The Top Trends at CES 2026

CES is a lot of things to a lot of people. But above all else, it is a showcase of emerging and ongoing trends in the tech industry, shared with those in the industry. These are the top trends that I observed at CES 2026.

AI everything

This trend was already in full effect at CES 2025 and it continued unabated at CES 2026. Companies across all industries are feeling massive pressure to integrate AI into their products and they’ve been doing their best to meet that demand.

In many cases, that means blending ChatGPT or a similar LLM (large language model) into an existing product. An example would be Microsoft’s overzealous attempts to shove Copilot into Windows and every Microsoft application.

But the term “AI” is still very vague and certainly isn’t limited to LLMs. Because I register for CES as media, I get inundated with PR emails. I estimate that roughly 90% of those this year were about AI-enabled products and only a small fraction of them were referring to LLMs.

Among those not-LLM products, many still featured something that I would consider AI. Pool cleaning robots, for example, were big this year and they all claim to have autonomous navigation. That qualifies as AI if you’re being generous — though Roomba has had that kind of AI for decades.

Others use “AI” purely as a marketing term, at which point it loses all meaning. Many of you have seen pictures of things like “AI-powered” energy drinks and that is an extreme example, but CES 2026 was full of similar attempts to cash in on the AI trend.

And finally, this trend is also getting downright risky. I received a PR email from a company that built an app that uses AI to tell people when to take medication. That should make us all want to pump the brakes on this whole AI trend, as the obvious next step is AI-prescribed medication.

Humanoid robots

“Physical AI” may have been the trendiest term at CES 2026 and humanoid robots were the most attention-grabbing examples. There were more at CES this year than I could count. I genuinely lost track of all of the different brands and models.

Humanoid robots pull in eyeballs, because they seem so futuristic. We’ve come a long way since Honda introduced ASIMO in 2000, after all.

These new humanoid robots are really impressive — at least when they’re working properly. They can walk around, perform gymnastic feats, and even do karate. But we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. Virtually all of those advanced movements are explicitly pre-programmed or are the result of real-time human piloting. That is hardly an example of “physical AI,” even if it looks awesome.

That said, humanoid robots do have real potential. This trend isn’t entirely about hype, as we’ve built our world to suit our own bodies. If we want robots to inhabit that world, a humanoid form makes sense.

We just have a long, long way to go before those humanoid robots fulfill the promise of physical AI and are able to perform practical tasks autonomously in the real world.

Retro aesthetics

As a lover of vintage electric and electronic products, this trend was a treat for me and also something of a surprise. Retro aesthetics wax and wane in popularity on a regular basis, but I wasn’t expecting so much retro-styled tech at CES 2026.

And unlike in the past, when we got products like CD players made to look like antique record players, the trend doesn’t seem to be about faux facades this time around.

Muzen’s booth is one that stood out to me, as it was full of various Bluetooth speakers that paid homage their vintage 1950s AM/FM ancestors. They were available in all kinds of sizes, shapes, and colors, but my favorites were the tiny models that fit in the palm of your hand. Their OTR models can even act as fridge magnets while they blast out tunes!

Keychron — my favorite mechanical keyboard manufacturer and yours — had models available in every imaginable form factor, layout, and configuration. But I was particularly drawn to some ‘90s PC beige box styles, like the Keychron C2 Pro 8K. That model also happens to run QMK, which will make my fellow keyboard nerds happy.

There were also many retro-styled electric vehicles, including electric motorcycles that look like old Moto Guzzi models and electric scooters that look like classic Vespas. That leads us to the next trend…

Electric vehicles

Electric vehicles have been trending at CES for many years now, but this year was a bit different. There weren’t many electric cars on display, which may be a result of China’s rapidly maturing electric car industry and the resulting backlash in the United States. But that left space for a veritable fleet of electric scooters (both sit-on and stand-on), electric motorcycles, electric bicycles, electric four-wheeler ATVs, and even electric boats.

That isn’t a surprise, as EV battery and motor manufacturing has grown and prices have dropped. It is now easier and more affordable than ever before for both new and established companies to build electric vehicles. And as the market grows more competitive, manufacturers are exploring increasingly interesting ways to stand out.

Among the most intriguing products on display was LIVALL’s PikaBoost 2 eBike Conversion Kit. It provides an inexpensive and extremely easy way to turn an old pedal bicycle into a modern electric bike. That doesn’t require any special mechanical knowledge, because it simply clamps onto the bicycle frame’s upright seat tube and drives the rear tire through a friction drive wheel.

LIVALL claims that installation only takes 30 seconds and that feels reasonable. The Powerful Edition has a 220Wh battery pack and a motor with a continuous power rating of 250W. Those aren’t groundbreaking figures, but they aren’t bad for a $440 kit that is so easy to install.

Battery development

Battery technology could be the most important area of development in the 21st century. Many industries, including the EV, smartphone, and solar industries, are desperate for better battery technology and something truly new would revolutionize the modern world.

Every year, some company at CES claims to have a breakthrough, but those never seem to pan out. However, there were two pretty huge battery announcements this year that have the power to shake things up if they come through.

The first and most exciting is Donut Lab’s solid-state battery. The claims are amazing: cheaper than lithium-ion, a full charge in just five minutes, a lifetime of at least 100,000 cycles, and 400Wh per kg energy density.

I don’t need to tell you why a battery with specs like that would change everything. And Donut Lab’s website proudly says “Available today - World’s first all-solid-state battery in production vehicles.”

That’s amazing. But is it real? People are very skeptical. It feels like a “too good to be true” claim and it hasn’t been independently verified.

The announcement video on Donut Lab’s YouTube channel says that the battery is available now and that is “already powering the upgraded Verge TS Pro motorcycle shipping to customers.”

Except that is misleading. The Verge TS Pro is an existing model that has been out since 2024 with conventional lithium-ion batteries. As far as I can tell, nobody has actually received a Verge TS Pro with a solid-state battery and verified Donut Lab’s claims.

I’m no expert on battery technology, but the overwhelming sentiment I’ve seen is extreme skepticism. I recommend you practice similar skepticism until any of this is verified.

Luckily, there was a much more grounded battery announcement this year and that came from Flint Labs. Their “paper battery” (actually cellulose) would alleviate many environmental concerns associated with elements like lithium, as it is made using just cellulose and “safe” minerals like zinc and manganese.

These batteries will come in many forms, including AA and AAA sizes. Flint Labs isn’t making any crazy claims about energy density or exotic chemistry, they’ve just found a way to make batteries that are far less harmful to the environment. Partnerships with well-known companies also help to lend credence to the technology.

Conclusions

The most common statement I heard from exhibitors, attendees, fellow media personnel, and even Uber drivers was that CES was bad this year. There were fewer exhibitors at CES 2026 than there were at CES 2025 and, subjectively, there just wasn’t as much excitement in the air.

But there were still plenty of interesting products on display and a lot of clear progression in several industries, as these trends demonstrate. Unconfirmed battery breakthroughs aside, this was very much an evolutionary year and not a revolutionary year.

CES 2026 proved that this is an industry event, not some kind of modern world’s fair. And that is okay.