The news: At CES 2026, tech innovation is becoming more tangible—scaling up screens, scaling down wearables, and bringing AI-powered machines closer to everyday use.
- It’s shaping up to be a big year for TV technology with Samsung screens as large as 130 inches and LG displays as thin as .35 inches now possible thanks to Micro LED and Micro RGB technology.
- Last year’s focus on smart glasses seems to have shifted to less conspicuous and more affordable smart rings.
- Robots are moving from proof of concept to production as companies demonstrate their latest home and industrial humanoids.
Let’s dive in.
CTVs become spatial canvases: CES 2026’s connected TV (CTV) story is defined by wall‑filling, ultra‑bright displays that turn the living room setup into a premium, persistent screen for streaming and advertising.
- Samsung pushed its Micro RGB “halo” line into more mainstream territory, expanding from a single 100‑plus‑inch flagship into a full range of 55‑ to 115‑inch models with higher peak brightness, improved color volume, and slimmer industrial design.
- LG and others countered with gigantic OLED and Mini LED sets in the 98‑ to 100‑inch class paired with upgraded processors that handle 4K upscaling, motion smoothing, and picture modes tuned for streaming rather than linear feeds.
Takeaway: Expect living‑room TV hardware to keep evolving as a high‑impact stage for CTV—bigger, brighter, and more integrated into the home—giving streamers and advertisers a more cinematic opportunity.
Smart rings hit the mainstream: Updates to smart rings cover the spectrum, from AI recording to wellness tracking.
- RingConn’s Gen 3 adds blood pressure insights (not clinical BP) and haptic alerts to its breadth of health and wellness data.
- Pebble’s $75 Index 01 features a voice recorder that makes notes and reminders.
- The Vocci AI Ring can record conversations for up to eight hours and transcribe text and notes in 100 languages.
- The WIZPR Ring uses voice technology to help users interact with their chatbot of choice.
Takeaway: The ring form factor could succeed where AI pendants have failed. With smart ring shipments on track to jump 34.8% from 2025 to 2027—far outpacing smartwatches’ 4.7% growth over the same period, per IDC—the category is poised to get far more crowded and competitive this year.
Robots head to homes and factories: We’re seeing robots are expanding in two directions—domestic assistants/companions and factory grade robots for heavy industries.
- LG demoed its CLOiD home robot and family-focused companion showcasing how smarter automation is moving into homes as mobile helpers, although the CLOiD doesn’t seem slated for mass production.
- 1X Technologies Neo, a $20,000 domestic humanoid robot that can clean, put away dishes, and automate chores, is slated to start shipping to US homes in 2026.
- Hyundai‑owned Boston Dynamics’ debuted its Atlas humanoid, a fully electric, production‑ready robot, powered by Google’s DeepMind AI to tackle heavy, repetitive, and dangerous factory work.
Takeaway: Expect smart home and robotics to continue to be the container for AI beyond PCs and smartphones. While cost and availability could determine their adoption in the short term, the entry of companies like LG and Apple could boost long-term consumer interest.
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