Earlier this month, our staff fanned out throughout CES 2026 in Las Vegas, encountering hundreds of recent merchandise, many poised to revolutionize how we work together with expertise.
It isn’t all about AI, although, in fact, that is a giant theme. We noticed some further wacky robots this 12 months, in addition to exoskeletons which you can put on. The most recent gadgets—TVs, laptops, and cellphones—are that includes revolutionary new shows, powered by next-gen chips. Within the good residence class, firms are specializing in ease of setup and use, bringing a sensible breath of contemporary air to the house.
Listed below are the foremost traits it is advisable know as we actually get into 2026.
The Newest Buzzword: ‘Bodily AI’
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang offers the CES 2026 keynote (Credit score: PATRICK T. FALLON / Contributor / AFP by way of Getty Photos)
After just a few years of software-focused chatbots like ChatGPT, persons are able to work together with AI {hardware}. The brand new buzzword for that is “bodily AI,” and it was the throughline of practically each sales space at CES. We noticed self-driving automobiles, humanoid manufacturing unit employees, robotic puppies, butlers, bartenders, and way more.
The thought is to make bodily gadgets smarter and extra sensible than ever. A automobile, as an illustration, may deal with extra nuances on the street with out driver enter. A robotic manufacturing unit employee may troubleshoot an anomaly on the meeting line with out glitching out. A fake pet may consolation you once you’re crying, turning into a significant companion.
In Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote, he predicted that as AI fashions change into extra accessible, it’s inevitable that anybody, not simply massive firms, will have the ability to program and customise robots for his or her work and residential. Nvidia has been touting this imaginative and prescient for a number of years now, and the remainder of the {industry} seems to be catching up.
Extremely-Vivid Display screen TVs
Hisense 116UXS (Credit score: Hisense)
In the event you’re purchasing for a TV this 12 months, search for one with an RGB LED display screen. That stands for crimson inexperienced blue light-emitting diode, and it is what all the most recent fashions have, changing the OLED and mini-LEDs which have dominated the high-end TV marketplace for the previous few years. At CES, Hisense showcased its 116UXS mannequin that includes RGB MiniLED evo expertise. Samsung additionally has a brand new lineup of Micro LED TVs, as does LG.
Previously, LEDs in TVs sometimes emitted solely white or blue gentle. They may modify to enhance distinction, however not colour vividness. However TVs with RGB LEDs have clusters of crimson, inexperienced, and blue lights. They individually modify to enhance not solely distinction, but in addition colour. It is among the many most promising show tech our skilled has seen.
That being mentioned, some firms are experimenting with different approaches. TCL confirmed off the industry-first X11L SQD LED (Tremendous Quantum Dot Mini-LED), which the corporate claims has even higher colour than RGB LEDs. Essentially the most boundary-pushing TV show we noticed was simply LG’s wallpaper-thin mannequin.
Wi-Fi 8 Is on the Horizon
Asus Wi-Fi 8 router prototype (Credit score: Asus)
Though you in all probability do not but have a Wi-Fi 7 router in your house, the {industry} is already transferring ahead with Wi-Fi 8. It is set to change into the brand new commonplace in just a few years, though the specs aren’t finalized, and it does not promise vital pace enhancements over Wi-Fi 7. The large advantages are decreased latency, elevated throughput, and higher effectivity between gadgets.
Asus debuted an idea router, the ROG NeoCore, on the present. The corporate intends to promote its first set of Wi-Fi 8-compatible residence routers and mesh techniques by the tip of 2026. The idea router guarantees twice the midrange throughput, twice the extensive IoT protection, and as much as six occasions discount in P99 latency.
In the meantime, Broadcom introduced a brand new APU, the BCM4918, and two new dual-band radios designed for Wi-Fi 8 routers, and MediaTek launched its new Filogic 8000 chip, which can assist energy Wi-Fi 8-compatible gadgets. On the present, the groundwork was being laid for the following technology.
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The Laptop computer Chip Race Heats Up
Intel Core Extremely X9 388H (Credit score: Intel)
Chips have been massive at CES for a number of years, however this 12 months we noticed extra laptop-focused processors than standard. AMD teased its Ryzen AI 400 collection, set to launch in Q1 of this 12 months with a concentrate on laptops and mini desktops, in addition to the Ryzen 7 9850X3D, which it payments because the world’s quickest gaming processor for desktops.
