"The 'Global Tech Spring Festival Gala' stages an AI device showdown."

Author | Huang Yu Editor | Zhou Zhiyu Three years after ChatGPT sparked the wave of AI large models, the global AI competition is shifting its focus from model parameters to real-world application scenarios. At the upcoming "Global Technology Spring Festival Gala" CES, this trend will be presented more intuitively. As one of the largest and most influential technology exhibitions in the world, CES is regarded as a barometer for the trend of the technology industry in the coming year, or even longer. Compared with previous years, CES 2026 presents a highly consistent signal: AI is no longer emphasized as a standalone technical capability, but is moving from a virtual tool into the physical world. From chips and PCs to TVs, home appliances, robots, and wearable devices, AI is being embedded into hardware in more specific and practical ways, reshaping the end-product experience. A global consensus is forming in the tech industry—the race for model parameters has entered a phase of diminishing returns; what truly determines the direction of the industry is how AI enters the real world through hardware. What CES 2026 will showcase is exactly how AI truly enters real life, reaches end-users, and integrates into specific scenarios. ## Robots Become the Focus This year’s CES features more than 4,000 exhibitors, with companies from China and the United States remaining the protagonists. Among the many products on display, robots will take center stage. "The CES has a core theme every year, and unless you're onsite hearing all the buzz, you can't really know what the theme is," said the president of the Consumer Technology Association, which organizes CES. "But now we can clearly tell everyone that robotics technology will be the number one hot topic at this CES." Throughout 2025, the robotics sector remained hot, not only spawning more companion robots providing emotional value, but also ushering in the mass production of humanoid robots. This undoubtedly marks AI's rapid shift from screen operations to running robots. According to the official CES exhibitor list, many Chinese robotics companies will participate, including Zhiyuan, Unitree Robotics, Stardawn Era, Songyan Power, Fourier, Magic Atom, Zhuji Power, Keenon Robotics, and more. As last year's "rising star" robotics company, Unitree Robotics will bring its Unitree H1 humanoid robot to CES this year, its first general-purpose humanoid robot, which attracted widespread industry attention since its release and became a sensation on China's Spring Festival Gala stage last year. Reportedly, Unitree will also bring the latest interactive demonstration of its humanoid robot at this CES. Zhiyuan is expected to showcase its star products Lingxi X2 (AGIBOT X2), Expedition A2 (AGIBOT A2), Genie G2 (AGIBOT G2), D1 (AGIBOT D1), etc., at CES 2026, unveiling its full product lineup to the North American market for the first time. Furthermore, according to Wallstreetcn, Stardawn Era will display its humanoid robot family, consisting of Stardawn L7, Stardawn Q5, Stardawn XHAND1, and Stardawn XHAND lite, demonstrating its full-stack self-developed "soft and hard integrated" capabilities and commercial achievements "from technological breakthroughs to scenario implementation”. Reportedly, CES officials have specially prepared an exhibition hall dedicated to showcasing embodied intelligent robot products. According to the CES website, this exhibition will witness the real-world applications of robots, showcasing how AI-driven machines, autonomous systems, and collaborative robots profoundly impact the future of manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare. In addition to humanoid robots, smart cleaning robots remain a highly watched category. With the collapse of iRobot, the pioneer of robotic vacuum cleaners, Chinese manufacturers have already gained an absolute lead in the global robotic vacuum market, with the top five in shipment volume all being Chinese companies. Dreame, seen as a "dark horse", will demonstrate a complete layout of whole-house intelligent ecosystem at CES, covering smart home appliances, smart cleaning, smart kitchen appliances, smart personal care, smart garden, and smart audio-visual, and will also launch its newly upgraded embodied intelligent robotic vacuum cleaner, featuring greater operational flexibility and ability to execute complex tasks. Moreover, MOVA will present 19 mature product lines and 4 major new categories across its entire range, and for the first time unveil three prototype products for "water, land, and air" scenarios: the Rover Master underwater pool robot with bionic mechanical arms; the NAVAX AWD all-terrain off-road grade lawnmower; and the Pilot 70 module that gives robotic vacuum cleaners flying capabilities. Roborock will launch a wheel-leg vacuum robot with a wheel-leg architecture, creating the first stair-climbing vacuum robot capable of cleaning stairs. Each wheel-leg has extension, lifting, and rise-and-fall functions, and is claimed to be as flexible as humans. **The Race for the Best AI Carrier** Since the AI large model wave began, discussions about the best carrier for AI large models have lacked a unified answer. Some believe it’s humanoid robots, others say smart glasses or smartphones, and yet others actively innovate with devices like the Rabbit R1 and AI Pin. Although both Rabbit R1 and AI Pin explorations ended in failure, the industry’s quest for the best carrier of AI large models has never ceased. Smart glasses, regarded as "one of the best carriers for AI large models", are undeniably among the hottest sectors today. At this CES, dozens of AI+AR smart glasses manufacturers are expected to appear. Among them, Thunderbird Innovation will bring optical waveguide AI glasses, AR glasses based on BB solutions, and non-display AI glasses, and preview the launch of its first AR smart glasses with eSIM — "Thunderbird X3 Pro Project eSIM". XREAL will showcase its newly launched 1S, equipped with its self-developed X1 spatial computing chip capable of real-time 2D-to-3D transformation. Also, the Google-cooperated Project Aura will be demonstrated and experienced in a limited way. Besides smart glasses, it’s easy to predict that more new AI hardware will make a concentrated debut at CES. Naturally, in addition to exploring new hardware forms, traditional categories such as smartphones, PCs, and home appliances are also actively leveraging AI to reconstruct product experiences and break through growth bottlenecks. As a well-established global enterprise, TCL will be the largest Chinese exhibitor at this year’s CES, showcasing the "King of Machines" series TVs equipped with advanced SQD-Mini LED display technology for the first time at CES; the world's first forward-looking in-car display solution based on printed OLED screens; and the NXTPAPER series smartphones and tablets featuring eye-protection display technology. