Consumer Electronics Show 2026 Kicks off in Las Vegas

What Happened?

On Tuesday, CES (formerly, the Consumer Electronics Show) 2026 kicked off in Las Vegas, showcasing the latest technology from a wide variety of leading technology companies. Products range from ultra-thin high-definition televisions, AI-powered robots and pocket-sized laboratories that can test food for allergens. Other innovations included thinner, faster and more powerful laptops and computers for consumers.

Motorola is expected to release the world's first book-style foldable smartphone at the show. Some of the more original products being showcased include an owl-shaped home security camera and new electric vehicles. Over one hundred and forty thousand people from around the world are expected to attend this year's CES.

Why it Matters

The annual CES is the premier event for technology companies to reveal their new products and innovations to the public. This year, AI products have dominated the displays with new products incorporating AI technology into everything from on-all-the-time smartphone apps that can take notes from conversations to home computers and electric vehicles. 

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The innovations revealed demonstrate what technology companies have been working on and what they think consumers are likely to want in the near future. The prevalence of AI products on this year’s slate of products indicates that technology companies have continued to invest considerable amounts of time and resources into developing new applications for AI programs that consumers can use in their everyday life.

Many new products will have effects that will ripple through the economy. For example, the increasing production and sales of more capable and affordable big screen televisions and home theaters are likely to continue the trend of consumers watching more video content at home instead of in traditional brick-and-mortar movie theaters.

Attendance at brick-and-mortar movie theaters has been declining in the past few years, and the products presented at this year's consumer electronics show suggest that trend is likely to continue.

New health care products can also have widespread effects on consumer behavior. The portable pocket-sized laboratories displayed at this year's CES could offer people with food allergies the ability to test food not only for allergies that cause minor or inconvenient symptoms, but also for potentially life-threatening or dangerous food interactions.

With that type of technology at their disposal, consumers who previously had been hesitant to travel abroad might feel more inclined to do so, potentially giving a boost to the tourism industry.

How it Affects You

The CES is scheduled to last from January 6th through 9th, so there will likely be more new products revealed as the week goes on. Because the event generates so much attention, many technology companies try to increase the hype and delay their release for as long as possible in order to generate more publicity.

Many of the product releases will be live-streamed so they can be seen without direct attendance.