Nvidia, Samsung, Google Launch The Physical AI Era at CES 2026

WHAT’S INSIDE THIS SPECIAL EDITION

CES 2026 is off to a fast start. The first two days in Las Vegas have been defined by AI, robotics, autonomous driving, and smart home hardware moving from concept to real products. Keynotes from NVIDIA and Samsung set the tone, while major releases from Amazon, Google, Qualcomm, LG, GE, and others show how quickly physical AI is becoming mainstream.

Key Sections and Companies Featured Below

• AI Infrastructure and Physical AI, NVIDIA Vera Rubin, Nemotron, Alpamayo,

• Autonomous Vehicles and Robotics, Boston Dynamics Atlas x NVIDIA & Google DeepMind, Qualcomm chips, Dragonwing IQ10 & Vinmotion

• Consumer AI and Smart Assistants: Alexa+, Alexa.com, Android XR, Gemini

• Smart Home and Consumer Robotics: Samsung, LG, GE Profile, SwitchBot,

• Wearables and Personal AI Devices: Xreal, TCL, Vocci, Subtle, Garmin, Plaud

• TVs, Displays, and XR: Samsung, LG, TCL, Hisense, Google TV, Fire TV

• Laptops: Qualcomm, Snapdragon X2 Plus, HP, MSI, Acer, Galaxy Book + More

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Highlights From CES 2026

The Tech Buzz Team in Las Vegas

The year’s premier tech event kicked off Sunday, setting the template for consumer technology trends for the year to come.

As expected the first two days have been dominated by massive announcements from the Samsung, and NVIDIA keynotes as well as big AI or hardware releases from just about everyone else. CES 2026 most notably has stepped up the pace of release of physical AI-driven products and innovations like never before. 

Key highlights so far include major autonomous driving and consumer home AI tech and robotics advancements from the likes of Nvidia, Samsung, GE and LG. There were also big AI releases from Amazon going live with a new Alexa+ app to Google’s major Android-XR stunt at the sphere indicating we are witnessing the launch of the Android mixed reality age. There were also big new hardware developments with Micro RGB TVs, projectors, wearables, health and sports tech. 

ISG Predictions for the event indicated that firms would focus on technology modernization to optimize costs, with a key emphasis on AI and cybersecurity investments. This seems to have played out. The physical AI hardware, sensors and the other enabling infrastructure for the new era leveling up is something to behold.

A big Laptop focus was also expected. However, with the high price of GPUs right now and the shortage of AI chips, we didn’t expect too many meg-powered consumer units. That looks to have held true also so far. While there are some cool new bits of innovation happening and some solid consumer and gaming machines so far, none of the machines dropped are what one would call game-changing beasts in the processing space. 

So what are we watching after the first two days in Vegas?

Samsung’s “First Look” Keynote, Sunday

The South Korean tech giant closed out the Sunday sessions, simultaneously announcing it has received positive feedback on its HBM4 chips, with customers stating "Samsung is back." The company aims to enhance its competitiveness further. SK Hynix noted that AI chip demand is now a standard expectation, leading to intensified competition. 

Samsung's foundry business is positioned for significant growth due to recent supply deals, while challenges such as rising component prices and global tariffs are anticipated in 2026.

Samsung also set up the industry's largest standalone exhibition hall at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas during CES 2026, unveiling its integrated event 'The First Look' encompassing exhibitions, conferences, and forums.

On the product side Samsung spent about an hour going over the various ways it's further integrating AI into our lives. Samsung ambitiously says it plans to double AI mobile devices to 800 million units this year according to a press release today.

A  big focus this year for Samsung was on smart home technology. This included things like spill detection in robot vacuums, upscaling in Micro RGB TVs, or recipe suggestions in smart refrigerators. 

Beyond the smart home device ecosystem, it also highlighted its focus on health detection with its medical tech focused on tracking early signs of illnesses, dementia, and other health problems.

