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ZDNET Highlights
- CES is almost here with some exciting product innovations.
- Expect to see more AI-enabled wearables from interesting startups.
- The new trifolds could be smartphones, robots, and the stars of TV shows.
CES is just a few days away, starting on January 4 for the media (when most of the news comes out) and January 6 for the public. As the world’s largest tech conference, the show starts the year with companies showcasing their latest innovations on a global stage. The result: a deluge of announcements for tech enthusiasts and the general public alike.
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To give you a clear idea of what to expect at CES, I’ve compiled some trends based on last year’s most popular trends and our own predictions of what will be on display this year.
AI Hardware
CES has typically been a hotspot for all kinds of wearables, including some of our favorite wearables from last year, including a sleep wearable that keeps you focused and even an 18-karat gold smart ring. However, as AI has become the hottest technology of the moment, companies are incorporating the technology into wearable devices to provide more advanced features, such as deep data analysis with easy-to-use Q&A AI chatbots.
Additionally, as AI models become more advanced and provide more everyday assistance to users, the need to connect the software realm to the physical world has become increasingly prevalent. Hence, the emergence of AI-enabled wearables such as smart glasses, pins, and wristbands. While we saw a boom in AI wearables at last year’s event, this year we’re likely to see even more – and the trend could be a positive one.
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The CES showfloor provides an opportunity to learn about new products that go beyond the leading brands, like Aura for smart rings or Meta for smart glasses, and get hands-on with devices from startups that can provide users with a great experience, perhaps for a lower premium. I’ll be scouring the show floor for these types of products and plan to do a similar roundup updated daily like last year.
Phones that go beyond the slab
There has been significant progress in the foldable smartphone market in 2025. Samsung released the Galaxy Z Fold 7, its thinnest foldable yet, which is 25% thinner than its predecessor when folded and unfolded. Apple released the iPhone Air, its thinnest smartphone to date, and possibly the first step toward its own foldables in the future. However, the progress did not end there.
In early February 2025, before Samsung released the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate launched globally, making it the first trifold to ship. Upon opening, the device featured a 10.2″ tablet-like screen. This development was just the beginning. Earlier this month, Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Trifold, a device with a 10-inch flexible display that is expected to launch in the US in early 2026.
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You would expect Samsung to reveal the device during a big event like MWC, Samsung Unpacked, or CES. Given that the Galaxy Z Trifold has already launched in other markets, it would make sense for the company to take advantage of the CES launch. Even if Samsung doesn’t make this move, as CES is open to exhibitors outside the US, we may see other ideas on a trifold device at the conference.
The ongoing case for assistive robots
CES included a major focus on smart homes. In addition to smart lights, doorbells, security systems, blenders, and toasters, there are also robot vacuums.
While they may not look sexy, last year’s CES brought us Roborock, which had a claw to grab onto objects like socks. This year’s event is likely to include some futuristic-looking add-ons to the classic robot vacuum, as well as new robovacs that, although they may not be as flashy, are more effective at their job.
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Outside of the smart home space, you can also expect to see a lot of great robots. If you have ever walked through an expo hall, you would know that in almost every aisle you encounter a robot. Although many of these devices are generally future prototypes without real-life applications at this time, who knows? This year could be the year that, with enough AI magic, we’ll see a real, helpful companion come to life. I will report back on any findings.
Air India… specifics
More specifically, on the topic of AI, news is likely to come from the actual chip manufacturers powering the technology. At CES 2025, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang gave a keynote speech and announced Cosmos, an AI platform designed to transform robotics and autonomous driving, which won one of our Best of CES 2025 awards. Although the company has not yet confirmed the keynote speaker for this year, it will be in attendance And following last year’s example, some news is likely to be shared.
Similarly, AMD will be at CES and has confirmed a keynote for January 5 at 6:30 pm PT. During that time period, the company is expected to announce its latest innovations, including new 3D V-Cache CPUs. According to some leaks,
TV, TV and TV
Since CES is all about showcasing the hottest technology, what better way to present that vision than through TV? At CES, you watch TV spinStick to walls, and even stretch to 116 inches, like Hisense’s movie theater-sized TV unveiled last year. You can expect the same this year also. We will likely see more screen takeovers, with TVs appearing on more devices and surfaces than before.
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This trend means we’ll also see a lot of new TV accessories. Expect new and improved soundbars and projectors with better sound and picture quality.