Qualcomm unveiled a brand new set of next-generation X2 processors, dubbed Snapdragon X2 Plus, which the corporate says will energy extra inexpensive laptops than its X2 Elite and Elite Excessive fashions detailed final fall. Qualcomm is leaning into neural processing models (NPUs), with 80 trillion operations per second (TOPS)—practically double the 45 TOPS of the first-generation Snapdragon X household—and extra on-SoC TOPS than some other shopper chip line we have seen to this point.
Intel’s “Panther Lake” processor technology, set to ship within the type of Core Extremely Collection 3 chips by the tip of January, are in all probability probably the most thrilling growth right here. They marry the effectivity and AI advances of final 12 months’s Collection 200V “Lunar Lake” processors for ultraportable laptops, however with the efficiency of Intel’s H-grade high-performance chips. Topping all of it off, Intel majorly upgraded the graphics by way of a brand new GPU structure.
Foldable Telephones: Can Apple Be Far Behind?
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 (Credit score: Eric Zeman/PCMag)
Are conventional, slab-style cellphones slowly turning into outdated? At CES, we noticed two new fashions of foldable gadgets that promise bigger screens with out being a lot larger in your pocket. Motorola teased the Razr Fold, which seems to be like a typical telephone however opens up like a guide. It’s appropriate with a stylus accent, which will be bought individually.
The Samsung Z Galaxy TriFold opens not as soon as like a guide, however twice, like a paper brochure, yielding an enormous 8-inch show. We obtained our arms on it for the primary time at CES.
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Amongst CES attendees, there was appreciable chatter about whether or not a foldable iPhone is within the works; rumors have been circulating for years, however Apple has but to substantiate something.
We additionally noticed revolutionary laptop computer shows, together with a ThinkPad that expands and contracts, Lenovo’s newest ultra-wide gaming show, and an Asus desktop that initiatives dancing holograms.
Extra Sensible Sensible Residence Units
PCMag good residence skilled Andrew Gebhart with the Lutron good blinds (Credit score: Joe Maldonado)
As good residence expertise has change into extra refined and widespread over time, persons are more and more in search of simplicity in setup and operation.
We noticed a good lock that does not require charging and new Ring sensors that supposedly work out of the field with out requiring you to ascertain a connection to a hub and even your individual Wi-Fi router. The brand new Roborock Saros Rover vacuum has sprouted legs, permitting it to go up steps and climb over obstacles because it cleans. New good blinds from Lutron maintain the solar out of your eyes and will assist scale back your power invoice.
In the meantime, be looking out for good bogs such because the $99 Vivoo Sensible Rest room, which analyzes your urine and shares hydration knowledge to a companion app. Again in October, Kohler debuted a $600 mannequin that analyzes your poop.
Exoskeletons to Increase Your Bodily Efficiency
PCMag’s Angela Moscaritolo was the primary journalist to strive the Dephy exoskeleton at CES (Credit score: Allie Chartoff/Dephy)
Biohacking has been a big development lately, as individuals search to optimize their bodily efficiency. (Multimillionaire Bryan Johnson, arguably the face of this development, is featured within the Netflix documentary Do not Die: The Man Who Desires to Reside Endlessly, which explores his $2 million-per-year quest to halt the growing older course of.)
The idea emerged at CES within the type of exoskeletons, or {hardware} that straps to your physique and assists motion. Our staff noticed a number of completely different ideas on the present. One from the corporate Dephy straps to your calves and ft, supplying you with an additional pep in your step. It might be a breakthrough for seniors or individuals with mobility points. One other product, the Ascentiz H1 Professional, goes across the hips. It analyzes and corrects your stride, serving to to hurry up strolling and jogging; nevertheless, the Dephy was extra promising, in response to our skilled.
About Our Knowledgeable
Emily Forlini
Senior Reporter
Expertise
As a information and options author at PCMag, I cowl the most important tech traits that form the way in which we dwell and work. I concentrate on on-the-ground reporting, uncovering tales from the people who find themselves on the heart of change—whether or not that’s the CEO of a high-valued startup or an on a regular basis individual taking over Huge Tech. I additionally cowl every day tech information and breaking tales, contextualizing them so that you get the total image.
I got here to journalism from a earlier profession working in Huge Tech on the West Coast. That have gave me an up-close view of how software program works and the way enterprise methods shift over time. Now that I’ve my grasp’s in journalism from Northwestern College, I couple my insider data and reporting chops to assist reply the massive query: The place is that this all going?
