5 Of Our Favorite New Gadgets From May 2026

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May is now in the rear-view mirror, but that doesn't mean we can't look back on some of the coolest tech that launched publicly and we can now get our hands on. It was a jam-packed month of releases, from new headphones that broke records, to a new smart activity band that ditches what makes most activity bands stand out.

May was also a pretty varied month when it came to gadget drops, as we also saw a new model of a very popular camera line apparently tailored for Gen Z, a generation with the desire to slow down and find more tactile forms of sharing their lives with others. 

As we love gadgets that can solve everyday problems, we chose a few distraction-free devices to help you keep yourself focused. Plus, for those that are always on the lookout for cheap gadgets worth adding to your collection, we placed a focus on affordability, with most of these new gadgets costing less than $100.

Logitech came into May strong by dropping the Logitech G512 X, a new mechanical gaming keyboard that the company says has been designed for those out there that love to tinker with and customize their devices. Logitech claims that the G512 X is meant to be tuned and tweaked in order for players to have a truly personalized gaming experience. 

The keyboard is the first to feature 39 dual swap switch beds that allow users to customize their WASD layout and more, with magnetic analog switches that don't require software to activate. The feet on the keyboard also smartly double as keycap/switch pullers. Considering I've lost every keycap puller I've ever owned, this is something right up my alley. 

Another neat addition are the second actuation pressure point (SAPP) O-rings. When installed onto a key, these rings allow for any key to have two different actuation points. In layman's terms, you can use the Logitech software to assign two different actions to a single key. You can have different builds for different games, vastly improving the keyboard experience.

In a world where it feels like companies are adding screens to everything in order to feed users more ads, Google has done something a little different by releasing an activity tracker that lacks a screen. Featuring a battery that can last an entire week, the idea of the Google Fitbit Air is to allow users to silence the noise you get from a screen and simply fade away on your wrist.

No more shaking to wake, or looking at alerts every few minutes, this band allows you to focus on your daily life, not your steps or data insights, and simply be forgotten about. The Google Fitbit Air looks like something that would fit well into the life of those seeking a simpler aesthetic, with the design being praised for improving sleep tracking alongside its slim nature. 

Reviews from experts and users seem to really enjoy what Google is offering, especially at the $99 price point. 

I have a now ancient E-Ink Kindle that's long been abandoned by Amazon, fighting for its life with a micro-USB cable and port that will only charge when you place them in a certain position. I say this because I love eBook readers, especially older models that focused on the books and not on adding features and larger screens. While most are small and are fairly easy to keep in a book bag, sometimes I find myself leaving my eBook reader behind when going out.

The new XTEINK X3 eBook Reader looks to address this by shrinking down the experience. XTEINK calls the X3 a pocket E-Ink reader thanks to its tiny size. Coming in at a slim 0.2 inches thick and weighing only two ounces, this 3.7-inch eReader is so small it can fit into most wallets. It's even been designed with magnets so that it can attach to your smartphone, aiding portability. 

It's a minimalistic device but also features physical buttons for actions, and a handy gyroscopic page-turn system. Beyond reading, the XTEINK X3 eBook Reader can also serve as a display thanks to a number of widgets, making it a pretty versatile device.

Gen Z is an interesting group of people with their strange memes, terms for things, and ability for me to feel really old. But a few things that we share is the desire to leave social media apps behind and our disdain for the rise of AI in nearly all aspects of our lives. These things have also contributed to Gen Z leaning into retro analog technology. 

Polaroid seems to be aware of this with the release of the Polaroid Go Generation 3, a mini instant film camera that you can take with you anywhere. The Polaroid Go Generation 3 comes with features including double-exposure, allowing you to layer two images together, a self timer, and an included selfie mirror. Users have praised the vintage style of the camera, how fun it is to use, and its small form factor. 

At only $90, the camera isn't crazy expensive and would make for a fun gift for a Gen Z member of your family, or someone who grew up with a classic Polaroid camera from back in the day. Just be aware that the Polaroid Go Generation 3 uses a specific type of film that's fairly expensive — averaging around $1.35 per shot.

Soundcore has been around for a long time and makes some pretty good headphones — so much so that my partner and I both exclusively use the brand as our choice for audio on the go. The latest Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro come packed with solid features and one interesting certification. They are the first pair of earbuds that come with Guinness World Record certification.

Guinness has certified the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro earbuds because they earned the highest speech quality score (G-MOS) in testing. This is probably because these little earbuds come with 10 sensors that work alongside the built-in AI chip to help with call quality. 

Early reviews praise the sound quality, noise cancellation features, and secure fit. Some users do note that the battery life could be better, but if you often use your earbuds for calls, the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro are the best in the world.