three 850 nm near-infrared LEDs and emits an optimized dose of this light for approximately two to four hours each day.

The Sunbooster should be available in the US later this year, but we also saw SunLED Light Solutions' prototype for a monitor with built-in infrared lights around the screen and a phone case with similar tech that we hope will become actual products in the future.

By Allison Murray, Senior Editor / Jan. 5 at 4:45 p.m. ET

Amongst all the conceptual products and devices at CES is one practical one that parents should appreciate. Earflo wants to relieve middle ear pressure in children with its sippy cup medical device. By sipping from the cup, a small mask forms a seal on a child's nose, and with each swallow, air flows through the nose. The pressure on the nasal cavity helps open the eustachian tubes in the ear, releasing trapped fluid and any ear pressure associated with it.

The device is backed by a peer-reviewed study as well as certified doctors working on the product.

Earflo is currently undergoing the FDA clearance process and is expected to go on sale next month. However, with a high-tech sippy cup comes a high price tag, ranging between $250 and $300.

7. All the various things we wore at CES

By Allison Murray, Senior Editor / Jan. 7 at 5:05 p.m. ET

XGIMI aims to create smart glasses that are comfortable for all-day wear, and it may have achieved that in the Memomind AI glasses lineup. Within the lineup, the lightest option--the Memo Air Display glasses--weighs just 28.9 grams.

A customizable dashboard instantly displays when you put it on that containing notes, reminders, and more. To get to the dashboard at any point during the day, you can tilt your head up. The flagship Memo One AI glasses will be available to preorder soon for $599.

By Allison Murray, Senior Editor / Jan. 6 at 12:45 p.m. ET

The health wearables on the market today all sync up with an app to tell you your health metrics, but Luna is changing that. At CES, Luna introduced the Luna Band that offers voice-led health guidance powered by Luna's AI engine, so wearers can record health information without opening the app.

This means wearers can log their mood, meal, or workout in the moment without the fuss of grabbing their phone, opening an app, and logging manually.

The Luna Band uses an AI engine that connects to Siri to deliver health biomarkers like sleep, activity, stress, nutrition, and moods through earbuds or other compatible device.

By Allison Murray, Senior Editor / Jan. 6 at 9:18 a.m. ET

For many, the draw of open-ear earbuds is to remain in tune with their surroundings, but this form factor can still let in a lot of noise. At CES, Shokz debuted the OpenFit Pro earbuds, which offer noise reduction to address background sounds.

Our headphones editor, Jada Jones, wore them around CES crowds and noticed the noise reduction softened many conversations in crowded Las Vegas areas. In fact, she called the new noise-reduction tech "one of the most useful audio technologies you'll see this week."

By Kerry Wan, Managing Editor / Jan. 4 at 1:36 p.m. ET

Xreal has been putting out some impressive smart glasses over the past few years, but its best product of this year's show might not be a wearable. Instead of the Xreal 1S that the company just launched, its companion accessory, the Xreal Neo, deserves some praise too.

Also: Xreal's new XR glasses may be the most immersive ones I've worn at CES 2026

The Xreal Neo is a portable charger that doubles as a display adapter, making it ideal for both keeping the smart glasses topped up and also connected to consoles like the Nintendo Switch. In a way, it saves you from needing a dedicated video dock for the Switch, and therefore saves you the bulk when traveling.

By: Nina Raemont, Wearables and Health Editor / Jan. 3 at 6:42 p.m. ET

It was 11 years ago when Pebble unveiled its first-generation round smartwatch, the Pebble Time Round. Eleven years later, the watch brand announced the Pebble Round 2, featuring updates that will please both veteran Pebble wearers and newcomers alike. The smartwatch is not as thin as the famously slim Pebble Time Round (it's 0.6 mm thicker), but it offers ten days of battery life and maximizes the 1.3-inch e-paper display.

Also: Cult favorite Pebble returns with Pebble Round 2 - and it's built to look as analog as possible

Widening the display made reading notifications and messages far easier and more legible on the new watch during a side-by-side demo. The watch isn't designed for hardcore exercise tracking; instead, it excels at basic health tracking (sleep and steps) while keeping the watch thin, elegant, and as close to analog as possible.

"With this product, we wanted it to be the most stylish, elegant Pebble ever, and one of the things is to make it feel like it isn't a block of technology on your wrist. It feels more like a timepiece. To do that, it had to be thin," Eric Migicovsky, Pebble's CEO, told me in an interview.

Pre-orders for the Pebble Round 2 are now open.

By Kerry Wan, Managing Editor / Jan. 2 at 5:11 p.m. ET

The folks at RayNeo are showcasing two new pairs of smart glasses at CES this year: the Air 4 Pro, which extends off of your phone, computer, or gaming console, and the X3 Pro Project eSIM, which supports a built-in 4G connection, allowing you to browse the web or make phone calls without pairing the glasses to a cellular device.

Also: Can the world's first HDR10 smart glasses replace your $2,000 OLED TV - these specs say yes

The latter of the two products is more intriguing to me, as it feels like a natural next step for smart glasses. The Meta Ray-Ban Display has given us a glimpse of what it's like to compute without having to pick up our phones. What if we didn't have to even have our phones present to get things done?

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