CES is many things — a spectacle, a stress test for innovation, and occasionally a reality check for the tech industry. The annual Las Vegas mega-show once again served as a preview of what’s likely to land on store shelves (and in our homes) over the next year. CES 2026 feels notably more grounded. AI is still everywhere, yes, but brands are finally moving past buzzwords and demonstrating how this intelligence actually integrates into everyday devices. From laptops that quietly adapt to how you work, to wearables that don’t scream for attention, here are the standout launches from CES 2026 that are worth keeping an eye on.

Work life!

Laptops at CES 2026 were all about refinement rather than reinvention. AI PCs are now the default, and manufacturers are competing on how thoughtfully that intelligence is applied.

Laptops at CES 2026 were refreshingly confident, with brands focusing on polish and purpose rather than shock value. Samsung Galaxy Book6 series set the bar high, led by the Galaxy Book6 Ultra with its 16-inch dynamic AMOLED 2X display, Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors, and up to 64 GB RAM, and a claimed 30 hours of video playback — a proper premium workhorse that doesn’t forget portability. There’s the ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo pairs two full-size 16-inch OLED displays that will more than double the fun, regardless of whether you use it for work or gaming. The HP OmniBook Ultra 14 takes a different route with a slim 14-inch form factor, alongside a 2880×1800 OLED display and high-end RAM and storage options — subtle, but quietly future-ready. Lenovo kept the crowds buzzing with the Lenovo Legion Pro Rollable concept, a gaming laptop whose OLED display stretches from 16 inches to a dramatic 24-inch ultrawide, clearly a concept piece for now, but one that hints at where immersive gaming machines could be headed. And then there’s LG’s Gram Pro line-up, including 16- and 17-inch models, which look super svelte, continuing to prove that big screens and serious performance don’t have to come with shoulder strain.

Smartphones

Smartphones at CES 2026 ranged from pragmatic foldables to genuinely wild concepts, making this year’s mobile line-up one for the books. Motorola’s Razr Fold marks the brand’s first foray into book-style foldables, pairing a 6.6-inch external display with an 8.1-inch main display. It also packs in a triple 50 MP rear camera array, dual front-facing cams, and AI features such as Catch Me Up for quick summaries, and Next Move for practical, real-time suggestions. 

From a completely different angle comes the Clicks Communicator, a BlackBerry-inspired Android device built around a physical QWERTY keyboard and compact 4.03-inch AMOLED screen with 5G and NFC connectivity. The primary motive of the unique hardware design is to keep you focused on messaging and calls rather than endless scrolling. Then, there’s the Honor Robot Phone, a genuinely futuristic prototype that blends the smartphone form with robotic mobility and an AI-driven gimbal-style camera arm that can autonomously track and frame subjects — a glimpse of what phones could become. More details about this product will be announced at the MWC 2026. 

Fun & Games

Gaming hardware at CES 2026 was predictably loud, flashy, and unapologetically powerful — and a handful of machines clearly embodied that spirit. The Dell Alienware 16 Area-51 stormed into the spotlight with its first-ever anti-glare 16-inch OLED panel boasting a 240 Hz refresh rate, 0.2 ms response time and Intel Core Ultra 200HX silicon — a statement of intent for elite gamers who want desktop-level performance in a portable chassis. 

The MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ is a versatile 2-in-1 that feels built for modern multitaskers. Its bright 14-inch OLED touchscreen into tablet or tent mode for sketching, note-taking or presentations and it has built-in AI features to tidy up your emails, blur noisy backgrounds and enhance video chats.

And Razer’s Project Ava is possibly one of the coolest gadgets to be showcased this year. It takes the term “bedside companion” to the next level. It’s a 5.5-inch holographic AI assistant prototype that animates customisable avatars to chat with you, coach you, analyse your gameplay and assist your rig with real-time tips — an insanely innovative peek into how AI might influence gaming beyond hardware specs!

Wearable tech

CES 2026 saw wearables stretching beyond squint-and-scroll screens into devices that sound more like personal coaches than gadgets — and the standouts were as diverse as they were intriguing. 

The Luna Band aims straight at the subscription-free health tracking crowd with a voice-first experience built on Luna’s LifeOS, letting you log meals, moods and even stress, all hands-free via Siri to get real-time guidance rather than just charts and numbers — a rare pivot toward active insight over passive data. 

Meanwhile, the TCL RayNeo Air 4 Pro AR glasses redefined what wearable displays can be at CES, delivering the world’s first HDR10-enabled AR vision and audio by Bang & Olufsen — essentially a pocket-cinema for games, films and productivity experiences that float in your field of view, all in a surprisingly lightweight form. 

And for those who want traditional wrist wearables that still punch above their weight, Amazfit’s Active Max packs in a huge 1.5-inch ultra-bright AMOLED screen, up to 25 days of battery life, 170+ sport modes, and advanced BioCharge energy and strength training insights — turning what used to be a basic fitness tracker into a legitimate everyday training partner.

Sound of music

CES 2026 proved that audio tech is no longer just about loudness — it’s about intelligence, space and immersion, and this year’s line-ups made that clear. Shokz’s OpenFit Pro opened the door on open-ear listening with active noise reduction via a triple-mic system and adaptive algorithms, letting users enjoy up to 12 hours of playback (50 hours with the case) while still hearing the world around them — a rare blend of awareness and audio clarity that pushes open-ear buds beyond sports use. 

The ASUS ROG Kithara is chasing both gamer flash and audiophile cred. Built around massive planar-magnetic drivers co-engineered with HIFIMAN, it delivers a wide, open soundstage where footsteps, gunfire, and ambient cues feel uncannily lifelike rather than boosted or artificial. The open-back design makes marathon sessions less fatiguing, while studio-grade voice pickup keeps team chat clean. It’s a headset for gamers who want their rigs to sound closer to high-end hi-fi than esports gear.

The Samsung Music Studio speakers — the Music Studio 7 and Music Studio 5 — reimagine home audio for modern living. They support Wi-Fi streaming and spatial audio for a more immersive soundstage. AI Dynamic Bass Control adapts output in real time, keeping low frequencies tight and balanced. Inspired by Samsung’s “timeless dot” design, these speakers work just as well on their own as they do as part of a larger Q-Symphony home audio setup.

For a change, this year’s CES launches don’t feel like a race to out-AI the competition. The most compelling launches are those that aren’t promising to reinvent our lives overnight; just maybe smoothing over the rough edges of how we already work, play, listen, and move through the day. Not every idea here will make it to market, and some will surely overpromise, but overall, intelligence and meaningfulness over extravagance seems to be the theme this year. 

Published on January 7, 2026