Samsung also unveiled the Galaxy Z TriFold - which has three panels. It is a true phone-tablet hybrid that focuses less on flashy specs and more on its utility and practicality. It's just 3.9mm at its thinnest point and 4.2mm at its thickest, not accounting for the camera bump. It feels like a true hybrid device that may fill a niche that book-style foldables have yet to satisfy, despite their many efforts. The trifold's 5,600-mAh battery should easily allow the phone to power through a full day's use, compared to the Z Fold 7’s 4,400-mAh battery

Nvidia Keynote, Monday

NVIDIA's CEO Jensen Huang outlined the company's strategy for the Physical AI Era, focusing on AI infrastructure in data centers, robotics, autonomous vehicles, and healthcare. Key announcements included:

The launch of the Vera Rubin AI computing system and new open models for various AI applications, such as Nemotron for agentic AI and Alpamayo for autonomous vehicles. NVIDIA emphasized a system-level design approach to improve efficiency and reduce costs, while also releasing extensive datasets to support AI development.

Alpamayo is an Autonomous Vehicle Gamechanger

One of the major points to watch is that Nvidia’s Alpamayo, a 10-billion-parameter reasoning AI model for autonomous vehicles is now enabling cars to handle complex scenarios through reasoning rather than pattern recognition. The open-source model, available on Hugging Face, includes over 1,700 hours of real driving data and the AlpaSim simulation framework for testing. CEO Jensen Huang described it as a pivotal moment for physical AI, seeking to cement Nvidia as a key infrastructure provider in the autonomous vehicle industry as AI enters the physical era.

Boston Robotics Takes Consumer Robotics Mass-Market

Boston Dynamics announced strategic AI partnerships with Nvidia and Google DeepMind, while simultaneously unveiling the first production-ready version of its Atlas humanoid robot. Atlas is officially ready for real-world deployment as humanoid robotics in the US crosses from research into reality.

The new Atlas represents a massive leap toward affordable, general-purpose humanoid robots, especially as U.S. companies race to close the gap with fast-moving Chinese consumer robotics firms already shipping at scale.

Atlas is built to work where humans work:

• 56 degrees of freedom, with mostly fully rotational joints

• Human-scale hands featuring tactile sensing in fingers and palms

• 360-degree vision, allowing it to detect people approaching from any direction

• Lifts up to 110 pounds and reaches 7.5 feet

• Water-resistant, capable of full-strength operation during industrial washdowns

• Operates from -4°F to 104°F, designed for real factory and warehouse conditions

Qualcomm also kicked off its CES show on Sunday by announcing a full suite of robotics technologies, designed to power everything from small household robots to full-sized humanoids. It's calling this full-stack architecture, which integrates hardware, software and AI, the Dragonwing IQ10 Series. To demonstrate what this tech is capable of, Qualcomm has partnered with Vietnamese robotics company Vinmotion on the Motion 2 robot - a general-purpose humanoid that went viral for its dexterity late last year. 

Amazon’s Alexa+ AI Assistant is Now on the Web 

Amazon's AI assistant, Alexa, is now available on the web and features a revamped app, expanding its accessibility beyond Echo devices. On Monday, at the start of the CES, the company announced the official launch of a new website, Alexa.com, which is now rolling out to all Alexa+ Early Access customers.

Alexa.com allows users to access its AI assistant online, similar to other chatbots. The new site and updated mobile app focus on family needs, enabling tasks like managing calendars, grocery lists, and smart home devices. Alexa+ aims to differentiate itself by integrating more services and enhancing user interaction, with significant increases in usage reported. However, there are concerns about performance issues, which Amazon believes are overstated. 

The app is now in the top 5 on App stores which shows it could have pretty good market penetration if these issues can be overcome. 

Google’s Android XR Spectacle 

Google just turned the Las Vegas Sphere into a towering billboard for its next big bet on spatial computing. The Android XR platform is now lighting up the iconic venue's exterior, showcasing immersive experiences powered by Gemini AI. This marks Google's latest push to establish Android XR as a serious competitor in the booming XR headset market, coming right as Samsung's Galaxy XR device hits the market.

Samsung also just launched the Galaxy XR headset, marking the first major device to ship with Android XR. Meanwhile, Google has been quietly building momentum through The Android Show | XR Edition, where it previewed additional devices coming to the platform. The Sphere display essentially dramatizes what those devices can do at scale - to create immersive experiences that feel like a portal into another world. The world of travel and entertainment looks set for a massive revolution when this technology becomes more available.

