CES 2026 day 1: the 11 best gadgets we've seen so far, from smart lights to LG's new OLEDs

It's CES time again: the event formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show is now just CES, but still the biggest tech expo in the calendar. The 2026 edition is now underway in Las Vegas, and the TechRadar team has been checking out everything on show.

CES is an opportunity for tech companies huge and small to parade some of the products they've got coming across the rest of the year. Everything from laptops and smartwatches to fridges and smart lights appear at CES, and we quite often get some quirky and unusual tech at the same time.

Here's our round-up of the highlights we've seen on the first day of CES. Technically, it's 'day zero' – the day when a lot of media briefings are given and a lot of press releases are issued – but here's what caught our eye, in no particular order. And if you want to see our pick from the second day from the show, you can also now head to our CES 2026 Day 2 roundup...

1. Pebble Round 2

• Best feature: The 1.3-inch e-paper display

Pebble smartwatches are back, and the Round 2 is looking to fix some of the problems that held back the original Time Round (all the way back in 2015). Specifically, it brings with it a larger, e-paper display, and much improved battery life, at a cheaper price.

Smart features include the ability to track steps and sleep, and there's even some basic water resistance here as well. You can pair this with both iPhones and Android devices, and you can pick one up for $199 (that's about £145 / AU$295), with shipping in May.

• Read the full story: Pebble unveils Pebble Round 2 – and fixes all the original's major pitfalls

2. JBL Soundgear Clips

• Best feature: That 'ear cuff' design

There are plenty of earbuds and headphones on show at CES 2026, but the JBL Soundgear Clips have caught our eyes – or ears? As the name suggests, they're the first JBL earbuds to use the clip-on design, and they come in a variety of bold colors like purple and copper.

We haven't used them yet, but we do know that they offer up to 32 hours of playback time on a single battery charge (if you include the case), and that they offer IP54 water and dust resistance. As for pricing, they're expected to set you back $149.95 (about £110 / AU$225).

• Read the full story: JBL is going all-in on open earbuds at CES 2026 – meet the firm's 3 new open-fit options

3. Govee Ceiling Light Ultra

• Best feature: Customized lighting patterns

Govee has shown up at CES 2026, with some brand new smart lights in tow. The pick of the bunch as far as we're concerned is the Ceiling Light Ultra, and you may be able to guess where in the room it goes based on the name. Yes, that's right, you fix it to the ceiling.

That positioning means it can cast an ambient aura of illumination all across the space it's fitted into, and with a choice of more than 20 color presets as well as extra customization controls, there's lots you can do with this. It also offers a decent 5,000 lumens brightness.

• Read the full story: Govee unveils 3 new smart lights, plus a host of new features to help you create the perfect mood

4. Seattle Ultrasonics C200 knife

• Best feature: Effortless fruit and veg slicing

CES always plays host to a variety of more unusual and obscure gadgets, and in this spirit, we give you the Seattle Ultrasonics C200 knife. It uses a carefully calibrated array of vibrating crystals to make slicing easier, with a minimal amount of force needed.

Think of it like bikes and e-bikes: you're using tech to do more with less effort. We've actually given this a try on the show floor, and it makes short work of cutting through a tomato. Shipping is set for later this year, with a price of around $399 (about £295 / AU$595).

• Read the full story: The C200 Ultrasonic Knife vibrates to cut through things, not with a motor but with micro vibrations to give you a new kitchen superpower to zip through vegetables

5. Samsung Galaxy TriFold

• Best feature: It has an extra fold

The Samsung Galaxy TriFold was announced before CES, but with a US launch getting closer, we've been able to get some hands-on time with the tri-fold – it's like a normal book-style foldable, but with an extra screen segment and hinge.

Our first impressions are very good, with Editor at Large Lance Ulanoff describing it as "unquestionably a remarkable design achievement" and a device that offers "truly pocketable big-screen tablet productivity". Check out the full story for more details.

