4 months ago
CES 2026 officially opens today, but overmuch of nan show’s biggest announcements already landed during Monday’s property conferences and early events. AI was everywhere, chipmakers dominated nan schedule and a fistful of brands utilized nan pre-show model to softly driblet meaningful hardware updates.
Below are nan biggest announcements and trends from January 5, positive a fewer standout hands-ons from Pepcom and CES Unveiled.
LG doubles down connected AI
LG's CLOiD robot. (LG)
LG’s World Premiere keynote leaned difficult into its imagination of “Affectionate Intelligence,” pinch AI positioned arsenic nan connective insubstantial crossed TVs, appliances and moreover robotics. While astir of nan hardware was announced up of time, nan institution utilized nan shape to show really its ideas fresh together, including updated OLED TVs, Micro RGB panels and its ultra-thin Wallpaper TV.
The astir memorable moment, though, was CLOiD, LG’s humanoid location robot, which capped disconnected nan position pinch demos that were much theatrical than practical. As accustomed for LG astatine CES, nan imagination was ambitious, moreover if overmuch of it still feels a fewer years away.
NVIDIA pushes deeper into beingness AI
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang presents astatine CES 2026, wearing a achromatic snakeskin-like jacket. (NVIDIA)
NVIDIA’s CES keynote was long, dense and firmly focused connected AI infrastructure alternatively than user GPUs. CEO Jensen Huang introduced nan Vera Rubin supercomputer platform, alongside updates to NVIDIA’s unfastened AI models, robotics devices and autonomous conveyance stack.
Between discussions of “physical AI,” self-driving systems and monolithic information halfway hardware, NVIDIA made it clear it sees CES arsenic a spot to specify nan early of computing, not conscionable waste graphics cards. If you were hoping for caller GeForce news, this wasn’t nan keynote for you.
Intel tries to reset nan PC narrative
Image of a Core Ultra Series 3 (Intel)
Intel’s property conference followed NVIDIA’s pinch a much focused pitch: nan motorboat of Core Ultra Series 3 processors, besides known arsenic Panther Lake. Built connected Intel’s 18A process — that’s little than 2nm — nan chips are designed to powerfulness nan adjacent activity of AI PCs, pinch improved graphics, amended ratio and stronger section AI performance.
The connection was clear: Intel wants to person partners and consumers that it’s backmost successful nan crippled for high-end laptops, moreover arsenic title from AMD, Qualcomm and Apple continues to intensify.
AMD closes nan nighttime pinch AI-first silicon
AMD Ryzen AI 400 (AMD)
AMD wrapped up property day pinch a keynote that mixed acquainted AI rhetoric pinch meaningful spot announcements. Highlights included caller Ryzen AI 400 laptop processors and updated desktop chips, including nan Ryzen 7 9850X3D for enthusiasts.
As pinch NVIDIA and Intel, AMD leaned heavy into AI crossed cloud, PCs and separator devices. The quality was execution. AMD’s announcements felt much instantly applicable to products shipping this year.
Sony remains focused connected Afeela
Sony Honda Mobility Afeela Press Conference astatine CES 2026 (Afeela)
Sony’s CES beingness erstwhile again centered connected Sony Honda Mobility and nan Afeela electrical vehicle. The institution showed an updated prototype and shared advancement updates, including expanded transportation plans and deeper intermezo integrations for illustration PlayStation Remote Play.
For longtime CES watchers, it was a acquainted communicative — nan Afeela was first showcased present successful 2020, aft all. Sony’s accepted user electronics took a backmost seat, while mobility and package remained nan headline.
Lego makes its CES debut pinch Smart Bricks
Lego introduced nan Smart Brick astatine CES 2026. (Lego)
Lego held its first-ever CES property conference and utilized it to unveil Smart Bricks, portion of a caller “Smart Play” inaugural that adds sensors, audio and wireless connection to accepted Lego pieces.
The strategy is launching pinch Star Wars sets later this twelvemonth and is designed to activity without apps aliases screens. It’s a notable displacement for Lego and 1 of nan much genuinely astonishing announcements of nan day.
Other notable CES time 0 news
Outside of nan main property conferences, respective companies made quiet but notable announcements (though immoderate was Sunday news that deed nan wires aft nan East Coast midnight hour). Samsung continued its CES rollout pinch caller TVs, speakers and laptops. Anker drew attraction pinch updated chargers and powerfulness accessories. Amazon shared incremental updates tied to Alexa and smart location hardware.
Meanwhile, Engadget’s squad sewage hands-on pinch dozens of products astatine nan Pepcom mini-show, from oddball gadgets to early looks astatine devices launching later this year.
Press time whitethorn beryllium over, but CES is conscionable getting started. The show level opens today, pinch Lenovo, automotive tech, smart location cogwheel and plentifulness of unexpected demos still to come. We’ll beryllium publishing hands-ons, heavy dives and regular recaps each week.
You tin travel on pinch our CES 2026 liveblog aliases cheque backmost connected Engadget for nan latest updates arsenic they happen.
