All the brand new tech that caught our eye in Las Vegas

[ad_1] Over 4,000 exhibitors flocked to Las Vegas, Nevada this week to showcase their wares at CES 2026. The Engadget staff, as traditional, was out in full pressure overlaying the present. The week started with press conferences from big corporations on the present, largely crammed with AI buzzwords, imprecise guarantees and fairly little in the best way of arduous information.

Multiple firm even determined to forgo asserting issues throughout their conferences to make approach for extra AI chatter, solely to publish press releases later quietly admitting that, sure, truly, they did make some client know-how. It is acceptable, I suppose, that as we're starting to really feel the knock-on price results of the AI trade's insatiable urge for food for compute assets — increased utility payments and system costs — corporations would relatively use their flashy conferences to bolster AI's supposedly must-have attributes relatively than truly inform the general public about their new merchandise.

We're on no account AI luddites at Engadget, however it's truthful to say that our staff is extra excited by tangible merchandise that enrich our lives than iterative enhancements to giant language fashions. So, away from all the bombast of NVIDIA's marathon keynote and Lenovo's by some means concurrently gaudy and boring Sphere present, it has been a pleasure to judge the group of bizarre new devices, home equipment, toys and robots vying for our consideration.

Over the course of a number of days of exhaustive dialogue and impassioned pitching, our CES staff has whittled down the tons of of merchandise we noticed to select our favorites. Beginning with an preliminary shortlist of round 50 candidates throughout a various vary of product classes, we ultimately landed on 15 winners and our singular finest in present.

In the event you've been with us all week, keep tuned for lots extra to return — regardless of publishing nearly 200 articles from the present already, there's nonetheless a lot we've got to let you know about. For now, although, listed below are our winners, every launched by the editor most conversant in it. — Aaron Souppouris, Editor-in-chief

Finest robotic: Switchbot Onero H1 Onero H1 robotic (Onero)

We noticed a variety of robots exhibiting off intriguing and helpful capabilities at CES 2026. Whereas a variety of robots impressed us, there have been fewer corporations prepared to commit to really making them accessible. However Switchbot's Onero H1, which we watched choose up garments and cargo a washer, is a helper robotic the corporate intends to promote this 12 months.

The demo we noticed was restricted, however Switchbot claims it will probably assist with an array of family chores (even when it'd do them extra slowly than a human). It is also form of cute. The corporate hasn't mentioned how a lot Onero will price, although it guarantees the droid might be lower than $10,000. A virtually five-figure price ticket continues to be out of attain for many, however it a minimum of offers us hope we'll see it someplace exterior of the CES showfloor. — Karissa Bell, Senior reporter

Finest accessibility tech: WheelMove WheelMove energy help for guide wheelchairs (Cheyenne MacDonald for Engadget)

WheelMove affords a easy improve for guide wheelchairs that might make it a lot simpler for the rider to navigate tough surfaces like grass and uneven dust paths. The add-on is affixed to the entrance bars of the wheelchair and might carry the small caster wheels off the bottom, along with offering energy help with 5 pace choices. It is moveable, has an honest vary of about 15 miles — with the choice to swap out its battery on the go — and will give wheelchair customers larger entry to areas that may in any other case be tough to maneuver about in. It might probably additionally maintain the wheelchair from rushing up when an individual is touring on a downward slope.

This feels very very similar to a product that can truly see the sunshine of day, and might be genuinely useful. It builds upon an current class of wheelchair equipment to deal with an actual problem in a approach that does not overcomplicate issues, and would work with the wheelchairs folks already use. — Cheyenne MacDonald, Weekend editor

Finest TV: LG Wallpaper TV (OLED Evo W6) LG OLED Evo W6 "Wallpaper TV" (LG)

I’ve seen loads of TVs at CES this 12 months, however few stopped me in my tracks like LG’s OLED Evo W6. It’s the resurrection of the corporate’s “Wallpaper TV,” however this time it’s even thinner (concerning the depth of a pencil), and it’s now not tied to a soundbar. It additionally makes use of LG’s wi-fi management field to cut back cabling — the one twine it is advisable disguise is the one for energy.

