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We’ve just begun trawling for our favorite cutting-edge technology. But we’ve already found some neat stuff.
Lori Grunin Senior Editor / Advice
I’ve been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I’m currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I’ve also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats.
Expertise Photography | PCs and laptops | Gaming and gaming accessories
We have people all over the show floor — and beyond — at CES, looking for the most interesting, innovative and cutting-edge tech out there. A ton of useful new information is also available, which you can find on our CES 2026 live blog and in our CES hub, but that’s boring.
It’s only the first day, but we’ve already gawked at some of the CES staples, like robots, electronic toys, phones and more. I’ll be back here to top off our amazing finds regularly throughout the show.
Lego smart bricks
They’re Legos. That are really smart. What more do you need?
AI Tails smart cat food and drink station
For the cat who has everything, including health issues
I’ve been obsessing about cats for decades (I used to do adoptions for a rescue) and I’ve been looking at CES pet tech almost as long. The AI Tails smart food-and-drinkery for felines doesn’t look perfect — I have questions — but at least it’s bringing some useful new capabilities to your cats table: It can measure your cat’s food and water intake, temperature, and facial expressions to notice any deviations from the norm. And it’s got some style, too.
Read more: This AI-Powered Smart Feeding and Drinking Station Told Me I Was a Sick Cat.
Lockin V7 Max wireless lock
Look ma, no wires (and smart batteries)
TCL RayNeo Air Pro 4
Display glasses with HDR micro-OLED screens that hit 1,200 nits of brightness
Wearable displays are a growing trend for a lot of reasons, but generally because when a display’s that close to your eyes, things look huge without the corresponding physical display size. So they’re great for gaming with a handheld console; Xreal’s got updated glasses to pair with the Nintendo Switch 2 at the show, too, for example.
TCL’s new $299 RayNeo Air Pro 4 glasses take it up a notch, bringing bright, vivid micro-OLED screens that can hit up to 1,200 nits of brightness. They’re relatively inexpensive, but that’s because they’re wired rather than wireless.
Read more: TCL’s New Display Glasses Are the First I’ve Seen With HDR, and the View Is Vivid
Honor Robot Phone
The flip-out camera and gimbal look distinctive, reacts to you
I’ve been testing robotic webcams for a while, but none of them will nod at you encouragingly or play peekaboo. Honor’s Robot phone promises to, with its collapsible camera and gimbal, among (hopefully) other things. Announced as a concept in October, it arrived for in-person viewing at CES — though no touching was allowed. I’m not sure I can fully grasp the usefulness of it, but its capabilities are not yet clear. However, it certainly earns props for being “the most unconventional phone design” Katie Collins has seen in years.
At Mobile World Congress in February, the company is supposed to divulge specs, so we’ll wait and see.
Read more: Honor’s Audacious Robot Phone Is Real and I Just Got a First Glimpse
Euhomy Leopard X1 ice maker
What’s cooler than a plain old ice maker? One that speedruns
An ice maker always finds its way on our list of coolest products at CES — after all, they’re literally the coolest appliances in a show packed full of domestic wares. The Leopard X1 churns out “cubes of frozen water” in under 5 minutes, “a full 3 minutes faster than any other at-home bullet ice maker on the market,” according to Home and Kitchen guru David Watsky, who timed it in action.
It’ll be available in April for $150.
Read more: The Coolest Thing at CES? You Won’t Believe How Fast This Ice Maker Makes Ice
Sweekar
You can’t lose marrying cutesy and nostalgic
Describing it as “a Tamagotchi-inspired pocket pet, an AI companion that grows physically bigger as it matures,” the Sweekar starts as an egg that you hatch, revealing a screen with eyes, then grows as it ages — and dies if you neglect it.
It will be available via Kickstarter later this year for $150.
Read more: Finally, I’ve Found a Worthy Successor to My Iconic ’90s Tamagotchi
LG CLOiD
This home robot doesn’t just fold laundry — it can empty the dishwasher and do some light cooking, too
We’ve been seeing boatloads of domestic laundry-folding robot concepts at CES over the years (or cleaning, lawn mowing and so on), but this is one of the first multifunctional models to come from a major appliance manufacturer. According to the company, CLOiD can handle tasks such as “retrieving milk from the fridge, placing a croissant in the oven for breakfast and folding and stacking garments after laundering,” as well as coordinate with other smart appliances in LG’s ThinQ ecosystem. I have a dumb home, so I just like the aesthetics.
Read more: Everyone Wants a Robot That Folds Laundry. LG Brought Its First One to CES 2026
Donut solid state battery
A small, dense battery that could enable cheaper, safer and lighter personal transportation
Solid state batteries use a solid material to pass ions between the nodes of a battery, compared to the liquid electrolyte used by, say, alkaline and lithium batteries. The solid chemistry allows them to hold more charge in a given size battery, be less volatile and cheaper to produce, along with host of other advantages. Donut Labs has paired with Verge Motorcycles to incorporate the new battery in its Verge TS Pro electric motorcycle.
According to CNET transportation maestro Antuan Goodwin, “Solid state battery tech making its way onto the road is a huge deal, even if motorcycles aren’t your thing. The battery’s advantages are even more pronounced on larger cars, where the weight savings and increased charging speeds should scale even more.”
Read more: This Phone-Sized Solid State Battery Is Already Powering a Production EV
Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold
It’s shipped in Asia, but we got our hands on one for the first time at the show
While it shipped elsewhere in December, the dual-folding, three-panel Galaxy Z TriFold we’ve been eagerly anticipating was available for us to get our grubby American paws on for the first time at CES. After using it for a while, Abrar Al-Heeti, who’s tested a lot of phones over the years, said, “At last, it seems foldables are approaching their long-desired goal: a two-in-one device that fits neatly in your pocket.”
It’s slated to ship in the US by the end of March; the price is still unknown.
Read more: This May Be the Phone-Tablet Hybrid We’ve Been Waiting For