AMD’s Helios Signals a Full-Stack AI Push

AMD introduced Helios, a next-generation AI platform emphasizing high-density infrastructure, open software, and world-scale modeling. Key features include the MI455X GPU with 320 billion transistors and advanced cooling technology. AMD highlighted collaborations with OpenAI and advancements in AI video generation through Luma. Future plans include the MI500 chip for 2027, promising a 1,000x performance increase, and new AI chips for PCs, alongside a partnership with Zoom for local automations.

Smart Home Tech

CES 2026 was always expected to bring major advancements in AI, smart home, entertainment, wearables, robotics, mobility, and gaming. Key innovations include AI-integrated devices, smart home products like the Mui Board, and the transformation of vehicles into software platforms. Some releases to watch so far include:

GE Profile — Known for its innovative home appliances GE unveiled a smart fridge featuring a built-in barcode scanner, live camera, and 8-inch touchscreen. Launching in April 2026 for $4,899, it aims to revolutionize kitchen storage by enhancing food management and reducing waste.

LG introduced ClOiD, an AI-powered home robot capable of cooking, laundry, and more. Integrating with LG's ThinQ ecosystem, leverages advanced AI and vision technology for autonomous navigation and task coordination.

SwitchBot unveiled the Onero H1 - a wheeled robot that cleans, washes, and cooks for you. It  learns and reacts to its environment using visual perception and tactile feedback to perform tasks such as grasping, pushing, and opening, which are necessary for household chores. 

An AI-Powered Robo Pet Spy Cam 

FrontierX launched Vex, an AI-powered robot that autonomously follows pets, films them, and edits the footage into shareable videos. The company also introduced Aura, a larger companion robot that can read moods and engage in conversation. Both robots are still in development, with preorders expected in six months, but pricing details are not yet available. This innovation signifies a shift towards interactive consumer robotics that actively engage with pets and their owners. Make your pet an instagram star today.

Wearables Worth Watching

Xreal's latest display glasses are available at a lower price than the prior model and can connect directly with a Nintendo Switch 2 using a new dock accessory. The Xreal 1S costs $450, which is a substantial discount from the $649 price of the Xreal One Pro (but the same as a Switch 2). The new glasses feature a larger 52-degree field of view and a slightly higher 1,200-pixel resolution, compared to the 1080p offered on the Pro.

TLC’s HDR display glasses, the RayNeo Air Pro 4 is one of the first models to incorporate the super-bright micro-OLED panels, which can hit up to 1,200 nits. 

The Vocci AI smart ring  is designed to integrate with your professional life. It isn't an always-listening, omnipresent device; recording starts only when you manually press a small button on the side of the ring. It captures meetings and generates a transcript when it's over. To timestamp an important moment in a meeting, you can simply tap the button on the side of the ring as you hear it. Vocci will flag that section in the transcript in red and provide AI-generated insights based on those notes. 

Voice AI startup Subtle unveiled Voicebuds, AI-powered earbuds that better capture your voice in loud rooms. The $199 noise-isolating earbuds come with voice dictation capabilities that work across any app on desktop or phone. Subtle claims 5x fewer errors than AirPods Pro 3 combined with OpenAI transcription. It captures clear audio even during whispered speech in demos. The startup directly challenges AI dictation apps like Wispr Flow, Willow, and Superwhisper by bundling hardware with integrated software. Subtle CEO Tyler Chen says that voice is emerging as primary interface; Subtle has raised $6M and partners with Qualcomm and Nothing.

Garmin announced that it’s adding nutrition tracking to the Garmin Connect app as a perk for plus users. The feature lets users track their calories and macros (proteins, fats and carbs) and receive Active Intelligence insights to help them achieve their nutrition goals”. To log foods, you can search for items in a “global food database that includes packaged, restaurant and regional food options” as well as by scanning bar codes or by using the camera on your smartphone. 

TVs and Displays Level Up Yet Again

TVs and displays at CES just keep getting more insane every year. This was no exception, with some amazing updates from the usual suspects.

