CES 2026 LIVE: All the biggest tech and gadget news as it happens

The future of gaming laptops?

Gaming laptops are a competitive space, with expensive, high-end products releasing all the time. One brand that typically makes waves in the gaming laptop market is Asus, and the company's new Zephyrus G14 Panther Lake model is being called "the future of gaming laptops" by Tom's Guide Computing Managing Editor Jason England.

He's seen a lot of laptops over his long career, so for him to give something such high praise isn't to be taken lightly. It's certainly exciting for gamers who like playing on the go.

It only weighs 3.3 pounds, which is quite light for a powerful gaming laptop. The integrated Intel Arc B390 ran Painkiller at 220 FPS at 1080p high settings, and Dying Light 2 at 140 FPS.

Withings announces Body Scan 2 smart scale

Withings has announced a successor to the Body Scan smart scale at CES 2026. The Body Scan 2 adds a number of new health features, including hypertension detection. It will also use Impedance Cardiography (ICG) to monitor your heart pumping efficiency and Bioimpedance Spectroscopy (BIS) to check on your cellular health and metabolic function.

According to Withings, the Body Scan 2 can track over 60 biomarker measurements alongside just telling you your weight and body fat percentage.

The smart scale will launch in the second quarter of 2026, pending FDA clearance. Pricing is set at $600 while the original Body Scan will remain available for $399.

Making memories with AI

Smart home company SwitchBot has decided to make a move into the emerging AI wearable category. The AI MindClip is a product akin to the Plaud NotePin: an 18g/0.6oz wearable clip that supports more than 100 languages and listens in to your meetings and conversations throughout the day.

Pricing hasn't been revealed yet, but it's expected to be a subscription-based model. While details are still light on this particular product, it will have a focus on its user being able to search through ‘memories’ and track down important information that it has recorded in the past.

• Read the full story: SwitchBot's new AI audio recorder promises to organize your conversations — here's how it'll work

Let there be (smart) light!

Govee has revealed three new products at CES this year: the Govee Floor Lamp 3, Govee Ceiling Light Ultra and Govee Sky Ceiling Light. As well a partnership with Samsung SmartThings, in a bid to firmly embed itself in your existing smart home setup.

You can read more about the individual products right here. But Govee has also told us its core tech has been improved for 2026. As well as an upgraded LuminBlend+ color system, the brand has now got a more intuitive AI Lighting Bot 2.0 and a new adaptive lighting system, called DaySync. Smart light is getting smarter.

• Read the full story: Govee announces 3 new smart lights at CES, including a ceiling light for windowless spaces

8BitDo reveals a cute iPhone gaming accessory

Anyone who likes gaming on their iPhone but can't stand touchscreen controls may be interested in 8BitDo's latest announcement. The controller company has unveiled a cute little gamepad called the 8BitDo FlipPad.

It's designed to turn your iPhone or Android device into a pseudo Game Boy with physical controls that flip up from the underside of the phone to turn it into a vertical handheld. The gamepad looks to be powered by the phone's USB-C port.

The company is currently showing off the device at CES with a release date scheduled for summer 2026. So far, we don't have any word on pricing.

What to expect from Qualcomm

Qualcomm is likely to be a big presence at CES this year, but the company won't be having a dedicated keynote since it staged its own Snapdragon Summit 2025 in September. The Hawaii-based event gave us a hands-on look at its upcoming Snapdragon X2 Elite and Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme chips coming to laptops in 2026.

But despite that, CEO Cristiano Amon will put in a guest appearance at Lenovo Tech World on January 6 at 5 p.m. PST / 8 p.m. EST / 1 a.m. GMT. So it's safe to say we expect Lenovo's upcoming laptops to sport Qualcomm's latest and greatest — but there will be many others, from the likes of Asus and Dell, that'll also be showing off new Snapdragon smarts.

• Read the full story: Qualcomm at CES 2026: What to expect from Snapdragon X2 series chips

Expect new wearables

Expect new releases from more fitness-oriented smartwatch makers, including big boys like Garmin and the more budget-friendly brands like Amazfit.

