The tech world has descended upon Las Vegas once again for CES 2026. As the massive show floor opens, The Verge is on the ground to bring you the biggest announcements, hands-on impressions, and the standout innovations—from the practical to the peculiar—that will shape the industry this year.
Home Helpers Get Smarter (and More Dexterous)
Robots aiming to automate household chores are making a strong showing. LG previewed its ambitious CLOiD home robot, promising a \”zero labor home\” with capabilities like fetching items from the fridge, loading an oven, and—most impressively—folding and stacking laundry. Not to be outdone, SwitchBot introduced the Onero H1, a general-purpose humanoid robot designed to learn and adapt to various domestic tasks like grasping and organizing.
For less complex but equally clever home upgrades, Lutron has added smart wooden blinds to its popular Caséta lineup. Priced at a flat $429, they feature sun-tracking automation. Meanwhile, Lockin unveiled the V7 Max smart lock, which uniquely solves the dead-battery problem with wireless optical charging from a transmitter up to four meters away.
Biometrics and Security Step Up
Smart locks are embracing new authentication methods. Xthings introduced the compact Ultraloq Bolt Sense, which combines facial recognition with palm vein scanning for keyless, app-free entry. The company claims the vein technology is more reliable than fingerprints, working even with wet or dirty hands and in total darkness. SwitchBot also entered the facial recognition lock arena with its new Lock Vision series, designed for direct door installation and offering Matter-over-Wi-Fi support.
Screens and Displays: Clearer and More Discreet
OLED gaming monitors are set for a clarity boost. Panel giants LG Display and Samsung Display are shifting to vertical RGB stripe subpixel layouts, promising crisper text and improved image quality. Brands like Asus and MSI are already touting upcoming monitors featuring this \”Stripe RGB\” technology.
For a subtler smart home interface, the wooden Mui Board Gen 2 offers a calming alternative to bright screens. New for 2026 is the Mui Calm Sleep Platform, which uses built-in millimeter-wave radar sensors to track sleep patterns by detecting posture and breathing changes—no wearables required.
Audio and Accessories: Refined and Versatile
Shure modernized its portable microphone line with the MV88 USB-C, featuring a direct USB-C smartphone connector and versatile recording modes. In translation tech, Timekettle announced a software upgrade for its devices, introducing an AI engine that automatically selects the optimal translation model for the languages being spoken.
Charging solutions are becoming more versatile. Belkin announced the UltraCharge Modular Charging Dock, a 3-in-1 charger uniquely designed to accommodate different smartwatch pucks (sold separately). They also unveiled a ConnectAir Wireless HDMI Adapter that streams 1080p video between devices without needing Wi-Fi, and a refined Charging Case Pro for Nintendo Switch 2 with a built-in battery and adjustable stand.
Health Tech Gets Comprehensive
Withings is focusing on cardiovascular health with the Body Scan 2, a $599.95 smart scale. It uses a total of 12 electrodes (eight on the platform, four on a retractable handle) to capture full-body composition data for more accurate metrics than foot-only scales.
Gadgets: From AI Companions to Nostalgic Controllers
The show is packed with novel gadgets. SwitchBot unveiled several, including the Obboto—an AI-powered, spherical RGB desk lamp with nearly 3,000 LEDs for custom animations—and the AI MindClip, a button-sized recorder that summarizes conversations. They also showed a sleek E Ink Weather Station that provides AI-generated weather insights.
8BitDo teased the FlipPad, a folding USB-C controller for mobile gaming with a D-pad and 12 face buttons. For AR enthusiasts, Xreal announced the Xreal 1S glasses, offering a spec bump and a new 2D-to-3D video conversion feature for $449. Zeroth, an AI robotics startup, is bringing a WALL-E-inspired treaded companion robot, the W1, to the US market.
From laundry-folding robots to palm-scanning locks and sleep-tracking wooden boards, CES 2026 is showcasing a wave of technology aimed at making our lives more connected, automated, and intuitively managed. Stay tuned for more updates from the show floor.
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