The Most Exciting Tech We Saw At CES 2026

CES 2026 officially closes its doors on January 9. After walking the floor and seeing countless intriguing, useful, surprising, and concerning innovations, we have put together a list of our top gadgets from the trade show. After all, CES offers a mix of the technology that is going to make a splash through the year, products that are still years away, and cool concepts that will never leave the prototype phase.

Even though this haven't been the most mind-blowing CES, and all the AR glasses, AI companions, and smart rings look like a promise of what's to come instead of what people are using right now, I was thrilled with some of the everyday tech being improved upon, with updates that will actually be useful to customers in the not-too-distant future. Here's what caught my attention at CES 2026.

XGIMI might have a new company called MemoMind, but while its new AI glasses are worth keeping an eye on, XGIMI also took the opportunity to introduce a new variation of its Titan projector called the Titan Noir Max. Unlike the model introduced during IFA 2025, which has a focus on enterprise customers, the Noir Max is aimed at "prosumers."

One of the ways the Titan Noir Max targets a different audience is by ditching the built-in operating system. Instead, users will need to connect an Apple TV, Fire TV Stick, Roku device, or cable box to watch their content of choice. XGIMI explains that by not running Google TV, the Titan Noir Max gives customers more ways to customize the image quality of the projector. Besides that, it has a new dynamic IRIS system that boosts native contrast to 10,000:1. At their booth, even with the lights on, the projected image was still surprisingly good.

While pre-orders and other details of this device are yet unknown, XGIMI thinks professionals can get the best color accuracy for projection. Meanwhile, consumers will also be able to enjoy a cinematic experience that should beat the average TV.

Over the past few days, Satechi has announced a few devices from the enormous product lineup it has in store for 2026. In addition to the Premium CubeDock –which is basically a powered-up extension of the M4 Mac mini hub introduced last year with Thunderbolt 5 support and more ports than I can count — Satechi also revealed its own Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable with up to 120GB/s uni-directional or 80Gb/s bi-directional data transfer and 240W power delivery. While the CubeDock will be released later this quarter, the cable is a good solution for anyone who owns one of the latest Macs with Thunderbolt 5 support that needs access to the fastest transfer speeds on the market.

Additionally, Satechi introduced the new Slim EX wireless keyboard (with and without a numpad) and mouse. What's interesting about these releases is that they are built for Mac users who also happen to use Windows PCs. With a switch button on the back of the keyboard, you can easily have some of the most important keys of the keyboard ready for your Mac or Windows computer. Complying with an upcoming EU regulation, users can replace the battery inside the keyboard or mouse, even though they are rechargeable by USB-C. The Slim EX devices are already available on Satechi's website.

CES was also packed to the brim with interesting iPhone accessories. For example, MOFT introduced a new lineup of Find My products, including its Wallet Stand, Tripod Wallet, and Field Wallet. They still do everything users know and love about the predecessor, but now they can easily be tracked through the Find My app. This is a convenience I've been seeing many third-party accessory makers add, like Satechi with its Passport Cover, or HidrateSpark with its latest smart water bottle, and it's always appreciated.

José Adorno/BGR

Lexar has a new Air Portable SSD, which features up to 2TB of storage in a tiny form factor. With up to 3900MB/s read and 400MB/s write speeds, users will soon be able to carry a ton of data (even by connecting to their iPhone, iPad, or Mac) in a ridiculously convenient form factor. There will also be a special edition with the Argentinian jersey to celebrate a partnership with the soccer team.

José Adorno/BGR

Last but not least, I was finally able to put my hands on the new Gamebaby case for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Unlike the previous iteration I tested for BGR, the company fixed the D-pad so the commands are more precise when I'm playing my favorite old-school games. The case takes a lot of inspiration from the Super Nintendo, and I can't wait to share my thoughts on this accessory.

While I've seen quite a few AI companions at CES 2026, including the cute Poketomo, I'm most intrigued by the Looki L1 — an AI companion that you can wear in a necklace. While you can always carry it around, this multimodal sensing device can last up to twelve hours in Story Mode, which records key moments of your day (from the moment you decide to start recording your "daily vlog"), and it features up to 32GB of onboard storage.

This device is waterproof, and you can decide what you want to store in the cloud before it uploads the data. Once you decide what should be stored, shared, or deleted, you can find a sort of a journal of your day. Story Mode recounts all the highlights, while Expo Mode recognizes the environment, people, and interaction, and then recommends you revisit or follow up on what you experienced.

José Adorno/BGR

There's also Fitness Mode, with tips and tricks for your workouts, and Everyday Life Mode, so it can see what your day looks like and then give you personalized suggestions, like telling you that you should stop working so late or drinking so much soda. The device is available for $199, and there's no subscription required.