We also expect to get our first look at many of the upcoming smart ring releases for 2026 that aren't named Oura. We can’t confirm any specific new models, but we are looking forward to meeting with brands like Circular, Luna Ring, Ringconn, and Ultrahuman.

We're also excited to see what smaller wearables brands have in store, including Pebble, which launched its first smartwatch back in 2013, but is back with some cool new products under the direction of the founder in 2025.

Finally, we’ll be on the lookout for all consumer health tech products that can help you monitor your well-being, improve your health, or assist you in reaching fitness goals in a minimally invasive and/or seamless manner. From smart rings and trackers to stick-on sensors and bodily fluid analyzers, there is no shortage of tech in this category to feed my curiosity.

New smart home tech

We expect greater innovations with robot vacuums this year, as designs evolve even further. While it wasn’t as radical, Dreame last year introduced a vacuum that could climb two-inch thresholds. Could robot vacuums get to the next level, literally and figuratively, with models that can go even higher?

We also expect to see an influx of Matter-compatible home security cameras, as the Matter standard was just updated to allow for their use. That’s going to mean you’ll see a lot more cameras that will be able to work within the Apple Home ecosystem as well as Alexa and Google Home.

And, while we've already seen most security camera makers incorporate AI into their devices to better identify people and things that appear on the footage, we expect to see even further refinement for more granular details.

This super-thin tablet makes the iPad Pro look bloated

Sorry, iPad Pro, but you're no longer as thin as you used to be. We just got to check out an ultra-thin Android tablet that's appropriately called the Paper.

Made by the Chinese company Haining Toall Technology, this Android device measures just 3.1mm thick. For those scoring at home, the iPad Pro M5 is 5.1mm thin.

The Paper tablet features a 13-inch AMOLED display, and it's so thin that the ports are stored in a raised area that's slightly thicker. You get two USB-C ports and a mini HDMI port. This bump also makes the slate a bit easier to hold.

The company told us it will be available in 256GB and 512GB versions, and the starting price is $1,500. When we asked about the CPU, a company rep told us that Paper will be powered by a Chinese processor.. so perhaps it's MediaTek?

This all sounds fantastic, but what about battery life? Unfortunately, this slate's endurance is as thin as its design, as we were told the Paper is rated for only 3 hours of run time. However, you'll be able to get battery life with the case... which will no doubt make the tablet thicker.

We don't have a release date for the Paper in the U.S., but you can bet we'll test it out if it ever lands here.

Laptops could dominate CES

We think 2026 will be the year of the laptop, and we expect to see a whole ton of them debuting during CES. If you've been holding off on upgrading your laptop or buying one for the first time, this might be the best time to jump aboard.

That's because we're seeing major developments in chip technology coming in the form of Intel Core Ultra 300 Series (Panther Lake), AMD Ryzen AI 400 series (Gorgon Point) and AI Max series (Strix Halo), and Snapdragon X2 Elite. All are set to push the latest systems to another level. OLED will dominate displays, and you’ll hear a whole lot about power efficiency, because who doesn't want a long-lasting laptop?

But probably most surprising is the huge leaps in integrated graphics. For PC gaming on the go, a dedicated Nvidia GPU was always a requirement, but with what we saw testing Intel and Qualcomm’s latest chips, we’re getting to a point where you could get a thin and light notebook that just so happens to game really well, too!

Biggest trend to watch: Smart glasses

In our CES 2026 preview, we spotlighted six trends to watch out for. Here, let's highlight one in particular, smart glasses.

This one likely won't come as a surprise if you've seen how popular these devices have become in just a few short years. Now, we're at a point where AR and AI glasses could merge into truly smart frames. We think 2026 will be the year we finally start to see this happening. And we expect it to kick off in Vegas.

That's because the tools you need are already being shown:

• Subtle display tech: Waveguide displays will be all over the place at CES.
• The chips to run it: Expect some developments from the likes of Qualcomm to run these glasses.
• Sensors: A whole lot of companies are reaching out to show me their breakthroughs in sensor tech to make smart glasses smarter.
• The software: Android XR is drawing near, and other companies are jumping on the bandwagon.

