All the new tech that caught our eye in Las Vegas

Over 4,000 exhibitors flocked to Las Vegas, Nevada this week to showcase their wares at CES 2026. The Engadget staff, as standard, was out in full force protecting the present. The week started with press conferences from large firms at the present, largely stuffed with AI buzzwords, obscure guarantees and fairly little in the method of laborious information.

Multiple firm even determined to forgo saying issues throughout their conferences to make method for extra AI chatter, solely to publish press releases later quietly admitting that, sure, really, they did make some client expertise. It is acceptable, I assume, that as we’re starting to really feel the knock-on price results of the AI trade’s insatiable urge for food for compute sources — larger utility payments and system costs — firms would moderately use their flashy conferences to reinforce AI’s supposedly must-have attributes moderately than really inform the public about their new merchandise.

We’re certainly not AI luddites at Engadget, nevertheless it’s honest to say that our staff is extra excited by tangible merchandise that enrich our lives than iterative enhancements to massive language fashions. So, away from all of the bombast of NVIDIA’s marathon keynote and Lenovo’s one way or the other concurrently gaudy and boring Sphere present, it has been a pleasure to consider the crowd of weird new gadgets, 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 a whole lot of merchandise we noticed to choose our favorites. Beginning with an preliminary shortlist of round 50 candidates throughout a various vary of product classes, we finally landed on 15 winners and our singular finest in present.

In case you’ve been with us all week, keep tuned for lots extra to come — regardless of publishing virtually 200 articles from the present already, there’s nonetheless a lot we have now to let you know about. For now, although, right here are our winners, every launched by the editor most acquainted with it. — Aaron Souppouris, Editor-in-chief

Greatest robotic: Switchbot Onero H1

We noticed a whole lot of robots displaying off intriguing and helpful capabilities at CES 2026. Whereas a whole lot of robots impressed us, there have been fewer firms prepared to commit to really making them accessible. However Switchbot’s Onero H1, which we watched pick up clothes and cargo a washer, is a helper robotic the firm intends to promote this 12 months.

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

Greatest accessibility tech: WheelMove

WheelMove provides a easy improve for handbook wheelchairs that would 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 floor, as well as to offering energy help with 5 pace choices. It is moveable, has a good vary of about 15 miles — with the choice to swap out its battery on the go — and will give wheelchair customers higher entry to areas that will in any other case be troublesome to transfer about in. It could actually additionally preserve the wheelchair from rushing up when an individual is touring on a downward slope.

This feels very very like a product that may really see the gentle of day, and might be genuinely useful. It builds upon an present class of wheelchair equipment to tackle an actual challenge in a method that does not overcomplicate issues, and would work with the wheelchairs individuals already use. — Cheyenne MacDonald, Weekend editor

Greatest TV: LG Wallpaper TV (OLED Evo W6)

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 firm’s “Wallpaper TV,” however this time it’s even thinner (about 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 scale back cabling — the solely twine you want to conceal is the one for energy.

And better of all, the OLED Evo W6 options LG’s newest OLED expertise, which guarantees to be about 20 p.c brighter than earlier generations. Video demos appeared completely gorgeous, with all of the fantastic distinction and black ranges we’ve come to love from OLED. However it’s additionally a murals when it’s turned off, one which virtually disappears when seen from an angle. — Devindra Hardawar, Senior reporter

Greatest AI {hardware}: Refined Voicebuds

Subtle’s Voicebuds are earbuds with a twist: They characteristic an AI mannequin that’s educated to transcribe your voice precisely in very noisy environments, or when it is under 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 use the finest transcription fashions, and you want to subscribe to the Refined app to use it. With out the app, it depends on a smaller native mannequin for transcription.

Whereas we nonetheless want to put the Voicebuds by 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} making an attempt to take on the likes of Apple. — Devindra Hardawar, Senior reporter

Greatest good residence: IKEA Matter-compatible good residence

The very best good residence 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 good residence choices. However IKEA got here to its first CES with a easy lineup of fundamental, Matter-enabled good plugs, sensors, lamps and remotes at screamingly good costs. Operate paired with accessible pricing is type of what IKEA is identified for, so the lineup didn’t precisely shock me as a lot as make me admire that somebody is lastly simplifying and democratizing good residence stuff.