• Read the full story: I finally tried the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold and couldn't believe my eyes and hands – I just hope it doesn't cost a fortune

6. Anker Soundcore Aerofit 2 Pro

• Best feature: An adjustable ear hook

Back to the wireless earbuds and we have the Soundcore AeroFit 2 Pro from Anker, yours for $179.99 (about £135 / AU$270). You've got a number of premium features to enjoy with these, including active noise cancellation, water and sweat resistance, and hi-res support.

Most interestingly though, the earbuds come with an adjustable ear hook, which goes some way to solving the problem of finding the right fit for the buds you're stuffing into your ears. The audio balance is automatically adjusted to match the hook position too.

• Read the full story: Roborock’s new robovac has a mechanical arm that can pick up your socks and maybe also play with your cat

7. LG W6 'Wallpaper' TV / LG C6H OLED

• Best feature: Super-slim profile

LG of course makes some of the very best TVs on the market, and it's looking to repeat the trick in 2026. The new LG W6 'Wallpaper' TV, for example, comes in a super-slim frame and uses the Zero Connect box to try and be as wallpaper-y as it possibly can be.

There's a lot more from LG this year too, including the LG C6H OLED: this brings with it a major bump in brightness thanks to brand new display tech, and you can pick it up in both 77-inch and 83-inch sizes. We're still waiting to hear how much these TVs will cost, though.

• Read the full story: LG announces new OLED TVs at CES – brighter G6, the C6 splits in two, ultra-thin Wallpaper OLED, and the world's first 4K 120Hz cloud gaming TVs

8. Samsung S95H OLED / 130-inch Micro RGB TV

• Best feature: Significantly better brightness

Speaking of TVs, Samsung has its own models to demo at CES 2026, starting with the Samsung S95H OLED. This flagship television comes with something of a design revamp, improved brightness, powerful upscaling, and better anti-glare tech for the display.

It's also worth mentioning the gigantic 130-inch Micro RGB TV that Samsung has brought to the show floor as well. It's so big it comes with its own bespoke stand, so you don't need to worry about wall mounting it, although you might need to worry about the cost.

• Read the full story: Samsung reveals upgraded OLED TVs and super-sized screens at CES 2026

9. Withings Body Scan 2

• Best feature: Tracking 60+ different biomarkers

Smart scales are getting smarter, and the Withings Body Scan 2 is a case in point. The device is capable of measuring more than 60 different biomarkers for a full picture look at your overall health, and all you need to do is stand on it briefly every day or so.

There's an LCD display here for at-a-glance results, plus of course a dedicated companion app for digging into your metrics. You might have to save up for this though, as the smart scale launches later in the year for $599.95 (that's currently around £445 / AU$895).

• Read the full story: The Withings Body Scan 2 smart scale promises to be your 'longevity station' – thanks to over 60 biomarkers that predict your future health

10. Clicks Power Keyboard

• Best feature: The slide-out form factor

The latest BlackBerry-style phone keyboard attachment from Clicks brings with it some useful upgrades over its predecessor. First, it adopts a slide-out form factor, so you can neatly tuck the keyboard away when you're not using it, reducing the overall bulk.

Second, there's an integrated wireless charger here that you can use to power up your phone, as long as it's compatible with MagSafe or Qi2 wireless charging. We can see these $79 / £60 / AU$120 devices proving very popular with phone owners as the year goes on.

• Read the full story: The new Clicks Power Keyboard can turn your phone into a BlackBerry – and it doubles as a wireless charger too

11. SwitchBot Onero H1 robot

• Best feature: Learning on the job

There are robots at CES 2026, and they're coming with AI on board, ready to take care of time-consuming and tedious household tasks for you. The SwitchBot Onero H1, for example, can fold laundry, load up the dishwasher, and even fetch you a drink.

The full capabilities of the Onero H1 are a bit vague though – SwitchBot says that the robot is smart and versatile enough to learn how to do a variety of tasks, if you show it how, but we're not sure we're ready to trust it around kitchen appliances or kids at the moment.

• Read the full story: SwitchBot demonstrates Onero H1, the most accessible AI household robot

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.