As we've seen over the years, smart companies like these are where the big players get the components to power devices like the Meta Ray-Bans. Additionally, AR glasses will also move forward when it comes to affordability and display quality. This could deliver the best way to play games or watch movies on a long haul flight.

We went hands with the world's thinnest OLED TV!

LG Wallpaper OLED Hands-On! World’s Thinnest OLED TV at CES 2026 - YouTube

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At CES 2026, Kate goes hands-on with the LG OLED evo W6 Wallpaper TV, the world’s thinnest OLED TV, now paired with wireless connectivity. With a flush-to-the-wall, 9 millimeter design, no visible ports, and all inputs moved to LG’s Zero Connect Box, this TV is designed to disappear into your space.

This new Wallpaper OLED also debuts Hyper Radiant Color Technology, LG’s brightest OLED performance yet, with improved color, deeper blacks, and dramatically reduced screen reflections. It’s powered by LG’s latest Alpha 11 AI Processor Gen 3, supports 4K at 165Hz, and delivers the full flagship OLED experience in a design that looks more like art than a TV.

Become the rock star

Our very own Mike Prospero is channeling his inner Eddie Van Halen thank to the LiberLive C2.

This peripheral should release in March and upgrades the original by featuring more frets. It can even sound like a piano if you want to get your keytar on! There will also be inputs for effects pedals and a microphone. Pricing should be around $500, which is still cheaper than a rockstar's hotel bill.

More Samsung TV models slated for 2026

In addition to two new flagship OLEDs, Samsung has also detailed its full 2026 TV lineup during CES.

Last year, Samsung launched a room-dominating, 115-inch Micro RGB TV that, unsurprisingly, cost tens of thousands of dollars. This year, the brand is expanding its stable of Micro RGB TVs with at least one new series.

Samsung's latest Micro RGB TV will arrive in 55-, 65-, 75-, 85-, and 100-inch screen sizes. Don't expect them to come cheap, but at the very least, shoppers looking to splash out on this fancy, cutting-edge TV tech will have several size options to choose from.

Samsung's Neo QLED TVs blend Mini-LED backlighting, quantum dot color, and Samsung's robust picture processing capabilities. We don't know much about Samsung's 2026 Neo QLED TV lineup yet, but there's already good news for people who love big screens.

Both the Samsung QN80H and the Samsung QN70H — two of the brand's Neo QLED TVs for 2026 — will arrive in gargantuan, 100-inch versions. They're replacing the Samsung QN80F and the QN70F, respectively. They will also likely be able to buy them in different sizes.

Samsung hasn't forgotten about its AI ambitions, and in 2026, the TV-maker will continue to develop AI-based features for its newest slate of TVs. For instance, Samsung's AI Sound Controller is a new feature that makes on-the-fly adjustments to the soundscape of movies and shows. AI Motion Enhancer Pro purportedly allows for smoother, clearer motion during select content. Additionally, all of Samsung's newest Micro RGB TVs leverage something called Micro RGB AI Engine Pro, which is said to enhance color realism on a frame-by-frame basis.

Samsung has two flagship OLEDs in 2026

It's going to be challenging picking a Samsung TV in 2026. That's because the company has two flagship models that utilize vastly different technologies, both of which are equally impressive.

The two Samsung flagships vying for a spot in your living room in 2026 are the new Samsung S95H OLED (the successor to last year’s award-winning S95F OLED) and the all-new R95H, Samsung’s first-ever Micro RGB TV.

The Samsung S95H is going to be a movie-lover’s dream. It sports those perfect black levels that you’ve come to expect from Samsung Display’s self-emissive QD-OLED panels and combines it with the brand’s Glare-Free technology. Even on the brightly lit show floor, I had no problem seeing every single detail in the demo content Samsung had playing on repeat.

Samsung's R95H is as bright as any Mini-LED TV we’ve seen, but it has a slightly larger color volume. Scenes from "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" we watched on the Samsung S95D OLED looked significantly brighter and richer on the R95H.

We'll need a closer look at both screens later this year, but as it stands right now, the S95H has a slight edge on the R95H. Read more in our article where we got to see these flagship OLED and Micro RGB TVs side by side.

