CES 2026: The biggest tech trends to watch out for

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is just a few days away, which means it’s time to take stock of what to expect from the world’s most recognizable tech brands.

Companies like Samsung, LG, and AMD will be showcasing new products that range from futuristic concepts to more tangible and real-world items you can buy in the near future. Between foldable phones, fancy new TVs, robots, and computer hardware, there’s going to be a lot to talk about in the coming week. Let’s dig in.

Here are the biggest tech trends to expect at CES 2026.

lots of colorful, big TVs

Television sets always hold a prominent place at CES, and 2026 is no exception. However, one thing that will be different is the color technology being used in many of the TVs being unveiled this year.

Specifically, RGB (which stands for red, green, and blue) TVs are in vogue at CES 2026. A normal TV has a backlight that emits white or blue light depending on what’s on the screen, but an RGB TV has lots of tiny red, green and blue lights that create the picture. The idea here is to create greater color accuracy than different types of displays. As a bonus, these screens can also achieve higher brightness levels and better contrast.

We certainly know that Samsung, LG, and Hisense are all showcasing RGB TVs at CES, but other companies likely have something too. Beyond all this RGB, it appears that these same companies are pushing for huge displays this year too. The leak suggests Samsung is showcasing a 98-inch version of its Frame TV, while LG’s line of RGB sets starts at 75 inches and grows from there. This doesn’t mean that small TVs are dying out, but it does mean that big TVs are here to stay.

new laptop chips

Given the skyrocketing prices of memory these days, the atmosphere regarding computer components at CES 2026 is a bit quiet at the moment. In past years, we’ve seen powerful consumer-grade GPUs showcased at CES, but this isn’t seem Same thing will happen this year also.

Still, that doesn’t mean there won’t be anything to chew on. For example, AMD will give a keynote to start the show, which it may use to announce its Ryzen 7 9850X3D CPU, which is reportedly designed for incredibly fast PC gaming. Meanwhile, Intel has already pre-announced its Panther Lake chips, which will likely be showcased in powerful laptops and PCs at CES. The same applies to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite chip. Whether they’re entirely new laptops or refreshes of older models, expect to see machines with those chips at the show this year.

As always, keep an eye out for innovative new concepts, like rollable screens and other unconventional form factors. We don’t know of any in this specific category yet, but there are always Some? Like this at CES.

mashable light speed

(hopefully) helpful robots

Robots are a frequent presence at CES in some form or another, and 2026 is no exception.

Actually, we already know about one. Its name is CLOiD, and it comes from LG. The Korean tech company hasn’t shared any photos, specs, or pricing information about CLOiD yet, but we do know that it will end up having two limbs with active digits, a bunch of sensors to navigate and interact with your home, and an AI-powered robotic brain that will personalize its responses to its owners over time. At least, it will do all this in theory. CLOiD could be one of those far-reaching concepts I mentioned earlier, something that doesn’t launch for quite some time, if ever.

Speaking of which, Samsung has been threatening to introduce Ballie, a spherical robot assistant, since CES 2020. After that initial demonstration, Ballie remained silent for several years, appearing again at CES 2024. We still don’t have any concrete information about when (or if) the Ballie will be available to consumers. There’s no guarantee that Bailey will appear this year, but until Samsung provides some answers, it’s definitely worth mentioning.

At least two new foldable phones

The heavily rumored iPhone Fold is unlikely To be shown at CES, but other foldables are expected to be shown.

For starters, Samsung just recently launched its anticipated Galaxy Z Tri-Fold in Asia, and we expect it to come to the US in early 2026. This doesn’t necessarily guarantee that it will appear at CES, but given Samsung’s substantial presence at the show this year, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see the Trifold make its Western debut at the show. If you haven’t been following along, it’s an extra-large, book-style foldable that has two creases instead of just one. In other words, when it is opened, it will almost be like three smartphone displays connected to each other.

Interestingly, Samsung is also reportedly working on another new foldable with a wider display than its previous devices. That may be further away and isn’t guaranteed to be shown at CES, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

And while we know less about it than the Trifold, Motorola is apparently going to show off a new foldable of its own at CES. The company sent out physical invites to some media outlets, hinting at a new book-style foldable (as opposed to the clamshell-style devices Motorola has already made), and it may have a wood finish, giving it a different look. However, other than that, we don’t know anything about this device. This will likely change next week.

smart glasses

Amid last year’s CES showcase and Meta’s increasing market saturation with Ray-Ban, smart glasses made a modest comeback in 2025. Don’t be surprised to see more of them at CES 2026.

We don’t have too many firm predictions about which companies will show which glasses at CES, but in general, you should expect to see more glasses with built-in displays than in past years. They’ve been at CES for a while now, but it’s starting to feel like a device category that could be used by regular consumers in the near future rather than just a distant tech fantasy. Well, maybe, anyway. It all depends on whether tech companies can figure out how to deal with all the chilling implications that wearing cameras on the face can have on privacy.

AI will be everywhere

Finally, as a general prediction, expect the term “AI” to be used frequently in connection with any and all of the device categories above. The new laptop chips will be optimized for AI applications. Smart glasses and home robots will be powered by AI. The new TVs will probably use AI in some way. And, of course, foldable phones will come with AI features, just like non-foldable phones.

Will any of these be particularly new or innovative? It is impossible to say. We will figure it out together soon.

Visit the Mashable CES 2026 Hub For the latest news and live updates from tech’s biggest shows, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.