There are 21 Matter-compatible units in all. They embody a $6 good bulb, an $8 good plug, a $6 good distant and a slew of residence sensors. A barely pricier ($15) globe bulb appears to be like very pretty. Lastly, there’s a sensible bulb you’d really need to have 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 good units and new good lamps, it additionally has a magnetic mount so that you don’t lose the factor. Matter units require a hub to operate. Right here, you possibly can 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

Greatest residence theater: Samsung HW-QS90H

Many firms declare their soundbars have sufficient bass that you just don’t want a separate subwoofer. These guarantees not often pan out, even when the firm devises new technology to clear up the downside. With the HW-QS90H, Samsung is pledging to do the similar 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 possibly can lay this speaker flat or mount it on a wall and the built-in sensors will robotically alter the driver output accordingly. So, in case you’ve longed for deep bass on a soundbar with out a big or ugly sub in the nook, chances are you’ll lastly get your want later this 12 months. — Billy Steele, Deputy editor

Greatest audio: Shokz OpenFit Professional

When it comes to open match earbuds, firms that declare to provide energetic noise cancellation (ANC) normally don’t ship; It’s troublesome to successfully block external sound when your ears aren’t utterly sealed off. Shokz is one in every of the few that has cracked the code with its OpenFit Pro. The over-the-ear hook design permits the earbuds to sit outdoors of your ear for a transparent line to your environment. Once you want a bit extra quiet, the firm’s noise discount tech does nicely to silence reasonable sounds in a restaurant, workplace and extra. It’s critically spectacular how a lot noise discount you’ll get right here, and the indisputable fact that nothing is caught in your ear canals makes them very comfy to put on. Plus, Shokz improved total sound high quality with new drivers, and tacked on Dolby Atmos for good measure. — Billy Steele, Deputy editor

Greatest out of doors tech: Tone Open air T1

Out of doors device firms have more and more proven up at CES, particularly the ones that supply a spread of battery-powered gear. Tone Open air isn’t your standard energy device outfit although; it’s a spin-off of the aerospace engineering firm Whisper Aero. By its growth of quieter electrical airplane engines, Whisper Aero realized its expertise 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 the most vital development right here is not annoying your neighbors — or your self — when it’s time to do some yard work. — Billy Steele, Deputy editor

Greatest toy: Lego Sensible Play

Lego is continuously evolving, however not often does it make as large a transfer because it did with Smart Play. The system is designed to take commonplace Lego units and make them extra interactive thanks to a tech-packed Sensible Brick. These bricks have a tiny chip the dimension of a Lego stud that allows issues like movement, coloration and proximity sensing. Additionally they have a tiny speaker that additional helps convey Lego builds to life.

The Sensible Brick is largely a clean slate, however pairing it with Lego’s Sensible Tags and Sensible Minifigures is what allows 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 underneath hearth and the spaceship explodes if it will get hit too many occasions. And Sensible Play requires no setup, which means that the expertise packed into the Sensible Brick fades away and lets youngsters (and youngsters at coronary heart) get down to the enterprise of enjoying. You do not want to know the way it works — it simply does. — Nathan Ingraham, Deputy editor

Greatest PC or laptop computer: Dell XPS 14 + 16

In a method, this award is for Dell’s newest flagship laptops but additionally the firm itself. Final 12 months, Dell confirmed up with a new naming scheme for all of its hardware that included changing the iconic XPS line with the phrase “Premium.” And despite our objections, the firm adopted by 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 family that are 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, attractive tandem OLED shows and precision engineering that embodies every thing we liked about XPS laptops from earlier years. Dell additionally streamlined its designs with the bigger XPS 16 dropping a complete pound in contrast to the earlier technology. The corporate even addressed a lot of our earlier critiques by switching from capacitive contact controls again to a traditional row of operate keys and reverting to segmented touchpads as an alternative of seamless glass ones that made it laborious to preserve monitor of your cursor.

