From good Lego bricks to robots huge and small.
Annual know-how showcase CES (previously Shopper Electronics Present) returned to Las Vegas this week, highlighting among the most fascinating new client merchandise coming in 2026, and past.
Whereas the occasion confirmed but once more that generative AI continues to be built-in into every little thing from fridges to hormone displays, the merchandise which caught Data Age’s consideration offered each successful of familiarity or nostalgia and a peek into the longer term.
From a brand new smartphone with echoes of the previous, to basic plastic toys gaining cool new electronics— listed here are the CES devices we predict it’s best to find out about.
The Clicks Communicator oozes Blackberry vibes
Equipment startup Clicks first made a splash in 2024 when it started promoting smartphone circumstances which added bodily keyboards to in any other case all-screen gadgets.
The tactility of its retro-futuristic merchandise clearly captured quite a lot of individuals, as a result of the corporate is now launching its personal smartphone referred to as the Communicator.
The gadget overtly takes design cues from Blackberry’s iconic cellphones of the noughties, and Clicks has continued to work with former Blackberry designer Joseph Hofer.
The Clicks Communicator (proper) takes many design cues from Blackberry gadgets (left), that are now not in manufacturing. Picture: Clicks / YouTube
Whereas the Communicator brings a heavy dose of nostalgia, it additionally leans into the phenomena of dumb telephones and the retro telephone revival, as some customers draw back from their often-addictive good gadgets.
Clicks says its telephone is “designed for doing, not doomscrolling”, which is why it has a bodily keyboard, a buyer launcher which prioritises communication apps, and a ‘sign gentle’ which might change color primarily based on acquired notifications.
It’s additionally packing some strong specs, together with a 4,000 mAh silicon-carbon battery, expandable storage, entrance and rear cameras, and a headphone jack (keep in mind these?).
Clicks is advertising the Communicator as a substitute for the secondary smartphone which some individuals now carry, typically for work — and even “as a night or weekend telephone”.
However it might additionally enchantment as a essential gadget to those that need to focus extra on communication and spend much less time on social media, video games, or different apps.
The Communicator will run Android 16 at launch and may have “all of the apps, 5G connectivity, and Wi-Fi” of a standalone smartphone, Clicks says.
The gadget is predicted to start transport in 2026, together with to Australia, for round $750 (excluding early-bird pricing).
Clicks additionally used CES to announce a wi-fi smartphone battery pack with a foldout bodily keyboard, referred to as the Energy Keyboard.
Lego is making Sensible Bricks now
A shock reveal at CES 2026 got here from The Lego Group, which is placing a tiny pc and a bunch of sensors inside what it calls Sensible Bricks.
The brand new blocks are the dimensions of typical 2×4 Lego bricks, and Lego calls them “one of the important evolutions” in its historical past.
Sensible Bricks embrace a customized chip which might reply with gentle and sound when it senses motion or interplay, Lego says.
The bricks will work alongside new Lego Sensible Tags and Sensible Minifigures which have built-in NFC chips — which, when detected by the Sensible Bricks, set off its sound and lighting results.
The Sensible Bricks even have wi-fi charging and might talk with different good Lego items over Bluetooth, to sense context similar to distance and course.
Lego’s chief product and advertising officer, Julia Goldin, instructed CES, “All collectively, what that unlocks is a chance for interactivity, new dimensions of responsiveness, alternative for extra social play, and for extra storytelling.”
Lego Sensible Bricks, Sensible Tags, and Sensible Minifigures will debut in a number of Star Wars Lego units in March.
This robotic vacuum can climb and clear stairs
Whereas final yr’s CES noticed robotic vacuums start to climb up small steps, this yr’s occasion noticed a literal step up in mobility.
Roborock demoed its still-in-development Saros Rover vacuum, which has wheeled legs which permit it to climb staircases, together with spiral ones — and even clear them alongside on the way in which.
The corporate says the robotic’s means to navigate stairs and slopes whereas additionally cleansing them is a world-first, and is achieved by means of numerous sensors and AI algorithms.
The Saros Rover was proven step by step rolling down a slope with out crashing, making small jumps to keep away from obstacles, and it may well supposedly stroll down stairs as effectively.
Launch timing and pricing is but to be introduced.
Roborock says its stair-climbing Saros Rover vacuum remains to be in improvement. Picture: Roborock / Equipped
Helpful humanoid robots are (slowly) changing into actuality
On the bigger aspect of the robotic spectrum, CES 2026 noticed a number of corporations showcase their newest developments in humanoids, which quite a few tech corporations consider will quickly revolutionise our work and residential lives.
That future remains to be a bit of approach off, however one market chief, Boston Dynamics — which you may keep in mind from its yellow dog-like robotic Spot — used CES to unveil the primary manufacturing model of its humanoid robotic, Atlas.
The primary fashions to roll off the manufacturing line can be deployed in 2026 by carmaker Hyundai (which acquired Boston Dynamics in 2021) and Google’s AI analysis lab DeepMind, the corporate stated, with different corporations capable of buy the robots from 2027.
Hyundai stated Atlas would work alongside people in its manufacturing vegetation, and the corporate deliberate to construct round 30,000 of the robots yearly starting in 2028.
“By 2030, purposes will lengthen to part meeting, and over time, Atlas may also tackle duties involving repetitive motions, heavy masses, and different advanced operations — guaranteeing safer working environments for manufacturing unit staff,” Hyundai stated.
Elsewhere within the humanoid realm, LG debuted its AI-powered dwelling robotic CLOiD by getting it to load some clothes into an open washer — albeit very, very slowly.
The transient demo, which you’ll watch under, highlighted the difficulties of humanoid robotic improvement, and maybe LG’s reluctance to strive extra advanced duties in a live-streamed keynote surroundings.
Pre-prepared movies additionally confirmed CLOiD accumulating and folding laundry, and interacting with different good home equipment to start cooking meals.
The robotic is designed to “carry out family duties like cooking and laundry” and is “supposed to scale back the time and bodily effort required for on a regular basis chores”, LG says.
The corporate didn’t verify whether or not CLOiD would finally be accessible for buy, however stated it could “proceed growing dwelling robots with sensible capabilities and kinds for home tasks”.
Chinese language firm SwitchBot additionally showcased its legless home tasks robotic the Onero H1, with movies depicting it serving meals, washing dishes, cleansing home windows, loading a washer, and folding laundry.
Like different general-purpose robots in improvement, the Onero H1 additionally makes use of AI to gather and analyse knowledge about its environment.
“Fairly than being outlined by any single operate, it represents a shift towards robotics that may adapt to a variety of home eventualities,” SwitchBot says.
Whereas pricing has not been introduced, the corporate says Onero H1 will quickly be accessible for pre-order.
Honourable point out: LG’s karaoke speaker makes use of AI to take away vocals
The LG xboom Stage 501 speaker is predicted to be launched in 2026. Picture: LG / Equipped
Discovering instrumental variations of your favorite songs might be tough, so LG is including an “AI Karaoke Grasp” function to its new xboom Stage 501 speaker, which it says can use AI to take away vocals from music to make it simpler to sing together with.
The brand new gadget, which the corporate confirmed off at CES, was supposedly educated on over 10,000 songs, and might even modify the pitch of music to make it simpler to belt out your favorite ballad.
“All with out particular information or subscriptions,” guarantees LG, which says the speaker can be launched in 2026.
How effectively the karaoke function works stays to be seen, however it definitely feels like a enjoyable use for generative AI tech.
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