LG Wallpaper OLED TV is back

Meet the LG OLED evo W6 — a.k.a. The LG Wallpaper TV.

Like the LG OLED evo M5 that was unveiled at last year’s CES, the W6 model will use the Zero Connect Box to beam information from up to 10 meters (30 feet) away. However, what sets the W6 apart from its predecessor is that it will include new backlight technology (dubbed Hyper Radiant Color Technology) for improved black levels, color vibrancy, and brightness, plus a newly designed anti-reflective screen.

According to LG, the W6 is just 9mm thick. On average, that’s thinner than the LG G5 OLED and LG C5 OLED from 2025, though the latter does have part of its screen that’s 6.35mm thick — a hair thinner than the W6.

In terms of brightness, LG claims the W6 is up to 3.9 times brighter than "conventional OLEDs." In HDR, last year's LG B5 OLED reached around 600 nits in Standard mode in our testing. A 3.9x increase would put the W6 Series at around 2,340 nits in a 10% window in Standard HDR, which does seem plausible considering the LG G5 reached almost 1,900 nits in the same test.

Of course, better brightness and thinner screens usually come at a cost, usually to the tune of several thousand dollars. The good news is that LG told our Global Editor-in-Chief Mark Spoonauer that the W6 won't be much more than its OLED stablemates.

Considering the 65-inch W7 launched back in 2017 for $7,999, and the 77-inch model came in at an eye-watering $19,999, this is very good news.

Give yourself a dope fade

Yes, I cringed just as hard as you did reading that subheadline, but stick with me here. Why pay for a barbers to give you a fade, when you could use Glyde Smart Hair Clippers to do it for you?

As you can see, this is quite the over-the-top construction including a wearable crown that ensures a hard cut-off line as to not go too extreme with your fade and match it up to your facial dimensions, and the additional element on the clippers can change the grading in real-time to let the hair be longer at key intervals.

This robot vacuum comes with its own mothership

The Dreame X60 Ultra is the highly anticipated robot vacuum sequel that packs a new slimmer profile for subtle cleaning around the house. But you're not limited to just one floor anymore by the $1,399 device.

That slightly terrifying quadraped you see in the back is the CyberX dock. Previously, the dock's just been a stationary location for your hoover to charge. Now it can navigate up stairs for you to get to different hard-to-reach rooms. No price yet, but this could be a breakthrough for never having to worry about vacuum cleaning again.

Nobody tell Disney about the adorable Zeroth W1!

Faster than you can say "Wall-E," we just bumped into the Zeroth W1. While I do find it weird to call a robot "cute," that's the only way I can describe it to be honest!

This friendly companion is build to support you in three key ways around the home: home security with 360-degree surveillance, following you around in the great outdoors, and providing AI assisted filming and media companionship.

And it's impressively fully featured too with a massive battery, all the sensors including 3D LiDAR and Ultrasonic, alongside both remote and voice control.

Skiing without the snow!?

Because electric scooters are just too boring for the morning commute, now you can ski through the streets instead!

Skwheel is an interesting oddity we spotted (and tested) at CES Unveiled tonight — packing electric motors and a remote to control the speed. The rep told us it takes "about 20 minutes" to get the hang the precise tilt control for effectively carving turns like you would on a traditional pair of skis.

To someone who has two left feet, I'm calling "sus" on that!

This modular skeleton will help you through the toughest journeys

After its record-breaking Kickstarter, Ascentiz has decided to bring a finished version of its exoskeleton system to CES 2026. The systems range in price from $1,499 to $3399, and cover two distinct use-cases: "The Ascentiz-H employs a high-torque quasi-direct-drive system for the hip, while the Ascentiz-K utilizes an advanced cable-drive mechanism for the knee."

If you need help moving around, or have plans for tackling an extreme outdoor adventure and want a fallback plan in case it gets too intense, this relatively affordable exoskeleton has you covered.

Fraimic Smart Canvas lets you create art with your voice

Introducing Fraimic: The Smart E Ink Canvas That Turns Your Voice Into Art - YouTube

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Get ready for "art that listens." It's a cinch to create AI generated images using the likes of Gemini and ChatGPT, but how about on your wall?

