CES has long been the premier global event for the IT channel, and the 2026 edition once again reaffirmed that position. Held from 6–9 January in Las Vegas, the show proved why it remains the essential destination for understanding not only what is launching now, but also which trends, form factors and technologies will shape the channel in the years ahead. While often described as a consumer technology showcase, CES plays a far more strategic role for the channel: translating innovation into opportunity.
Although CES 2026 was widely billed as the year of AI and robotics, the evolution of IT hardware stood out just as strongly. Laptops, desktops, mobile devices, wearables, and peripherals all showed meaningful reinvention, driven by AI acceleration, new silicon platforms, sustainability demands and changing work patterns.
Rather than replacing existing devices, vendors are rethinking them, making them more adaptable, modular, powerful and intelligent.
The inspiration of CES is amplified by its setting, from the Las Vegas Strip to headline venues like the Sphere. Yet beyond the spectacle, the real value lies in insight. Keynotes from AMD, NVIDIA, Lenovo, Intel, and others brought together industry heavyweights to explain not just what is coming next, but how the channel will help deliver it. For those unable to attend, revisiting these sessions online provides essential clarity around platform roadmaps, AI strategy, and ecosystem direction.
Ultimately, CES 2026 was about execution. With more than 4,100 exhibitors across 2.6 million square feet, it was an overwhelming showcase of innovation. But clear themes emerged: AI PCs are now real, new form factors are moving from concept to commercial reality, sustainability is becoming measurable, and wearables, particularly smart glasses, are edging toward mainstream adoption. CES didn’t just preview the future; it showed how close it already is.
Laptops to mobile: reinventing core devices
Despite repeated predictions of decline, laptops were one of the strongest and most innovative categories at CES 2026. What has changed is not demand, but expectation. Today’s laptops must be AI-ready, flexible, sustainable and capable of serving multiple roles without compromise.
Lenovo ThinkPad Rollable XD Concept
Lenovo again demonstrated its leadership in form-factor innovation with the ThinkPad Rollable XD Concept. Expanding vertically from a compact 13.3-inch footprint to nearly 16 inches, the device delivers more than 50% more screen real estate without increasing its physical size. Importantly, the Rollable XD feels less like a gimmick and more like a credible future product. The transparent Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover highlights the precision of the rolling OLED mechanism, while AI-driven features such as live translation, multimodal input, and lid-closed interactions point toward enterprise, collaboration and retail use cases. For the channel, it’s a strong signal that screen innovation is far from finished.
Lenovo Legion Pro Rollable Concept
Lenovo extended this thinking into gaming with the Legion Pro Rollable Concept. Designed for esports the display expands horizontally from 16 inches to 21.5 inches and up to 24 inches, replicating tournament-grade setups in a portable device. Powered by Intel Core Ultra processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50-series graphics, it combines elite performance with portability. While still a proof of concept, it demonstrates how even gaming laptops are being redefined.
ThinkBook Plus Gen 7 Auto Twist
Moving firmly into commercial reality, the ThinkBook Plus Gen 7 Auto Twist showcased adaptive design done right. Its motorised rotating hinge automatically adjusts the display based on posture, mode, or collaboration needs. This is not visual theatre, but a genuine productivity enhancement for SMBs, hybrid workers, and presentation-heavy roles. Built on Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors with Copilot+ experiences, the Auto Twist reflects Lenovo’s focus on usable, business-ready AI devices.
Intel Core Ultra Series 3: Intel Is Back
A major enabler behind many of these designs was Intel Core Ultra Series 3, launched at CES 2026. Built on Intel’s 18A process, Series 3 delivers significant gains in performance per watt, integrated graphics, and AI acceleration, with up to 50 TOPS of NPU performance. Importantly, Intel positioned Series 3 not only for PCs, but also for edge and industrial applications such as robotics and automation. With over 200 designs launching, Intel made a clear statement that it is back as a serious force in the AI PC market.
Sustainability and Repairability
Sustainability also moved from promise to practice. Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 14 Aura Edition exemplified this shift with a redesigned Space Frame architecture that improves cooling while enabling easier repairs. Replaceable ports, battery, keyboard, and fans contribute to a class-leading iFixit repairability score of nine out of 10. Combined with recycled materials and plastic-free packaging, it shows how premium devices can align with circular economy goals.
