CES 2025 didn’t disappoint. In just a few days, I saw hundreds of new products—from AI-powered robots to the latest in upcoming TVs and monitors, and even some truly futuristic innovations. Tech companies from all over the world flew into Las Vegas to give a sneak peek at this next year's lineup, along with the craziest, most forward-thinking concepts of the year. Innovation was everywhere, some of which will never make it to market, but many of which will make it into your homes eventually.
No one person could possibly see it all—but I tried my best, and that’s what CES is all about. I served as Esquire's boots on the ground and in the end I walked away with 25 pieces of tech and gear that blew my mind. I distilled this amazing, nerdy assault on my senses into 25 products you should keep an eye out for. And honestly, I couldn’t even narrow it down to 25 properly, since I’m cheating with one of these entries. But hey, I’m the tech expert here. It was my CES, so it’s my list. From the biggest announcements from tech giants like NVIDIA and Samsung to the smaller, more surprising gadgets, this is everything I saw at CES that truly impressed me.
Finally, NVIDIA is making a good, cheap GPU again
NVIDIA kicked off CES on Monday night with an extensive keynote led by CEO Jensen Huang. The headline is that the new 5000 series of RTX graphics cards is on the way. Everyone, myself included, has spent the last week drooling over the 5090’s Path Traced lighting and neural rendering made possible by the chip’s Blackwell architecture. In normal language, it's ray tracing and graphics rendering at a ridiculously high level.
But that’s not what got everyone in the keynote room excited. What got the biggest reaction all night? The announcement of the 5070 at $550. NVIDIA is releasing a 5000 series graphics card that is the exact equivalent of its current top-of-the-line GPU, the RTX 4090. That older card, however, runs you $1,600. Getting the same thing for nearly a third of the price is just shy of a miracle.
And no, Jensen was not lying. I saw them side by side running Alan Wake 2, and I touched each one. The differences were imperceptible. This is huge.
A better Samsung Frame TV
I know my colleagues love Frame TVs, but in our most recent Gadget Awards, we singled out Hisense for putting the pressure on Samsung in the Art TV space. As no surprise to anyone, Samsung is leveling up the OG. It's shaping up to be the upgrade that wins Samsung that art TV market back.
The new Frame Pro is better, brighter, and still has that, "It's a painting on your wall," thing going on. Samsung is also expanding its Art Store marketplace (currently only available for Frame owners) to a handful of its premiere QLED TVs coming out this year.
Dell's Head Tracking Monitor
Dell may be drawing the ire of its fans with its massive rebrand of the popular XPS brand of laptops, the Apple-fication of Dell if you will. That doesn’t mean the show was a complete bust. Technically, I got hands on time with this before heading to CES, but that’s where it was officially unveiled.
It’s not a gaming monitor per se, but the brand’s new 32-inch 4K OLED monitor is meant to give a greater sense of immersion with spatial 3D audio. Technically you can watch movies on it, but gaming is the use case that immediately comes to mind, especially with the 120Hz refresh rate OLED. And since it knows where your head is, it knows where your ears are too, and it’s constantly repositioning the sound to be as immersive as possible.
TCL's more eye-friendly phone
TCL's Nxtpaper tech isn’t new. We’ve had Nxtpaper tablets come out in the US, but never a Nxtpaper phone. Now we're getting one. The 60 XE is an Android phone that can be toggled between black and white e-ink and full colour. It’s still an LCD display (not quite the same thing as a Kindle or Kobo e-reader), but it has a more matte look and feel than most phones.
It’s also much friendlier on your eyes. The importance of blue light reduction is not overstated, in my opinion, and will continue to be important in our screen-filled world as we move forward. For that, I appreciate TCL being this forward thinking and hope others follow suit. Oh, and it’s coming out soon. For only $200.
Hisense's giant 136-inch TV
Hisense is the frontrunner in the massive TV for consumers space race. Last year, I reviewed the larger than life 110 inch QLED, and it was remarkable. Now, it's already coming out swinging with a bigger model in 2025. This one uses MicroLEDs, which are on the cutting-edge of display formats. The colors look unbelievable and glare is greatly reduced to the point of rivaling an OLED, only without the worry of pixel burn-in.
Hisense was showing off two even larger MicroLED TVs, but I was told those would not be available in North America. The 136-inch should be out at an unspecified time later this year. Until then, expect the MicroLED trend to pop off over the next 12 months.
Blade Runner Style Holograms
This is why I came to CES. This is the shit I want, like the Blade Runner 2049 meme. The London-based software company Hypervsn made a splash on the Las Vegas Convention Center floor with the larger-than-life size holograms. Light shows, dancing ladies, you name it. These are 3D holograms, and they looked even better in person than in videos and gifs.
A Laser TV projector that works from anywhere in the room
Hisense Best of CES statues and awards all over this Laser TV display, and it's easy to see why. This is a short-throw laser projection TV that doesn't need to be on the other side of the room. It works from inches away, and can project images with brightness of up to 5,000 lumens. For context, 3,000 has been a standard in recent years. It's incredibly vivid, and a new grail for projector fans.
A robot Barista?!