Samsung unveiled a massive, Micro RGB backlit TV. The hefty 130-inch R95H has Samsung's proprietary Glare-Free technology promising more saturated colors and better brightness. It doesn't have a price tag yet, but don't expect it to be cheap. Samsung also confirmed that Google Photos will be coming to Samsung TVs later this year, bringing photo libraries and Memories directly into the living room.

Samsung also unveiled the Freestyle+ – the latest version of its long-running portable projector. It comes with a compact design, snappy interface and impressive audio. It’s got most of the entertainment apps you’d want built right in, and it can even beam Xbox games directly from the cloud onto your wall.

Meanwhile, LG revealed its W6 Wallpaper TV. With its thin design, wireless connection box and the option to display artwork digitally, the Wallpaper TV allows you to install a television in your living room while maintaining a clean setup. The W6 is super thin at just 0.35 inches (9mm). It's designed to sit flush against a wall, so if you wall-mount your television, it shouldn't stick out too much. LG's W6 Wallpaper TV has a wireless connection box for the audio/video inputs, like HDMI ports, that can be placed up to 30 feet away. With a high 165Hz refresh rate it is expected to have a price range of $2,000 to upwards of $20,000.

TCL is also pushing the boundaries, this time of TV brightness, with the X11L, a new 4K LCD set the company says can reach up to 10,000 nits. The X11L uses a Super Quantum Dot (SQ-LED) layer to boost color intensity and crank brightness using proprietary tech to show the widest range of colors possible in a television screen. The TCL X11L will be available this month in 75-, 85-, and 98-inch options.

The Hisense S6 FollowMe smart TV includes a 32-inch 4K display, far-field microphones and a built-in video camera. Hisense says you can use it like a big tablet, including having it stream videos, take video calls and browse the internet. But because it's so big, you wheel it around the house instead of carrying it around.

Google is focusing on using Gemini to improve the TV-watching experience at CES 2026, showing off a series of new Gemini features that will soon arrive on the TV, making it possible for viewers to deep-dive into topics, search for and “reimagine” their personal photos and videos with AI. You can also tell the TV what to do instead of having to navigate through complicated settings. It is first bringing these Gemini features and others to select TCL televisions before rolling them out more broadly to other Google TV devices in the months ahead.

Amazon is meanwhile rolling out a Fire TV redesign that puts more focus on the content, while also simplifying the navigation and layout. The update is accompanied by a refreshed version of the Fire TV app and the arrival of new premium Fire TV televisions with colorful frames.

Of course, Alexa+ access is also built in, allowing users to ask questions, find content, or even do things like call an Uber. This AI-powered assistant allows users to ask questions in natural language, refine their queries as they chat, ask follow-ups, and use visual context.

Laptops Showing Innovation at CES 2026

On the laptop front the key releases so far are listed here:

Qualcomm announced a new Snapdragon X2 Plus chipset, which looks promising for midrange laptops. The main model features a 10-core Oryon CPU, an updated Adreno GPU, and LPDDR5x memory. There are also some other nice-to-have features, such as Wi-Fi 7 support, Qualcomm's Snapdragon Guardian security technology, and enhanced energy efficiency. 

MSI showcased updates to its Prestige, Stealth, Raider, and Crosshair laptops, focusing on improved designs, portability, and battery life. The Prestige series emphasizes business use with features like OLED displays and self-serviceable components. The Stealth 16 AI Plus offers a sleeker design and upgraded internals, while the Raider 16 Max HX and Crosshair 16 Max HX provide enhanced gaming performance with new visual designs and specifications. Pricing details are yet to be announced.

HP's Omnibook Ultra 14 features a super thin and durable design, passing 20 military standard tests. Weighing 2.8 pounds and only 0.42 inches thick, it offers a 3K OLED display, up to 64GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage, with options for Intel or Snapdragon processors. The laptop includes a quality keyboard, quad speakers, and multiple USB-C ports, though lacks an SD card reader. Priced starting at $1,550, it aims to be a strong contender in the premium 14-inch Windows laptop market.