Enter the Fraimic Smart Canvas, which will be on display at CES 2026 and will be available in two sizes starting at $399. This E-Ink screen lets you use voice to speak your ideas directly into the smart canvas. The voice-to-vision technology is powered by OpenAI, no app required.

The two sizes are 14 x 8 and 24 x 35, and Fraimic promises multi-year battery life. You can pre-order now at fraimic.com

This AI robot vacuum won't suck up your valuables

We've seen robot vacuums that can identify obstacles and avoid them, but the new Narwal Flow 2 goes a step further. It leverages AI to identify objects and it can tag them (such as jewelry, wallet, etc) while keeping a safe distance of at least 5cm. It can even send you a photo of the item to your phone via the Narwal app.

Launching in April, the Narwal Flow 2 offers a number of cleaning upgrades, including 30,000Pa of suction (upr from 22,000Pa on the original Flow) and 158°F hot water mopping.

Govee just reinvented the ceiling light

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Govee is kicking off CES by launching two new ceiling lights. The one I'm keen on is the Sky Ceiling Light, which is designed to mimic daylight. Think clear-sky tones and soft skylight transitions, so this is a good bet for spaces that have little to no windows.

The second device is the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, which packs a 616-pixel LED matrix for vivid patterns and animations. Thanks to Govee's AI Lighting Bot 2.0, you get dynamic lighting effects. You can display over 20 lighting effect presets or create your own. No pricing or availability yet.

How to watch Nvidia's big CES 2026 Keynote

The most anticipated CES 2026 keynote is always Nvidia, and that's because CEO Jensen Huang knows how to put on a show. We have a full guide to how to watch the Nvidia CES 2026 keynote, which kicks off on Monday, January 5 at 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 9pm GMT.

What to expect? Nvidia's site says it will be about “what’s next in AI in a special presentation.” We could also see what's next for robotics and self-driving, as well as gaming — but we don't expect the RTX 50 SUPER Series or RTX 60-series GPUs just yet.

Charge (and Protect) Your Switch 2 Anywhere

I already know what I'm getting my daughter for her birthday this year. Belkin has announced the Charging Case Pro for Nintendo Switch 2 at CES 2026, which packs a removable 10,000 mAh power bank for delivering up to 30W of fast charging and features its own LCD to display battery life. You can even recharge the power bank externally without opening the case, and the hinged design doubles as a tabletop stand. Not bad at all for $99 — and it's available now at belkin.com

SwitchBot AI MindClip is your 'second brain'

If you're constantly forgetting stuff and don't have time to jot notes down, the SwitchBot AI MindClip is here to help. Giving the Plaude NotePin some competition, the MindClip records your daily life and work meetings, then creates AI-powered summaries and task lists for you. The devices weighs just 18 grams and supports over 100 languages. Unfortunately, we don't know the price or release date yet so stay tuned.

Seriously Powerful AR Glasses

The leader in AR glasses is back at it here at CES 2026 with a new pair of powerful specs, and we already have our full Xreal 1S review live. According to computing editor Jason England, these are the best AR glasses you can buy right now. For $449, you get 1200p full HD resolution and the ability to convert 2D videos to 3D, thanks to a robust X1 chip. They're even $50 cheaper than the previous model. If you pair the Xreal X1S with the Switch 2 with the Neo hub, you can game on the go with the equivalent of a movie theater screen on your face.

LG CLOiD is Coming to Fold Your Laundry

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I know, I know. We've been promised truly helpful home robots for ages, but LG says its AI-powered home robot called LG CLOiD will help humanity get closer to a "Zero Labor Home" here at CES 2026.

The CLOiD robot uses AI and vision-based tech to perform mundane tasks like cooking and laundry. The robot features a head unit, torso with two articulated arms and a wheeled base that's capable of autonomous navigation. Each arm has seven degrees of freedom, and each hand have five actuated fingers for "fine manipulation."

We'll see LG CLOiD perform various demos, such as retrieving milk from the fridge, as well as folding and stacking garments. Stay tuned for our impressions.