CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2026 once again proved that technology is advancing faster than our patience, our attention spans, and our ability to explain new products to our parents. From genuinely impressive breakthroughs to ideas that feel like they escaped a startup group chat at 2 a.m., this year’s show delivered exactly what CES does best: hope, confusion, and an overwhelming amount of screens.

3 Things That Are Actually Cool

 The LEGO Smart Play System

LEGO showing up to CES with something genuinely smart and not annoying was not on the bingo card, but here we are. The Smart Play System blended physical bricks with light digital interaction in a way that felt intentional, not screen-first. No overstimulation. No iPad parenting energy. Just creative play with subtle tech layered in to guide, react, and get out of the way. It was one of the rare moments at CES where tech felt like it was supporting imagination instead of replacing it. Quietly impressive.

Displays Have Fully Entered Their Villain Era

Foldable. Rollable. Stretchable. Transparent. Screens are no longer objects, they’re a lifestyle choice. Car dashboards now wrap around drivers like a sci-fi hug. TVs vanish into furniture. Monitors fold in half because someone figured out how and nobody stopped them. Is any of this necessary? Absolutely not. Is it impressive? Absolutely!. CES has basically turned into a glass-bending flex contest. And if you’ve ever wanted a 130” TV for your living room, congratulations. You can finally buy one for roughly the price of a brand-new sedan. It won’t get you anywhere, but watching the new season of Bridgerton on anything smaller would feel irresponsible.

 EV Tech That’s Actually Practical

Faster charging. Better cold-weather performance. More realistic ranges. Less “this works great in California” energy. Automakers finally seemed focused on fixing the boring problems that actually stop people from switching to electric. No flying cars. No hyperloops. Just solid upgrades that make sense. Which honestly felt refreshing.

3 Things That Made Us Say “WTF”

Subscription Fatigue, Now With Hardware You Already Own

Companies like BMW and Mercedes-Benz continued pushing software-locked features that technically already exist in your car. Want heated seats, upgraded drive modes, or advanced driver assists? That’ll be a monthly fee. You don’t own features anymore. You’re leasing them emotionally. CES 2026 made it clear that the future of hardware is buying something once and paying for it forever.

The Wearable Replacements for Phones… That Still Need Your Phone

Somehow, products like the Humane AI Pin’s spiritual successors and the latest iteration from Rabbit showed up claiming to “free us from our screens.” Instead, they mostly added another device you have to charge, clip on, update, and troubleshoot. The pitch is minimalism. The reality is just more stuff. If your phone is still doing all the heavy lifting, maybe the problem isn’t the phone.

Robots That Need an HR Department

Yes, robots were everywhere. Again. Samsung’s Ballie-style home robots got smarter, louder, and more confident, while humanoid service bots from companies like Tesla and various startups demonstrated tasks nobody actually asked for. They can follow you, talk to you, and sometimes look directly into your soul. Helpful? Occasionally. Necessary? Debatable. Comforting? Absolutely not.