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ZDNET’s key takeawaysZDNET went hands-on at CES 2026 to test the latest tech.Awards were based on in-person demos and expert evaluations.The focus stayed on products most likely to fit into everyday life.The ZDNET team spent this past week on the ground at CES 2026, going hands-on with hundreds of products and services in Las Vegas. From massive TVs and AI gadgets to the weird and wacky, we tested all the headlining tech expected to define the year ahead.
Also: CES 2026 live: Biggest news on TVs, laptops, weird gadgets that stole our attention
That firsthand reporting helped inform CNET Group’s official Best of CES 2026 awards, selected in partnership with the Consumer Technology Association. The winners have now been announced and are available at CNET. The full list was curated by more than 40 expert journalists across CNET, PCMag, Mashable, Lifehacker, and, of course, ZDNET.
Best of CES 2026 winners To be eligible, a product or service had to be a CES exhibitor and meet at least one key criterion, whether that’s introducing a compelling new concept, solving a consumer problem, or raising the bar for performance or quality.
Our editors and writers participated in real demos, conducted in-person evaluations, and asked plenty of questions, playing a direct role in selecting nominations and winners and shaping evaluations across categories.
While these categories reflect the breadth of what ZDNET covers year-round, our main goal was to identify the products most likely to fit into your everyday life once the CES lights turn off. CNET Group selected winners across a total of 22 categories, plus one overall Best of CES winner, nearly doubling the number of awards from last year.
ZDNET contributed expertise in the following areas:
Mobile (and Best Overall): Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold Kerry Wan/ZDNETZDNET’s Kerry Wan said the TriFold feels like the form factor foldables have been building toward all along, delivering a wider, more natural 10-inch display that makes multitasking and content use feel intentional. While it comes with trade-offs, like two-handed use and no stylus support, he sees it as a confident, future-facing phone-tablet hybrid that represents a real turning point for foldables.
AI: Lenovo Motorola Quira Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETZDNET’s Sabrina Ortiz said Qira is Lenovo and Motorola’s attempt to move beyond traditional chat-style assistants, positioning it as an ambient, context-aware AI that can carry out tasks across devices and apps. By working in phones, PCs, wearables, and a new AI pin, Qira can reduce friction, keep user data private, and offer a more natural, agentic alternative to tools like Copilot and Gemini.
Laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETZDNET’s Kyle Kucharski said the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 makes one of its biggest improvements yet by prioritizing repairability through a redesigned, double-sided “Space Frame” motherboard. The change is largely invisible from the outside, but it allows users to easily replace key components, extending the life of the laptop without sacrificing the classic ThinkPad design or performance.
Home theater: Samsung S95H Kerry Wan/ZDNETSamsung’s S95H is a major upgrade, with up to 35% higher brightness, an all-metal design, and the ability to safely display static artwork from the Art Store without burn-in. The flagship OLED also introduces a wireless Zero Connect box, a metal bezel that doubles as a wall mount, and gamer-friendly features like a 165Hz refresh rate, VRR, and glare-free technology.
Smart home: Roborock Saros Rover Maria Diaz/ZDNETZDNET’s Maria Diaz said the Saros Rover is a two-legged robot vacuum with a wheel-leg design that lets it lift itself, climb stairs, and clean multiple levels without human help. Still in development, it uses AI and 3D spatial data to adjust its posture, avoid obstacles, and move in ways no consumer robot vacuum has before, making it one of the most eye-catching robotics demos.
Wellness: Peri Nina Raemont/ZDNETZDNET’s Nina Raemont saw Peri at CES 2026. It’s one of the first wearables built to track perimenopause, using a nonintrusive, patch-like device to monitor biomarkers tied to symptoms like hot flashes, sleep disruptions, anxiety, and night sweats. It aims to replace guesswork with real data, helping users better understand their symptoms and how they change over time.
Weird tech: Lepro Ami, the AI soulmate Alison DeNisco Rayome/ZDNETKerry Wan described Lepro Ami as a striking and slightly surreal take on AI companionship, centered on an always-on, hologram-like presence inside a curved OLED display. He framed it as more concept than consumer-ready product for now, raising questions about how far people will want AI to go in filling emotional or social roles.
Parent tech: Coro Alison DeNisco Rayome/ZDNETZDNET’s Alison DeNisco Rayome said Coro stood out as one of the most useful parenting gadgets at CES, calling it a game-changing way to track breastfeeding in real time. The ultra-thin silicone shield measures exactly how much milk a baby is getting and turns that data into clear insights, helping parents better understand feeding patterns and reduce uncertainty.
Startups: Allergen Alert Nina Raemont/ZDNETNina Raemont said Allergen Alert is a compact, handheld device designed to test food for allergens before you take a bite, helping people with food allergies avoid accidental reactions when eating out. It will launch in mid-2026 with gluten and lactose testing, and there are plans to expand to other common allergens over time.
Audio: Samsung Music Studio 5 The Samsung Music Studio 5 has a more playful design.
Jada Jones/ZDNETZDNET’s Prakhar Khanna said Samsung’s Music Studio 5 is a compact, more playful alternative to the larger Studio 7, offering clear, well-balanced sound from a single woofer and dual tweeters. While it skips hi-res audio support, its modern design, colorful options, and smart features make it a strong competitor to speakers like the Sonos Era 100.
The rest of the CES 2026 winners You can read about the rest of the categories and every CES 2026 winner over at CNET: Official Best of CES 2026 Awards.
Beyond the categories above, ZDNET’s editors and writers also evaluated products in the energy sector. In fact, we are still on the ground at CES 2026, wrapping up hands-on time with the most innovative products and delivering exclusive reporting on what impressed us most and which ideas feel most likely to shape the future of consumer tech.
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