CES 2026 Preview What to Expect From Techs Biggest Show As the year winds down the tech worlds attention turns to Las Vegas for CES 2026. The main show floor opens from January 6 to 9 but events begin earlier with press conferences starting Monday January 5. Engadget will be there to cover all the announcements and product demos from the convention center and venues across the city. Heres a look at what we already know and what trends we anticipate. Confirmed Events and Early Announcements The Consumer Technology Association has published the official schedule and exhibitor directory. The action starts on Sunday January 4 with Samsungs The First Look presentation hosted by DX Division CEO TM Roh focusing on AI driven customer experiences for 2026. Monday January 5 is packed with press conferences. LG kicks off the day with its Innovation in Tune with You event to showcase its vision for Affectionate Intelligence. Intel will launch its new Core Ultra Series 3 processors for premium laptops. Sony Honda Mobility will hold a conference about its first car. AMD CEO Lisa Su will give a keynote on new chips. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang will also hold a 90 minute press conference to showcase latest solutions driving innovation across industries. On Tuesday January 6 Lenovos Tech World Conference at the Sphere will highlight the companys commitment to smarter AI for all. As the parent company of Motorola Lenovos event could also feature new AI powered phones and foldables. Some companies have already made pre CES announcements. LG confirmed it will debut its first Micro RGB television which boasts over a thousand dimming zones and full color gamut certifications. Samsung also announced it will expand its Micro RGB TV lineup with new models ranging from 55 to 115 inches using next generation Micro RGB technology. Expected Tech Trends at CES 2026 New Chips from AMD Intel and Qualcomm CES is traditionally where new processor generations debut. AMD is expected to introduce new Ryzen chips including the gaming focused Ryzen 7 9850X3D and the Ryzen 9000G series. The company may also detail its new FSR Redstone AI upscaling technology. Intel has publicly stated it will launch its Panther Lake chips now called the Intel Core Ultra Series 3. Built on a new 2 nanometer process these chips promise significant performance gains for AI PCs. Qualcomm is rumored to be targeting the laptop market with its next generation Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Premium chips expected to appear in new laptops showcasing improved speed and AI capabilities. Advances in Display Technology CES is always a major showcase for new TV and display tech. Sony has developed a new RGB LED panel technology using individual Mini LED backlights for red green and blue to achieve brighter more accurate colors without burn in concerns. The company has trademarked the name True RGB which may debut at the show. Sony also has a new 240Hz PlayStation monitor slated for 2026. Samsung is reportedly preparing to demo an updated HDR10 Advanced standard aiming to compete with Dolby Vision 2 by offering improved brightness intelligent tone mapping and better motion handling. The State of Robotics and Ballie Watch Samsungs spherical robot Ballie was announced in 2020 and again in 2024 with a projector and promised for a 2025 release with Google Gemini. It has yet to materialize so CES 2026 could be another attempt to launch it. Regardless robotics will be a major theme. Expect new robot vacuums and mops building on last years innovations like retractable arms and legs for climbing ledges. Roborock may show its new Qrevo Curv 2 Flow with a retractable roller mop. A broader trend will be improved robot navigation through AI world models. This shift in AI research from large language models to systems that understand physical space could lead to more competent home and workplace robots being discussed and demonstrated. CES 2026 is shaping up to be a showcase for next generation AI chips brighter and smarter displays and more capable robots. Stay tuned for more updates as the event approaches.
