CES 2026 – The Future Arrives in Las Vegas Physical AI, Foldables, and Robots Redefine Tech

Las Vegas, January 10, 2026 – CES 2026, the world's premier technology showcase produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), has just concluded its four-day run from January 6-9 at the newly renovated Las Vegas Convention Center and 13 partner venues across the city. Billed as "the most powerful tech event in the world," this year's edition drew a record-breaking 148,000+ attendees – the largest post-pandemic crowd – including over 55% senior executives, 6,900 global media, and representatives from 55,000+ international visitors.

Spanning 2.6 million net square feet, the event featured 4,100+ exhibitors (1,200 startups) unveiling innovations across AI, robotics, mobility, digital health, energy, and enterprise tech. CES 2026 shifted focus from theoretical AI to practical, physical applications – robots folding laundry (clumsily), crease-free foldables, sustainable batteries powering model trains, and AI companions for cognitive care. As CTA President Kinsey Fabrizio noted, "CES 2026 moved from theory to the practical application of how technology is integrating seamlessly into our lives."

Record Scale and Star-Studded Keynotes

Kicking off with Media Days (Jan 4-5)
at Mandalay Bay – featuring 225+ innovators like Baracoda's gamified toothbrushes and Dephy's exoskeletons – the show exploded into keynotes at iconic venues like The Venetian, Sphere, and Fontainebleau.

Highlights included:

1. • NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang: Unveiled the "Vera Rubin" superchip (in production, ramping H2 2026), DLSS 4.5 for gaming, and GR00T for humanoid robotics. Partnered with Siemens on an Industrial AI OS and Digital Twin Composer.
2. • AMD Chair/CEO Lisa Su: Ryzen AI 400 series for PCs, MI440X GPUs, and $150M AI education pledge. Emphasized "AI everywhere" with partners like OpenAI.
3. • Siemens CEO Dr. Roland Busch (with Huang): Industrial AI for factories.
4. • Lenovo at Sphere: Rollable laptops (ThinkPad Rollable XD, Legion Pro) expanding screens on demand.
5. • Others: Caterpillar's AI construction gear, Rosie Rios on America250 innovations.

CNET's Best of CES crowned Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold overall winner for its seamless tri-fold design (Q1 2026 US launch), with runners-up like MSI's 6K displays and RockMow X1 LiDAR mowers.

Physical AI and Robotics Dominate
CES 2026 was the "ChatGPT moment" for Physical AI – embodied intelligence in robots. North Hall became "humanoid central":

1. • Boston Dynamics Atlas (Hyundai-owned): Backflips, 50kg lifts, wet-environment ready.
2. • Roborock Saros Rover/Z70: Legged vacuums climbing stairs ($2,599 arm model).
3. • Unitree G1, Sharpa North: Ping-pong playing, MMA demos.
4. • LG CLOiD, Switchbot Onero: Laundry-folding, chores (under $10K).
5. • NVIDIA's robotics sims, Skild AI foundation models.

X buzz echoed: "Physical AI's ChatGPT moment" (@aruntrivedi), with 1,200 startups pushing agents for homes/factories.

Foldables, Displays, and Mobiles Evolve

Samsung led foldables:

1. Galaxy Z TriFold: Smooth tri-fold, global Q1 launch (possibly with S26).
2. Crease-less OLED concepts, Micro RGB TVs (100-115" RGB LEDs, 100% BT.2020). Others: Acer Swift Edge AI laptops, Dell XPS revival, MSI 271KRAW16 6K (Apple Studio rival), Asus Zenbook Duo redesign. Mobiles: Motorola Razr Pen Ultra/stylus, Clicks keyboard iPhone case, Keychron Q Ultra for Mac.

Health, Energy, and Sustainability Breakthroughs

1. • Digital Health: Withings Omnia AI mirror (heart/weight scans), Vivoo urine tests, Jennie AI puppy for cognitive care (2026 market), Anker 45W smart charger.
2. • Energy: Flint Paper Batteries (plant-based, 2026 sales, powering trains), Donut Lab solid-state (400Wh/kg, 5-min charge, 100K cycles, no rare metals), Jackery Solar Gazebo.
3. • Accessibility: Verizon stage with smart glasses/robotics.
4. Mobility and EVs Accelerate Sony Afeela 2026 EV SUV (PS themes), Waymo Ojai robotaxi, Tensor Robocar (L4 autonomy 2026), Nvidia self-driving stack. US pushes steering-wheel-free AVs nationwide (1-2 years).

What CES 2026 Means for 2026
With U.S. tech revenue projected at $565B (3.7% YoY), CES signals AI's shift to physical world – robots in homes/factories, crease-free multiscreens, green batteries. Challenges: Robot clumsiness (laundry fails), high prices (e.g., $2,599 vacs). But partnerships (NVIDIA-Siemens, AMD-OpenAI) and 3,600+ Innovation Awards prove momentum.

As Gary Shapiro (CTA CEO) said: "The future is no longer arriving; it is here." Mark your calendar for CES 2027 – innovators are already showing up. For full audits and trends, visit ces.tech.