And better of all, the OLED Evo W6 options LG’s newest OLED know-how, which guarantees to be about 20 % brighter than earlier generations. Video demos regarded completely beautiful, with all the fantastic distinction and black ranges we’ve come to like from OLED. Nevertheless it’s additionally a murals when it’s turned off, one which virtually disappears when considered from an angle. — Devindra Hardawar, Senior reporter

Finest AI {hardware}: Refined Voicebuds Refined Voicebuds (Refined)

Refined’s Voicebuds are earbuds with a twist: They characteristic an AI mannequin that’s skilled to transcribe your voice precisely in very noisy environments, or when it is beneath a whisper in quiet areas. We’ve seen these items in motion on the bustling CES present ground, the place they managed to transcribe a number of sentences amid the chaos. The one downsides is that the Voicebuds require web entry to make use of the perfect transcription fashions, and it is advisable subscribe to the Refined app to make use of it. With out the app, it depends on a smaller native mannequin for transcription.

Whereas we nonetheless must put the Voicebuds by way of their paces, they’re intriguing as a result of we haven’t seen many genuinely helpful AI {hardware} merchandise. Plus, it’s been some time since we’ve seen a tiny startup ship {hardware} attempting to tackle the likes of Apple. — Devindra Hardawar, Senior reporter

Finest sensible house: IKEA Matter-compatible sensible house IKEA KAJPLATS sensible bulb vary (IKEA)

One of the best sensible house units I noticed at CES had nothing to do with AI or robots. It appears each different firm, from Bosch to LG to Samsung, had one or each of the buzzy applied sciences baked into their new sensible house choices. However IKEA got here to its first CES with a easy lineup of primary, Matter-enabled sensible plugs, sensors, lamps and remotes at screamingly good costs. Operate paired with accessible pricing is kind of what IKEA is thought for, so the lineup didn’t precisely shock me as a lot as make me respect that somebody is lastly simplifying and democratizing sensible house stuff.

There are 21 Matter-compatible units in all. They embrace a $6 sensible bulb, an $8 sensible plug, a $6 sensible distant and a slew of house sensors. A barely pricier ($15) globe bulb seems very pretty. Lastly, there’s a wise bulb you’d truly wish to take a look at — one which doesn’t price $50. One other standout is the BILREA distant management. Not solely is it an intuitive controller for IKEA’s sensible units and new sensible lamps, it additionally has a magnetic mount so that you don’t lose the factor. Matter units require a hub to perform. Right here, you'll be able to both go for IKEA’s personal DIRIGERA or use a Matter hub you already personal. The brand new lineup ought to land at IKEA’s web site and shops someday in January. — Amy Skorheim, Senior reporter

Finest house theater: Samsung HW-QS90H Samsung HW-QS90H soundbar (Billy Steele for Engadget)

Many corporations declare their soundbars have sufficient bass that you simply don’t want a separate subwoofer. These guarantees not often pan out, even when the corporate devises new know-how to unravel the issue. With the HW-QS90H, Samsung is pledging to do the identical with its Quad Bass woofer system. These woofers transfer in two instructions, producing much more low-end tone than most soundbars are able to on their very own. What’s extra, Samsung included its Convertible Match Design tech that debuted final 12 months, so you'll be able to lay this speaker flat or mount it on a wall and the built-in sensors will routinely modify the motive force output accordingly. So, for those who’ve longed for deep bass on a soundbar with out a big or ugly sub within the nook, you could lastly get your want later this 12 months. — Billy Steele, Deputy editor

Finest audio: Shokz OpenFit Professional Shokz OpenFit Professional (Shokz)

In relation to open match earbuds, corporations that declare to supply energetic noise cancellation (ANC) normally don’t ship; It’s tough to successfully block exterior sound when your ears aren’t fully sealed off. Shokz is among the few that has cracked the code with its OpenFit Professional. The over-the-ear hook design permits the earbuds to take a seat exterior of your ear for a transparent line to your environment. Once you want a bit extra quiet, the corporate’s noise discount tech does properly to silence reasonable sounds in a restaurant, workplace and extra. It’s severely spectacular how a lot noise discount you’ll get right here, and the truth that nothing is caught in your ear canals makes them very snug to put on. Plus, Shokz improved general sound high quality with new drivers, and tacked on Dolby Atmos for good measure. — Billy Steele, Deputy editor

Finest out of doors tech: Tone Outside T1 Tone Outside T1 (Whisper Aero)

Out of doors instrument corporations have more and more proven up at CES, particularly those that supply a variety of battery-powered gear. Tone Outside isn’t your traditional energy instrument outfit although; it’s a spin-off of the aerospace engineering firm Whisper Aero. Via its improvement of quieter electrical airplane engines, Whisper Aero realized its know-how had different makes use of. Enter the T1 leaf blower.