One of the coolest interactions I had on the floor was with this Barista Bot. I ordered an oat milk cappuccino and was put into the queue. I watched AI powered bot pull espresso shots and steam milk, and no it didn’t get any orders wrong. Perhaps a little less fallible than a human barista, but much slower and a worse conversationalist. A drink takes about three to four minutes from start to finish. That won’t quite cut it in New York City, but I could see a more chill town not minding.
How was the cappuccino? Solid. Tasted just like a human made it. Foam art wasn't too bad either.
Vizio's Karaoke Soundbar
This was one of the coolest—though far from the most advanced—things I saw at the show. It's something that I would actually want to use. The pitch is simple. The $350 soundbar comes with two wireless microphones and a charging dock. When you want to sing, pick it up and turn whatever you're watching into karaoke night.
The demo I saw was using the Stringray karaoke app, but I was assured the magic is that it works with anything. And that’s the impressive tech here; the ability to add your voice to the soundbar’s mix on the fly while singing along to YouTube or Frozen on Disney+. Just want to be the one to give the iconic monologue from A Few Good Men?
Regardless of what app you're using, the vocals will drop, and the rest of the track will keep banging away as you howl your pipes hoarse.
The lightest laptop I've ever held
Qualcomm showed off its new line-up of Snapdragon powered laptops. New machines from Dell, ACER, HP, and Lenovo all take advantage of the powerful Snapdragon X Elite chip. The standout was this portable wonder from Asus.
The Zenbook A14 is the lightest PC on the market. It’s the only Windows laptop that I’ve ever been able to easily pick up with one hand. And with the Qualcomm NPU it boasts great battery life and unplugged performance that we’ve come to expect from CoPliot+PCs in the Zenbook line-up.
Truly luxury smart rings
Ultrahuman is pulling out all the stops with these luxury smart rings. Choose from silver, gold, and platinum. Yes, they are plated in these materials. It’s not just a color or finish. Even getting to look at them up close I could see slipping one on my ring finger and being mistaken for a married man.
These are only being sold in the UK and Dubai for the time being. Ring fingers crossed they come to the US because this is the most Esquire reader-coded thing I saw all week.
A gaming monitor that bends itself
This 5K2K OLED monitor is the first of it’s kind. This is a hybrid monitor that takes advantage of the best in both ultrawide and curved formats. That’s the promise, at least. With one push of a button, the UltraGear OLED will go from flat to having a 900R curvature in less than 15 seconds. It’s impressive to see in action (as I’ve tried to capture here), but what really matters is it’s also just an exciting monitor. Ultra high resolution with an OLED? I can tell you one thing. Whenever it comes out, this won’t come cheap.
LG's see-through TV
Another LG innovation I saw was the OLED T. It’s a 77-inch 4K TV with a twist. There’s a transparency mode, meaning you can see straight through it. A curtain at the back of the TV rolls up like a pair of blinds, and the background drops out of the picture. It’s an effect like I’ve never seen before. It’s a classier and pricier way to turn your TV into an art fixture when you’re not using it.
It’s rad, but is it $60,000 rad? I guess we’ll find out when units start to ship out later this month.
Robot vacuums have arms now
Robot vacuums were a big deal at CES 2025. I didn't even see Roomba on the show floor, but a half dozen of their competitors showed up. For the most part, I find they all kind of do the same thing. Or I did, until I got a chance to check out the Roborock Saros 270.
This robot vacuum is the first with a retractable arm. What does that do, you ask? Well at the booth demo it picked up a lot of socks. Like a lot. Eliminating the need to make sure your floor is clear before running your robo vacuum is going to save people time. And if the claw arm works as well as it did in the demo, picking LEGO out of your vacuum's dust bin will become a thing of the past.
Outdoor speakers you never need to charge
When audio titan Victrola debuted its rock speaker last summer, it was way out of left field. A real capital c, Choice. The solar-charging speaker was meant to blend in with an outdoor space, providing your guests with a “woah where’s that music coming from?” kind of experience. But it only fit in with very specific aesthetic tastes. With the new Zen speakers, Victrola has refined that idea and turned it into something I think a lot more people will actually buy.
These outdoor speakers have a USB-C port for charging, but I was assured you would never have to use it. The top solar panel allows the device to charge whenever it’s sunny, never leaving you stranded without tunes for your pool party.
The nerdiest laptop on Earth
It's hard to narrow it down to one coolest thing I saw at MSI's booth. At very least, they all had the same theme in common: Super limited edition gamer gear. But if I had to pick the nerdiest one, it was this.
The Titan 18 HX Dragon Edition is a super chromed-out version of its high-end laptop. The acid-etched dragon on the top is meticulously detailed and textured. Yes, I was allowed to touch it. The ring by the touch pad is not just an overlay, it's a full 3D printing of a dragon sculpture embedded in the laptop.
The Yakuza gaming monitor
The gamers at Esquire love Like A Dragon, formerly the franchise known as Yakuza. And just like Twitter, we all still just call it Yakuza.
For the upcoming (and highly personally anticipated) spinoff title Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, MSI has created a special edition of it's QD-OLED gaming monitor. It's got a cute little image of pirate Majima printed on the base. Of course, I loved it.