Keyboards and desktops: rethinking the workspace
Even peripherals and desktops saw reinvention. Lenovo’s Adaptable Keyboard Concept allows adjustable keystroke force for different use cases, while its Self-Charging Keyboard and Mouse Kit uses ambient light to eliminate charging entirely.
HP EliteBoard G1a: The PC Inside the Keyboard
HP took keyboard innovation to a new level with the EliteBoard G1a Next-Gen AI PC. This CES Innovation Award honoree integrates a full Copilot+ AI PC into a keyboard form factor, delivering over 50 TOPS of local AI performance.
Designed for flexible, mobile workstyles, the EliteBoard challenges traditional desktop assumptions and aligns perfectly with modern hybrid work environments. Combined with HP Wolf Security, it represents a bold reimagining of the desk.
Mobile Innovation: Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold
On the mobile side, Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold stole the spotlight. Unfolding twice to reveal a 10-inch display, yet remaining pocketable, it pushes mobile productivity into new territory.
Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite platform, featuring a 200MP camera, and supporting standalone Samsung DeX, the Z TriFold effectively becomes a portable workstation. Premium in both price and ambition, it demonstrates how mobile devices are converging with tablets and PCs – a trend the channel will increasingly need to support.
Smart wearables and glasses: from novelty to near-mainstream
While AI PCs and silicon platforms dominated much of the conversation, the most immediately disruptive category at CES 2026 was smart wearables – particularly the rapid acceleration of smart glasses and open-ear audio. What made this year different was not just incremental improvement, but maturity. Many wearables on show were no longer experimental concepts, but ready-to-ship products with clearly defined use cases.
Wearables are also fragmenting into distinct categories. Productivity glasses focus on translation, transcription, and teleprompting; capture-first glasses prioritise photography and recording; spatial display glasses act as portable screens; and audio-first wearables blur the line between earbuds, accessories and communications tools. For the IT channel, this matters because it changes how these devices are positioned, bundled, and sold as endpoints for productivity, collaboration and personal computing.
ASUS ROG XREAL R1 Gaming Glasses
The standout example was the ASUS ROG XREAL R1 Gaming Glasses. Unlike many previous demos, the R1 is a fully realised product built around a simple proposition: replace physical monitors with a wearable spatial display. The glasses deliver a virtual 171-inch screen using 240Hz micro-OLED FHD panels, making them the world’s first gaming glasses to hit that refresh rate. This is more than a headline spec as high refresh rates are critical in wearables, where motion clarity and low latency directly affect comfort.
A 57-degree field of view balances immersion with real-world awareness, while features such as Anchor Mode allow the virtual display to be pinned in space, making it feel more like a traditional monitor than a VR headset. Combined with Sound by Bose, adaptive brightness, and simple USB-C connectivity to PCs, consoles, and handhelds, the R1 shows how spatial displays can integrate seamlessly into existing ecosystems. For the channel, it signals that wearable displays are becoming a legitimate alternative to physical screens, particularly for gaming and mobile productivity.
Shokz OpenDots ONE
On the audio side, Shokz OpenDots ONE demonstrated how open-ear wearables are evolving into everyday productivity tools. These lightweight, clip-on open earbuds prioritise comfort, awareness and style, ideal for hybrid work and commuting. With a titanium-based clip design, Dolby Audio, strong battery life, and multipoint connectivity, OpenDots ONE balances practicality with an accessory-like form factor. The open-ear design allows users to stay aware of their surroundings, an increasingly important requirement in real-world work environments.
The bigger picture from CES 2026 is clear: smart wearables are no longer waiting for the future, they are building it. As ecosystems mature and features standardise, wearables will rapidly move from interesting add-ons to essential everyday devices.
CES still delivers
As CES approaches its 60th anniversary in 2027, one thing is certain: the show continues to evolve, just as the channel it serves does. And after CES 2026, the future feels closer and more deliverable than ever.
We’re already looking forward to 2027.
This article first appeared in News in the Channel magazine issue #36.
