Sneak Peek at CES 2026: Anticipations for the Major Tech Event in January

Anticipating Major Revelations from Industry Giants Including Samsung, Sony, and NVIDIA

Although CES officially begins in January, early hints of expected products and announcements for technology's premier annual gathering are already emerging. Officially opening its doors from January 6 to 9, CES 2026 will kick off with preliminary events starting Sunday, January 4, followed by a series of press briefings on Monday. The Las Vegas Convention Center, alongside numerous hotels around the city, will be bustling with product showcases, announcements, and networking opportunities. Engadget plans to cover the conference extensively, both on-site and remotely, delivering coverage straight from the venue.

Detailed announcements and pre-releases are anticipated as CES nears, but currently, what’s known is which companies will hold press briefings and potential tech themes that might emerge during the expo.

Confirmed Highlights and Expectations

CES thrives on its press events and exhibition booths. The Consumer Technology Association has made accessible a directory listing the participants in the event, coupled with timetables for official discussions and showcases.

Kicking off on Sunday, January 4, Samsung will commence CES with a presentation by TM Roh, who leads the Samsung DX Division, unveiling the company's 2026 vision blended with innovative AI-focused customer experiences.

January 5 will see a slew of press events. LG will start the day sharing its views on enhancing everyday existence through 'Affectionate Intelligence;' Intel will debut its new Core Ultra Series 3 chips in the afternoon. Additionally, Sony Honda Mobility will introduce its new car, while AMD’s CEO, Lisa Su, will conclude the day discussing AMD’s new chip technologies.

Later, the schedule for December 15 included an additional keynote by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang. This session is planned for January 5 at 1 PM PT, lasting about 90 minutes, focused on showcasing NVIDIA’s latest revolutionary solutions for enhancing productivity across varied sectors.

Finally, on January 6, Lenovo's CEO Yuanqing Yang will lead Lenovo's Tech World Conference at Sphere, utilizing the expansive, uniquely curved display to expound on Lenovo's pledge to advancing AI for universal accessibility. Given that Motorola, known for its AI-equipped phones and foldables, is part of Lenovo, it could also feature during the presentation.

Beyond the unveiling of new innovations, analyzing last year's announcements and the ongoing projects of various firms provides some foresight into CES 2026’s offerings.

Advancements in Chip Technology from AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm

Year after year, CES marks the debut of a multitude of chip innovations, often being the first venue for these technologies to integrate into consumer-ready products. Anticipations are high for AMD to introduce new iterations of its Ryzen series, including the newly glimpsed Ryzen 7 9850X3D promising superior single-threaded output, alongside the 9000G lineup, potentially utilizing AMD’s Zen 5 design. Additionally, AMD might highlight its enhanced AI upscaling technology, FSR Redstone.

Intel has confirmed its plans to unveil Panther Lake chips at CES 2026. Marketed as the Core Ultra Series 3, these chips aim to complement Intel's broader 'AI PC' initiative, tailored for upscale laptops. According to a preview from October 2025, the first chip harnessing the 2-nanometer 18A process is projected to enhance processing capabilities by 50{percent} and deliver a comparable performance increase for the Arc GPU.

Qualcomm looks poised to focus on laptops during CES 2026, building on its efforts to transition Snapdragon processors from mobile devices to broader computing platforms. The introduction of Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Premium chips in laptops is anticipated, fulfilling promised gains in speed and AI functionality from 2025.

The Potential Evolution of Displays

Sony, in April 2025, introduced a revised lineup of Bravia TVs, addressing both flagship and mid-tier segments while adding a new economic option. The standout of this series, the Bravia 9, incorporates a QD-OLED screen. Sony, however, seems to be readying entirely novel display technology for 2026. Back in March 2025, it unveiled a fresh RGB LED panel using Mini LED backlights rendered in red, green, and blue to deliver superior brightness and color fidelity without the downsides of QD-OLED or OLED’s burn-in issues.

Sony has coined 'True RGB' as a possible designation for this innovative display type, which it might formally introduce at CES. Since CES is synonymous with television exhibits, we're likely to witness new display technology from leading brands like LG and Samsung, alongside Sony. In the absence of TV-related announcements, Sony may showcase a new 240Hz PlayStation monitor set for 2026.

Sony isn’t the sole player focused on enhanced screen technologies. Reports suggest that Samsung is refining HDR10 and HDR10+ specifications likely to be presented at CES 2026. This refined HDR10+ Advanced is Samsung's retort to Dolby Vision 2, integrating advanced features such as bi-directional tone mapping and auto-adapting gameplay and sports content adjustments. Samsung’s innovations reportedly enhance brightness, apply genre-specific tone adjustments, and include smart motion smoothing enhancements.

The Anticipated Return of Ballie

Samsung's Ballie, a spherical, yellow robotic assistant well-known to fans, has been teased twice—first in 2020 and then again in 2024, sporting a built-in projector. Initially slated for a 2025 release, with Google’s Gemini integrated into its system, Ballie is yet to see the light of day as 2026 nears. While another announcement might occur at CES 2026, the focus on robotics is set to be significant regardless of Ballie's status.

Robotic cleaning devices garnered attention during CES 2025, and expectations are high for advancements among 2026’s unveiled models. Not every innovation will embrace features like the retractable appendage found in Roborock's Saros Z70, yet robotic vacuum models incorporating the ability to navigate small obstacles, akin to the Dreame X50, seem poised to emerge prominently. Roborock's new Qrevo Curv 2 Flow, the first with a retractable mop, may also gain exposure.

Key improvements in robotic pathfinding are anticipated focus areas. Within the AI sector, there is a shift from language models to spatial world models, which endeavor to furnish AI systems with intricate spatial understanding. These models are foundational to evolving robots into adept navigators of domestic and professional environments, assured to be a major topic during CES 2026.

This piece will be continually revised as January rolls in and additional rumors and confirmations emerge. Ensure to revisit for fresh insights!

This note includes new insights regarding Lenovo owning Motorola, influencing its potential involvement during Tuesday's presentation.

Included is an update on NVIDIA's keynote date, newly inserted into the CTA's agenda barely two days ago.