The T1 is considerably quieter than most handheld gasoline fashions, clocking in at simply 52 decibels of peak noise on common. It’s additionally extra highly effective than most of them with 880 CFM of airflow quantity. The T1 can run longer too, and an upcoming backpack will lengthen run time for a number of hours. However crucial development right here just isn't annoying your neighbors — or your self — when it’s time to do some yard work. — Billy Steele, Deputy editor

Finest toy: Lego Sensible Play Lego Sensible Play (Lego)

Lego is continually evolving, however not often does it make as massive a transfer because it did with Sensible Play. The system is designed to take customary Lego units and make them extra interactive because of a tech-packed Sensible Brick. These bricks have a tiny chip the scale of a Lego stud that allows issues like movement, coloration and proximity sensing. In addition they have a tiny speaker that additional helps deliver Lego builds to life.

The Sensible Brick is usually a clean slate, however pairing it with Lego's Sensible Tags and Sensible Minifigures is what permits these new play eventualities. Unsurprisingly, Lego launched the Sensible Play system alongside Star Wars units that make these new immersive parts extra apparent. An X-Wing piloted by Luke Skywalker can get right into a dogfight with Darth Vader's TIE fighter, and you will hear the engines roar to life, the characters exclaim as they arrive below fireplace and the spaceship explodes if it will get hit too many occasions. And Sensible Play requires no setup, that means that the know-how packed into the Sensible Brick fades away and lets children (and youngsters at coronary heart) get all the way down to the enterprise of taking part in. You need not know the way it works — it simply does. — Nathan Ingraham, Deputy editor

Finest PC or laptop computer: Dell XPS 14 + 16 The Dell XPS 14 and 16. (Dell)

In a approach, this award is for Dell’s newest flagship laptops but additionally the corporate itself. Final 12 months, Dell confirmed up with a brand new naming scheme for all of its {hardware} that included changing the long-lasting XPS line with the phrase “Premium.” And regardless of our objections, the corporate adopted by way of with the rebrand. However now at CES 2026, not solely has Dell admitted its mistake, it’s righting wrongs with two new members of the XPS household which can be precisely what we wished all alongside.

On the XPS 14 and XPS 16, we’re getting model new chassis that includes the newest chips from Intel, beautiful tandem OLED shows and precision engineering that embodies every thing we beloved about XPS laptops from earlier years. Dell additionally streamlined its designs with the bigger XPS 16 dropping a whole pound in comparison with the earlier era. The corporate even addressed quite a lot of our earlier critiques by switching from capacitive contact controls again to a basic row of perform keys and reverting to segmented touchpads as an alternative of seamless glass ones that made it arduous to maintain monitor of your cursor.

However maybe the perfect half is that Dell isn’t stopping right here, as a result of the corporate additionally teased a brand new model of its legendary XPS 13 slated for later this 12 months, the thinnest and lightest member of the household but. There are additionally placeholders for 2 extra XPS fashions slated to reach within the not too distant future. — Sam Rutherford, Senior reporter

Finest well being tech: Eyebot imaginative and prescient check sales space Eyebot imaginative and prescient check (Eyebot)

Wouldn’t it's good if getting an up to date eyeglasses prescription wasn’t as prolonged a course of as it's proper now? Eyebot’s new kiosk is designed to automate the method of visiting a physician’s workplace to a few minutes rocking as much as a machine. It makes use of a mixture of analog and digital wizardry to determine what it is advisable see correctly very quickly in any respect. Even higher is that the prescriptions must be signed off by a licensed eye physician, so you'll be able to nonetheless depend on a level {of professional} rigor. We like Eyebot as a result of it proved itself in our checks: its temporary examination matched my professionally accomplished prescription from final 12 months. However its capacity to make efficient eye care accessible and inexpensive in a approach that it isn’t at current is much more compelling than the tech itself. — Daniel Cooper, Senior reporter

Finest gaming tech: ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo (ASUS)

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo is massive, bizarre and doubtlessly awkward to arrange. However actually, what sort of gamer doesn’t need extra screens? Even for those who can’t use its second show in the course of a firefight, extra actual property means additional room for Discord, construct guides or the rest you may want. Moreover, ASUS included not one however two sensible OLED panels with as much as 1,100 nits of brightness and coloration accuracy so good you gained’t have an issue modifying photographs or movies. You additionally get a ton of ports, and with help for as much as an NVIDIA RTX 5090 GPU, the ROG Zephyrus Duo has greater than sufficient efficiency to deal with something you'll be able to throw at it. — Sam Rutherford, Senior reporter

Finest cellular tech: Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold (Sam Rutherford for Engadget)

Samsung might need introduced the newest iteration of its foldable smartphones in Korea, however CES was the primary probability for many people to see the Galaxy Z TriFold in particular person. It’s a 10-inch Android pill hidden inside a 6.5-inch smartphone kind issue.

