CES 2026 press day was all about AI, silicon and setting expectations early.
CES 2026 officially opens today, but much of the show’s biggest announcements already landed during Monday’s press conferences and early events. AI was everywhere, chipmakers dominated the schedule and a handful of brands used the pre-show window to quietly drop meaningful hardware updates.
Below are the biggest announcements and trends from January 5, plus a few standout hands-ons from Pepcom and CES Unveiled.
LG doubles down on AI
LG's CLOiD robot. (LG)LG’s World Premiere keynote leaned hard into its vision of “Affectionate Intelligence,” with AI positioned as the connective tissue across TVs, appliances and even robotics. While most of the hardware was announced ahead of time, the company used the stage to show how its ideas fit together, including updated OLED TVs, Micro RGB panels and its ultra-thin Wallpaper TV.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe most memorable moment, though, was CLOiD, LG’s humanoid home robot, which capped off the presentation with demos that were more theatrical than practical. As usual for LG at CES, the vision was ambitious, even if much of it still feels a few years away.
NVIDIA pushes deeper into physical AI
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang presents at CES 2026, wearing a black snakeskin-like jacket. (NVIDIA)NVIDIA’s CES keynote was long, dense and firmly focused on AI infrastructure rather than consumer GPUs. CEO Jensen Huang introduced the Vera Rubin supercomputer platform, alongside updates to NVIDIA’s open AI models, robotics tools and autonomous vehicle stack.
Between discussions of “physical AI,” self-driving systems and massive data center hardware, NVIDIA made it clear it sees CES as a place to define the future of computing, not just sell graphics cards. If you were hoping for new GeForce news, this wasn’t the keynote for you.
Intel tries to reset the PC narrative
Image of a Core Ultra Series 3 (Intel)Intel’s press conference followed NVIDIA’s with a more focused pitch: the launch of Core Ultra Series 3 processors, also known as Panther Lake. Built on Intel’s 18A process — that’s less than 2nm — the chips are designed to power the next wave of AI PCs, with improved graphics, better efficiency and stronger local AI performance.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe message was clear: Intel wants to convince partners and consumers that it’s back in the game for high-end laptops, even as competition from AMD, Qualcomm and Apple continues to intensify.
AMD closes the night with AI-first silicon
AMD Ryzen AI 400 (AMD)AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAMD wrapped up press day with a keynote that mixed familiar AI rhetoric with meaningful chip announcements. Highlights included new Ryzen AI 400 laptop processors and updated desktop chips, including the Ryzen 7 9850X3D for enthusiasts.
As with NVIDIA and Intel, AMD leaned heavily into AI across cloud, PCs and edge devices. The difference was execution. AMD’s announcements felt more immediately relevant to products shipping this year.
Sony remains focused on Afeela
Sony Honda Mobility Afeela Press Conference at CES 2026 (Afeela)Sony’s CES presence once again centered on Sony Honda Mobility and the Afeela electric vehicle. The company showed an updated prototype and shared progress updates, including expanded delivery plans and deeper entertainment integrations like PlayStation Remote Play.
For longtime CES watchers, it was a familiar story — the Afeela was first showcased here in 2020, after all. Sony’s traditional consumer electronics took a back seat, while mobility and software remained the headline.
Lego makes its CES debut with Smart Bricks
Lego introduced the Smart Brick at CES 2026. (Lego)Lego held its first-ever CES press conference and used it to unveil Smart Bricks, part of a new “Smart Play” initiative that adds sensors, audio and wireless communication to traditional Lego pieces.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe system is launching with Star Wars sets later this year and is designed to work without apps or screens. It’s a notable shift for Lego and one of the more genuinely surprising announcements of the day.
Other notable CES day 0 news
Outside of the main press conferences, several companies made quiet but notable announcements (though some was Sunday news that hit the wires after the East Coast midnight hour). Samsung continued its CES rollout with new TVs, speakers and laptops. Anker drew attention with updated chargers and power accessories. Amazon shared incremental updates tied to Alexa and smart home hardware.
Meanwhile, Engadget’s team got hands-on with dozens of products at the Pepcom mini-show, from oddball gadgets to early looks at devices launching later this year.
Press day may be over, but CES is just getting started. The show floor opens today, with Lenovo, automotive tech, smart home gear and plenty of unexpected demos still to come. We’ll be publishing hands-ons, deep dives and daily recaps all week.
AdvertisementAdvertisementYou can follow along with our CES 2026 liveblog or check back on Engadget for the latest updates as they happen.
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