CES 2026 Is Another Reminder That The iPhone Isn't Going Anywhere Any Time Soon

CES 2026 always features a fascinating combination useful technology, futuristic concepts, and gadgets that pique our interest but probably won't ever end up in our homes. During this year's show, I've seen countless companies introducing new augmented reality and AI glasses, updates to smart rings, and even a new wave of AI companions powered by a custom ChatGPT model.

While none of these technologies are in fact brand new, they're still struggling to go mainstream. Even the Ray-Ban Meta glasses were hard to find at CES 2026 –- that's despite the fact that they've found a much larger audience than many of the other products mentioned above. However, one thing I often saw when moving from booth to booth, hall to hall, and hotel to hotel was the latest generation of iPhone models.

While I'd like to give a shoutout to Michael Josh from Gadget Match, who was one of the only people I saw using the iPhone Air, the truth is that at one of the most technologically innovative trade shows in the world, the most high-tech, mainstream gadget you're likely to see is the iPhone.

Having covered technology for over a decade now, I feel like many companies these days are trying to solve problems that don't exist. For instance, while AI does provide genuine utility in everyday life –- like instant live translation between languages -– I didn't actually see anyone using these gadgets to translate in real life. Most people still preferred rough English translations or even gestures rather than trusting a wearable demo. At CES, the future is always on display, but attendees seem more comfortable living in the present.

While Labubu plush toys are no longer draped from every bag and backpack, they haven't been replaced by AI companions, or any new trend, for that matter. Even though AR glasses are more widely available than ever, they're not on people's faces guiding through the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Meanwhile, what you will see is hundreds of attendees pulling out their iPhones trying and failing to get a good signal.

Even though Apple itself believe the iPhone might not be around for another decade, there aren't any signs on the show floor that the technological breakthrough that will one day replace the iPhone (and smartphones as a whole) is making its presence felt. The iPhone continues to be the gadget of the moment, and it's not going away anytime soon.