Marine Monitoring Robot Turtle
Honestly, this little guy is cute, and he helps fight the ecological good fight. How could I not love it? While Beatbot sells plenty of excellent consumer-grade pool cleaning robots, this takes that idea a bit further. Ecologists, marine biologists, researchers all can use the solar-powered robot turtle to monitor water quality and biodiversity. For now, this is still in concept stages but fins crossed it can see its way to the finish line.
A comfortable professional headset
By using bone conduction technology, Shokz is the main brand that has brought the open-ear headphone trend to its moment. Bose, Sony, they are all trying it now. In addition to the new OpenRun 2, Shokz introduced a brand new type of product: OpenMeet.
This is the brand’s attempt at modernizing the professional headset. While AI proliferates, there are still tens of thousands of people who work at call centers or in customer service wearing uncomfortable and ugly headsets for eight hours straight. That’s what OpenMeet is trying to solve. By using bone and air conduction, Shokz has made a headset that is lighter and more open than anything else in that niche.
A miracle all-in-one floor cleaner
As I just said, robot vacuums are still all the rage. But personally, I’d buy the Tineco 3-in-1 floor cleaner over one of those any day of the week. It’s a vacuum, mop, and steamer all in one. The S9 Artist Steam in particular is great for hardwood floors. It doesn't matter if you spill a solid, liquid, or some weird saucy in-between substance. Just roll this baby over it and your problems are solved, no need to even worry about ruining your vacuum. This one is made for it.
AR glasses that work and are coming soon
I’ve gone around the block a few times with VR and augmented reality glasses and goggles, but I’ve yet to see anything quite like what XREAL has been cooking. The XREAL One Pro AR glasses are a display and speaker setup for one, entirely personal and private. They are wired, so plug them into your Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, or PC and the 3D display pops up right in front of your eyes.
The latest generation of XREAL has some worthy updates. Sound powered by Bose is the major one. But there is also a solution to the pesky Meta Ray-Ban issue of the omnipresent camera. The One and One Pro glasses come with a modular detachable camera. If anyone is ever uncomfortable just slide it right off.
I tried them out, and it's super cool, even if my astigmatism did get in the way. Approximated prescription lenses were shown in one of the demos, and they worked, but I'm currently unsure as to the pricing or availability of those extra lenses. Do you get to see a dorky picture of me wearing glasses over my glasses? No, get outta here.
A salty spoon that helps reduce sodium intake
One of the most wild things I saw at CES was small and had nothing to do with AI. This is simply a spoon that shocks your tongue into believing things taste better. Seriously, that’s the underlying tech behind this spoon that is meant to get more flavour out of the sodium content already in your food. This subtle electrical current boosts the savoury and umami qualities.
I didn’t get to go hands (or mouth on), so I can’t speak to the taste. In theory though? Enhancing flavor while reducing sodium content could have life-changing health ramifications for many Americans. Can’t say that about any monitor or graphics card. Hopefully we see this get a North American launch window in 2025.
A blinged-out mechanical keyboard
I already think Keychron makes really solid keyboards (the Lemokey sub-brand in particular), but at the brand’s CES booth it was showing off a bunch of amazing looking products. The most striking of these is this custom mechanical keyboard, themed around one of the 2024’s biggest video games, with special gold keycaps.
This one is super limited edition and only available in China. It makes sense, since that is where Black Myth: Wukong has its largest audience. But 'cmon, look at that thing. I couldn’t not put it on here.
A smart pillbox
I’m going to be real. This was an overlooked product from the show. Is it super exciting? No, it’s a box where you keep your pill bottles. Sync it with an app and you can set up daily notifications reminding you to take your meds. And if you’ve forgotten whether or not you’ve taken them, the app tracks that as well. Perfect for absent-minded millennials like myself, this also has incredible potential in the field of elder care.
This leads me to realize I haven’t seen anyone else discuss what I internalized as one of the trends at this year’s CES. Like Samsung’s AI Smart Home advancements, Smart Pillbox can fall under the umbrella of family care from a distance. That’s where it spoke most to me. Being able to remind an elderly relative to take their medicine when you are halfway across the world is the kind of thing tech was built for.
Trend of the Show: Glasses-Free 3D
I can’t sum this final one up in one demo, one image, or one piece of hardware or software—so I saved it for the end. Talk of generative AI and language models were naturally going to dominate this year, and they did. But glasses-free immersive 3D was one of the biggest CES ’25 trends. What this means in each instance is a bit difference.
I spent time with what Breylon calls its headset-free VR. I stuck my head into a large tanning-booth like screen and got immersed. Not quite as immersed as in VR, though.
I also checked out software demos running on various 3D displays, including gaming on Acer's Spatial Labs monitors and laptops. The takeaway? It's extremely cool, but I have yet to be sold on the use case. More immersive is not quantifiable, nor is it actually something a majority of the gaming audience has proved it's willing to pay for. Quite the opposite in fact.
Still, the eye-tracking hardware behind all of this is cool. It takes a second or two to focus in, but beyond that the longer a session goes, the more natural I the 3D feeling felt.
This story originally appeared on Esquire
Read more about:
CES 2025