HP also unveiled the HyperX Omen Max 16 is introduced as the most powerful 16-inch gaming laptop without external cooling, featuring a total platform power of 300 watts and support for the latest Intel and AMD chips, along with an NVIDIA RTX 5090 GPU. It includes a third cooling fan and HP’s Fan Cleaner tech to prevent dust buildup. The laptop has a matte black design with RGB lighting and a 2.5K OLED display, although its glossy coating may cause glare. While the exact price and release date are not yet available, it is positioned as a strong contender for gamers seeking a desktop replacement.

Acer introduced the Swift 16 AI laptop at CES, featuring the world's largest haptic touchpad, a 16-inch 3K OLED display, and up to an Intel Core Ultra X9 processor. The Swift Edge 14 AI was also unveiled, notable for its lightweight design and powerful specs. Both laptops support up to 32GB of RAM and are part of the Copilot+ PC program, with maximum storage options of 2TB and 1TB, respectively.

Samsung launched the Galaxy Book 6 series at CES, featuring Intel's latest Panther Lake chips, improved designs, and longer battery life. The series includes the Galaxy Book 6 Ultra and Pro, both with enhanced performance, AMOLED displays, and a full-size SD card reader. The laptops are thinner, with better heat management and AI features for image editing and note summarization. Pricing and release dates are yet to be announced.

Taking Notes with Plaud

Note to self: One of these would be handy for next year. The Plaud NotePin S AI pin and a desktop meeting notetaker were announced at CES 2026. These innovations aim to enhance productivity and streamline workflows, marking Plaud as a company to watch in the AI solutions space. Plaud, please hit us up.

On The Charge

Belkin unveiled a range of next-gen chargers and power accessories at CES 2026, including the Charging Case Pro for Nintendo Switch 2 and UltraCharge Pro Power Bank 27K. These products emphasize fast charging, portability, and broad device compatibility, targeting gamers, creators, and daily users.

And while Xreal has been putting out some impressive smart glasses over the past few years, but its best product of this year's show might in fact be the Xreal Neo, a portable charger that doubles as a display adapter, making it ideal for both keeping the smart glasses topped up and also connected to consoles like the Nintendo Switch. saves you the bulk when traveling.

The Donut solid state battery – A small, dense battery at CES could enable cheaper, safer and lighter personal transportation. Solid state batteries use a solid material to pass ions between the nodes of a battery, compared to the liquid electrolyte used by, say, alkaline and lithium batteries. The solid chemistry allows them to hold more charge in a given battery, be less volatile and cheaper to produce. Donut Labs has paired with Verge Motorcycles to incorporate the new battery in its Verge TS Pro electric motorcycle.

Devices and Sensor Tech

Hyper, known for its computing accessories, has released the new TrackPad Pro, which features a 240Hz report rate, customizable gestures, and haptic feedback. A few ZDNET staff members tested this ahead of CES and were quite intrigued by the idea of a premium trackpad. Are you?

Wellness Tech Goes Physical

Back in 2023, Withings launched Body Scan, a super-premium scale with the sort of tech found in a high-end gym or low-end clinic. It had a six-lead ECG, offered segmented body composition and could monitor your nerve health, among other things. Now the company has rocked up at CES 2026 in Las Vegas with a second-generation model that adds in tests for hypertension and cellular health. Withings hopes the new model will give you even more data you can use to fight against chronic illnesses brought on by our decadent modern lifestyle.

The first generation Body Scan checked 40 biomarkers, while the new model has 60, and even the press materials need a bulleted list to talk about the new features. Topping the bill is the new Impedance Cardiography (ICG) which monitors your heart’s capacity to pump blood to the organs. Second, Bioimpedance Spectroscopy (BIS) uses a low level electrical current to check your body’s total water, letting the scale keep an eye on your cellular age, active cell mass and metabolic efficiency.

Top Sports Tech So Far

Pongbot debuted the Pace S Pro at CES 2026, an AI-driven tennis training platform using UWB tracking and Recovery Trigger technology. It offers 564+ drills through a mobile app, enhancing footwork and shot execution by adapting to player movements for improved solo training.

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