- By Prateek Levi
- Sat, 10 Jan 2026 04:25 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
CES 2026: The year 2026 has kicked off, and it would not be wrong to say that this year the tech industry is starting with a bang, and the CES 2026 stands as a testimony to that. From robots that can do your laundry to laptops with screens that can follow you around your room and the reimagination of some old tech that we remember, like the BlackBerry phone, CES 2026 definitely gave us a sneak peek into what the future holds for us. In fact, it's not a thing that is far away in time; these things will soon be around us in no time.
The CES tech show that took place in Las Vegas has given us some strong predictions into what the future of tech could look like, showcasing cutting-edge tech developed by some upcoming startups and some big players in the industry right now. Some are still in the developmental phase right now, and only a prototype was showcased in some cases, but that said, some will be up for retail sale and buying in no time, so let's take a look at the devices and innovations that stood out for us in this CES 2026.
Humanoid Robots That Can Do Your Laundry?
Our fascination with humanoid robots is as old as the time we started conceptualising them, from vintage movies depicting what it could be to a point where that dream is finally turning into reality. These robots are now getting much closer to us in reality and will also handle daily tasks like doing laundry, which are not just remote controlled but function autonomously.
Image Credits: LG
LG’s CLOiD home robot doesn’t try to look human. It’s more like a calm, rolling upper body that moves around the kitchen, quietly handling tasks connected to LG’s own appliances. It feels practical rather than futuristic, and LG is reportedly planning real-world home testing sometime next year.
SwitchBot’s Onero H1 goes in a very different direction. Picture a compact security rover blended with a robot vacuum, complete with moving arms that look ready to get actual work done. It’s clearly built for utility, not charm. The company says it should go on sale later this year, though it’s still keeping the price to itself. The robot shared the spotlight with demos from several Chinese robotics firms, including Unitree, Booster Robotics and X-Humanoid, the recent winner of Beijing’s humanoid robot half-marathon.
Image Credits: Boston Dynamics
Boston Dynamics’ Atlas, meanwhile, finally looks ready to graduate from impressive demo videos to real deployment. Product-ready units were on display at Hyundai Motor Group’s CES 2026 booth, showing off a cleaner, more refined design. Hyundai is partnering with Google DeepMind on robotic AI and plans to roll Atlas into its factories over the next few years. These robots are water resistant, can lift 50 kg, and even swap their own batteries, making them far more than just a showpiece.
Laptops With Screens That Follow You?
Now laptops are not a new thing, but this time with many of these devices on display from big players like Acer, Dell, Samsung and more. The show began with, and what stood out for us, Lenovo's Legion Pro Rollable concept, a normal 16in laptop with an OLED screen that rolls up horizontally and turns itself into a full-size 24in monitor, perfect for those who like to game on the go while keeping the productive acumen of the device intact. Another standout product was Lenovo's ThinkPad Plus Gen 7 Auto Twist. This new device is stepping from just a concept to an actual deliverable, which has a motorised hinge that can rotate the screen automatically towards you or the audience you are presenting to.
Image Credits: Lenovo
Getting Back To The Good Old BlackBerry Days?
For anyone who still misses the clicky certainty of physical phone keyboards, Clicks is clearly leaning into that nostalgia. Its new Communicator feels like a modern BlackBerry revival, built around an Android phone with a proper physical keyboard. The idea isn’t endless scrolling, but actual communication. Clicks positions it as a “communication companion”, with custom software that keeps messages front and centre instead of pushing you into social media loops. You can use it as your main phone or pair it alongside your existing iPhone or Android. There’s even a notification LED wrapped around the power button and a fingerprint reader built right into the space bar. Reservations are already open, with shipping planned for later this year.
Image Creation: Clicks
If replacing your phone entirely feels like too much of a commitment, Clicks has other options too. The company already sells keyboard cases for iPhones, Pixels and more, and it showed off something new at CES as well. The Power Keyboard is a slide-out Bluetooth keyboard that also works as a magnetic wireless battery pack. It snaps onto the back of your phone, adds typing when you need it, and charges at the same time. It’ll support Qi2-compatible iPhones and Android phones and is expected to ship in the spring.
Gaming Waifu On Your Desk
Image Credits: Razer
We are in a time where we can also experience digital companionship, and companies are developing new devices that help in achieving the same goal. With that in mind, Razer showcased its prototype of what the future of digital companionship could look like. Named Project AVA, it is an AI desk companion which comes with a 5.5-inch 3D holographic display. For rich contextual awareness, AVA utilises human-like audio and visual capacity, acting like your real-time gaming waifu/companion, who also acts like your personal organiser as well. Under the hood it runs on xAI's Grok for interaction and powers its PC Vision Mode. With different avatars that will showcase themselves in the 3D holographs, this definitely is something from the future. This new product will be available for sale by the end of 2026, with pre-orders already online.
A Robot Turtle Companion
Beatbot used CES 2026 to show off its latest pool-cleaning machine, the AquaSense X, and it’s clearly aiming to make pool maintenance as hands-off as possible. The company says this new self-cleaning system uses AI to recognise up to 40 common types of pool debris, tracking everything from dirt settled at the bottom to leaves floating near the surface. Preorders are already open.
Image Credits: Beatbot
The AquaSense X works as a two-part setup, with the main attraction being the AquaSense X AI Robotic Pool Cleaner itself. This isn’t just a robot that randomly bumps around underwater. Beatbot says it relies on a mix of cameras, infrared sensors and ultrasonic sensing to understand its surroundings. That means it can spot debris, clean it efficiently, and also recognise steps, pool edges and shallow platforms without getting stuck or missing areas.
While it doesn’t support Matter, Beatbot hasn’t ignored smart home users. The cleaner still works with Google Home, Alexa and Siri, letting you start a cleaning cycle, check the battery level or even get voice alerts once the job is done. The overall pitch is simple: less guesswork, less manual cleaning, and a robot that actually understands what it’s dealing with inside your pool, rather than just moving blindly from one end to the other.
While these are just a few of the many devices that got showcased at the CES 2026, for us, these above stated gadgets, gizmos, and ecosystem components definitely stole the limelight. With the CES predicting the prospects of the future, we are definitely entering an era that showcases a blend of technology with our daily lifestyles.