CES is never tricky, and 2026 was no exception.
The annual tech show in Las Vegas offers a real glimpse of where consumer technology is headed, and futuristic concepts that only exist because someone figured out how to do it.
CES 2026: Capture video with AI-tracking, free XbotGo Falcon
Throughout the week, Mashable reporters ventured outside the show floor, private demo rooms, and off-site demonstrations to explore what really matters. From neurotech headphones that have improved response times in a balanced way to bold hardware concepts from Lenovo, CES 2026 offered no shortage of devices worth attention.
In case you weren’t there to wade through the noise, demos, and occasional sensory overload, here are TK’s best photos capturing the best, weirdest, and worst moments from CES 2026.
1. Neurable headphones sense the brain
Credit: Chance Townsend / Mashable
Neural’s EEG-powered gaming headset was one of the rare CES demos where the results sounded measurable rather than theoretical. In testing the headphones, I found that my response time improved significantly after using Neural’s PRIME system, even under less-than-ideal demo conditions.
PRIME works as a short guided meditation, supported by live brain data, which shows focus and cognitive load in real time. Executives involved frame it as “training your brain the same way you train muscle memory,” and while it’s not magic, the improvements felt tangible enough to stand out from a show full of empty promises.
2. Lenovo laptops are flexible, expandable
Lenovo’s laptops were less about usability and more about proving that the company could still do things no one else was willing to try. As reported in Mashable’s hands-on story, the concepts include a display that expands up or out with the push of a button, turning the laptop into something closer to a desktop monitor.
Credit: Lily Kartiganer / Mashable
Lenovo reps described it as exploring “adaptive screen real estate,” but the real attraction was watching the mechanics work smoothly in person. It’s still conceptual, but unusually polished, the kind that feels closer to shipping than Lenovo is letting on.
3. Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold
Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold wasn’t the hottest phone at CES, but it was arguably the boldest. Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth raved about the device and described it as the closest thing to a sci-fi folder yet, unfolding onto a tablet-sized display while still being able to fold into a pocketable item.
Mashable Light Speed
Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable
Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable
Samsung has positioned the TriFold as a visionary rather than a mass-market product, especially given the rumored $2,500 price tag. It’s flexible, but intentional.
4. ROG Xreal R1 AR Gaming Glasses
Credit: Xreal / Asus ROG
Xreal’s unreleased ROG Xreal R1 gaming glasses sat in that rare spot at CES where a product feels one generation away from the mainstream. The world’s first AR glasses with a 240 Hz display, and are part of a partnership between Xreal and Asus ROG. In Mashable’s demo, the glasses were lighter, sharper, and less gimmicky than previous wearable displays, offering a sharper look and fewer compromises in terms of comfort and latency.
They’re still niche, but unlike previous efforts, this didn’t feel like something you’d put up with for five minutes on the show floor.
5. TDM Neo Headphones
TDM’s Neo headphones are classic CES powerhouses in physical form. With a simple twist, the earcups rotate outwards and turn the headset into a pair of portable speakers, a feature that only exists because someone decided it should. Mashable’s coverage made them equal parts impossible and fun, with surprisingly good sound quality at an affordable price.
You don’t need them, but watching the transformation happen is undeniably fun, and sometimes that’s enough.
6. Lego Smart Brick
Lego arriving at CES with something really new wasn’t on my bingo card, but here we are. As Matt Binder and Timothy Beck Werth reported, Lego’s new Smart Play system adds sensors, lights, and sound to what are otherwise normal-looking bricks, responding to movement, color, and placement in real time.
In the demos, cars regenerated when pushed, ducks shook when flipped, and all buildings responded off-screen. Lego calls it the biggest evolution of brick since the minifigure, which sounds like marketing hype until you see kids racing smart Lego cars to the finish line goal who knows who won. “Lego Smart Play is the next exciting chapter in the Lego System in Play,” said Lego CMO Julia Goldin, and for once, that doesn’t sound like an exaggeration.
7. Lollipop Star
CES wouldn’t be CES without a product that makes you stop mid-walk and ask, “Wait, what?” Enter Lollipop Star, a real lollipop that plays music with the motion of a bone while you suck. Yes, indeed. As Stan Schroeder explains, the electronics are hidden in the tooth, sending vibrations from your jaw straight to your inner ear.
At $8.99 a pop, this isn’t a replacement for your headphones, but it’s also unlikely to be a bit of a commitment. The company has partnered with pop artists so each flavor comes with its own song, which somehow makes it even more logical.
8. Lepro’s AI soulmate Ami
Credit: Chance Townsend / Mashable
AI companions aren’t new, but Lepro’s Ami stood out for being physically clumsy and very strange. In my experience on the showfloor, Lepro is openly marketing Ami not just as an AI assistant, but as an AI soulmate for lonely remote workers.
The device itself is a curved OLED cylinder with eye tracking and depth cameras, designed to make its animated image feel “in the room.” I’m always skeptical of AI friendliness as a concept, but watching people sit in Ami’s place, even without a proper demo due to noise, made the appeal clear. Unlike chatbots buried in apps, Ami requires space on your desk and your attention. If we’re going to have AI companions at all, this is at least the most reliable version of that idea.
9. Jackery Solar Mars Bot
Power station Jackery is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and is bringing new innovations to CES 2026, including the Solar Mars Bot. This is a self-propelled power station, which can seek the sun and recharge itself when the power supply is low.
This bot followed our tech editor through a crowded conference room, and we were impressed with its retractable solar panels.
