It’s the first week of the new year and there’s no time for the tech world to relax a little and get back to things after the holidays. That’s because CES 2026 is in full swing, with all kinds of companies descending on Las Vegas to unveil new innovations and what they plan to bring you in the near future.
Many of the Engadget team are on the ground to test out as many new technologies as possible. Of course, we’re always looking at all the big CES press conferences. Samsung has already held its First First presentation, which focuses on home products, and LG has shown a number of TVs. Presentations from NVIDIA, Sony, Lego, Hyundai and more are still to come.
You can find all the big CES 2026 announcements (and some of the offbeat gizmos shown at the event) right here. We will keep this story updated throughout the week.
Micro RGB TVs
Samsung’s 130-inch Micro RGB TV. (Devindra Hardawar of Engadget)
Micro RGB is a term you can expect to hear a lot more about in the coming months and years, especially if you’re shopping for your next TV. Micro RGB is a new technology similar to Mini LED, although it uses red, blue and green LEDs instead of white backlights. Contrast ratios are not as high as those in Micro LED and OLED screens, since the pixels can be turned on and off individually. However, Micro RGB units are said to be brighter and more color accurate than TVs using other display technologies, in part because the LEDs in these screens offer small, customizable dimming zones.
We’re seeing more of these TVs from CES 2026, including a big 130-inch concept model that Samsung brought to Las Vegas. The company launched its first Micro RGB TV in August, — that’s a 115-inch, $29,999 model. This year, you can expect it to start offering Micro RGB TVs in 55-, 65- and 75-inch sizes. There are also 85-, 100- and 115-inch models on the way.
LG also revealed their first Micro RGB set at CES. The largest variant is 100 inches, but there are 86 and 75-inch models as well. Elsewhere, LG showed its latest Wallpaper TV, which is a 100-inch OLED display. We also took a look at LG’s new Gallery TV — Gallery is the company’s take on Samsung’s Frame TV format.
Samsung
Samsung’s Music Studio 5 speakers at CES 2026. (Billy Steele of Engadget)
Samsung being Samsung, the company had a lot more up its sleeve than just TVs. Earlier at CES, it announced its two new soundbars (we got hands-on with one of these), the 50s-looking Music Studio speakers (we’ve got IRL impressions of those), a bunch of monitors, and a revamped FreeStyle + projector (we tested that too). It also announced plans to bring Google Photos to TVs.
At the First Look presentation on Sunday, Samsung talked about “AI is everywhere. For everyone” (sigh). Here, we’ve seen plenty of TVs, like the slim S95H OLED, which has a zero-gap that lets you place the flexible unit on the wall.
First Look has long focused on home products. Naturally, Samsung executives discussed some features of the company’s refrigerators, such as recipe selection, AI cooling technology and Google Gemini-powered AI Vision that is said to be able to see many things and help you find what you need to buy without having to take inventory yourself. FoodNote, on the other hand, is a weekly summary that breaks down what goes in and out of your fridge.
Samsung has highlighted the Samsung Bespoke AI Laundry Combo and its new AI wash cycle. With the new Air Dresser – which features Auto Wrinkle Care – Samsung aims to eliminate wrinkles (thanks, Samsung). As for the Bespoke AI smart vacuum and mop, which apparently can keep an eye on your pets when you’re away.
LG
LG’s CLID robot. (LG)
Likewise, LG brought more than TVs to CES. The company’s brightest is its CLOiD robot. Like the stylish 1X Neo, the CLOiD is designed to help with household tasks like starting laundry cycles, folding clothes, emptying the dishwasher and serving meals. This seems like more of a concept than something you’ll be able to buy anytime soon, but we should get a closer look at the CLOiD in person later this week.
The company also released the LG Sound Suite, a modular home audio system developed in partnership with Dolby to take on the likes of Sonos. Just before CES, LG pulled back the curtain on a new line of xboom speakers and monitors and Gram’s ultralight laptops made from a material it calls Aerominum.
L’Oreal
A pair of transparent eye masks with wires and lights inside. (L’Oréal)
L’Oreal often brings interesting beauty technology to CES and the company has done so again this year with three gadgets. The LED Eye Mask uses red light and near infrared light to treat the likes of puffiness, discoloration and fine lines.
The LED Face Mask appears to be a more responsive version of the masks we’ve seen from the likes of Dr. Dennis Gross, Omnilux, Therabody and Shark in recent years. However, it is only in prototype form at the moment and is not expected to hit the market until next year.
Light Straight + Multi-styler uses infrared light to help hair dry and style, like L’Oreal’s AirLight Pro. It is said to have sensors that use “built-in proprietary algorithms and machine learning” to adapt to your touch and “enhance the individual experience.” L’Oreal says that while traditional straighteners can work at 400°F or higher (a temperature that can damage hair), its latest innovation “straightens hair effectively while never exceeding 320°F.” You can expect the Light Straight to arrive in 2027 as well.
Laptops and desktops
LG Gram Pro (Engadget)
It’s CES season, so we’re going to see a lot of laptops and desktops. We’ll probably see most of those come out after NVIDIA’s press conference on Monday evening, though we’ve already had a look at LG’s Aerominum laptops.