However maybe the better part is that Dell isn’t stopping right here, as a result of the firm 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 arrive in the not too distant future. — Sam Rutherford, Senior reporter

Greatest well being tech: Eyebot imaginative and prescient check sales space

Wouldn’t it’s good if getting an up to date eyeglasses prescription wasn’t as prolonged a course of because it is proper now? Eyebot’s new kiosk is designed to automate the means of visiting a health care provider’s workplace to three minutes rocking up to a machine. It makes use of a mixture of analog and digital wizardry to establish what you want to see correctly very quickly in any respect. Even higher is that the prescriptions have to be signed off by a licensed eye physician, so you possibly can nonetheless rely 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 means to make efficient eye care accessible and inexpensive in a method that it isn’t at current is much more compelling than the tech itself. — Daniel Cooper, Senior reporter

Greatest gaming tech: ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo is large, bizarre and probably awkward to arrange. However truthfully, what sort of gamer doesn’t need extra screens? Even in case you can’t use its second show in the center of a firefight, extra actual property means further room for Discord, construct guides or anything you would possibly want. Moreover, ASUS included not one however two sensible OLED panels with up to 1,100 nits of brightness and coloration accuracy so good you gained’t have an issue enhancing photographs or movies. You additionally get a ton of ports, and with assist for up to an NVIDIA RTX 5090 GPU, the ROG Zephyrus Duo has greater than sufficient efficiency to deal with something you possibly can throw at it. — Sam Rutherford, Senior reporter

Greatest cellular tech: Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold

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

The soar from the almost-square display screen ratio of Samsung’s previous foldables to roughly 4:3 is a significant enchancment. This is a tool that I may fortunately watch total films on. There’s extra horizontal house to learn, extra room to kind and extra shiny, vivid AMOLED every thing. Unfurling the sides 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 most important digicam and the greatest battery but in a Samsung foldable.

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

Most promising idea: Lenovo Legion Professional Rollable

Idea units are laborious to decide as a result of even the ones with a ton of potential may be too troublesome to make or too area of interest to convey to market. However with the Legion Pro Rollable concept, Lenovo created one thing with a easy but highly effective premise: A gaming laptop computer with a display screen that will get wider at the contact of a button.

To make the Legion Professional Rollable, Lenovo took an everyday Legion Professional 7i after which swapped its commonplace 16-inch show for a versatile one that may develop all the method up to 23.8 inches — with a bonus cease in between. This means you might have the choice to select from 16:10, 21:9 and even 24:9 relying on the state of affairs, which appears like an unbelievable method to improve racing video games, flight sims and anything that may make the most of further large side ratios. Granted, when its display screen is totally deployed, it does look a bit ungainly. However of all the ideas we noticed this 12 months at CES, the Legion Professional Rollable is the one we hope survives to develop into a correct retail product sometime. — Sam Rutherford, Senior reporter

Greatest rising expertise: IXI autofocus lenses

IXI’s autofocusing glasses have been a late addition to our discussions, however we have been impressed by what might be a big development in spectacle expertise — one thing that’s been largely static since 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 consumer’s eye motion and focus convergence. This knowledge 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 take on the usually thick and clunky multifocal lenses we’re presently caught with.

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

Greatest in present: Lego Sensible Play

There’s maybe no place higher than CES to spotlight how shortly trade tendencies die. Over the years the present has been a driver of cornerstone applied sciences like the VCR, DVD, flatscreen TVs, PDAs and extra. Some tendencies stick, some do not.

Lego may virtually be seen as the antithesis of the typical 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, Smart Play represents a considerate integration of expertise to the traditional toy. A tiny chip the dimension of a single Lego stud permits the firm’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 positive 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 alternative to each construct some units and speak with a few of the individuals behind the expertise. Amid parental anxieties about screentime, it is refreshing that Sensible Play would not require an app or a display screen to get began. Youngsters can simply get constructing. — Aaron Souppouris, Editor-in-chief