The soar from the almost-square display ratio of Samsung’s previous foldables to roughly 4:3 is a significant enchancment. It is a system that I might fortunately watch total films on. There’s extra horizontal house to learn, extra room to sort and extra brilliant, vivid AMOLED every thing. Unfurling the edges is extremely satisfying and, maybe as a result of it’s thicker, it has a reassuring heft, too. The remainder of the spec sheet displays one other modern Galaxy telephone with a 200-megapixel major digital camera and the most important battery but in a Samsung foldable.

It’ll probably be costly although. Samsung hasn’t confirmed pricing within the US, however based mostly on its launch price in Korea, it might be round $2,500. — Mat Smith, UK bureau chief

Most promising idea: Lenovo Legion Professional Rollable Lenovo Legion Professional Rollable (Lenovo)

Idea units are arduous to evaluate as a result of even those with a ton of potential is likely to be too tough to make or too area of interest to deliver to market. However with the Legion Professional Rollable idea, Lenovo created one thing with a easy but highly effective premise: A gaming laptop computer with a display that will get wider on the contact of a button.

To make the Legion Professional Rollable, Lenovo took a daily Legion Professional 7i after which swapped its customary 16-inch show for a versatile one that may increase all the best way as much as 23.8 inches — with a bonus cease in between. This implies you have got the choice to select from 16:10, 21:9 and even 24:9 relying on the scenario, which looks like an unimaginable solution to improve racing video games, flight sims and the rest that may benefit from additional extensive side ratios. Granted, when its display is absolutely deployed, it does look a bit ungainly. However of all of the ideas we noticed this 12 months at CES, the Legion Professional Rollable is the one we hope survives to grow to be a correct retail product sometime. — Sam Rutherford, Senior reporter

Finest rising know-how: IXI autofocus lenses IXI Autofocus lenses (IXI)

IXI’s autofocusing glasses have been a late addition to our discussions, however we have been impressed by what might be a major development in spectacle know-how — one thing that’s been largely static because the Nineteen Fifties. IXI’s glasses characteristic a chic, distinctive, cameraless eye-tracking system that makes use of ultra-low-power LEDs and photodiodes to exactly monitor the person's eye motion and focus convergence. This information drives a liquid crystal lens layer, enabling a spotlight swap between close to and much distances in roughly 0.2 seconds. Focus your gaze elsewhere, and your glasses return to their regular prescription. Consider them as a high-tech tackle the usually thick and clunky multifocal lenses we’re presently caught with.

IXI is now finalizing the manufacturing course of, creating manufacturing and gaining the mandatory medical certification to promote its glasses, however it has already struck offers with lens producers in Europe. The corporate has a busy 12 months forward because it turns its know-how right into a client product. — Mat Smith, UK bureau chief

Finest in present: Lego Sensible Play Lego Sensible Play (Lego)

There's maybe no place higher than CES to focus on how shortly trade traits die. Over time the present has been a driver of cornerstone applied sciences just like the VCR, DVD, flatscreen TVs, PDAs and extra. Some traits stick, some do not.

Lego might nearly be seen because the antithesis of the standard CES product: The corporate's core idea of artistic play has remained in place all through its lengthy historical past, boosted by a gradual and ongoing evolution of block varieties and model tie-ins.

Introduced at its first-ever CES press convention, Sensible Play represents a considerate integration of know-how to the basic toy. A tiny chip the scale of a single Lego stud permits the corporate's Sensible Bricks to sense what's round them, opening up new methods to play. The system will debut with a trio of Star Wars units, however we’re certain Lego has plans for a variety of licensed and unlicensed choices.

Our staff immediately fell in love with Sensible Play, and Deputy editor Nathan Ingraham had the chance to each construct some units and discuss with among the folks behind the know-how. Amid parental anxieties about screentime, it is refreshing that Sensible Play would not require an app or a display to get began. Children can simply get constructing. — Aaron Souppouris, Editor-in-chief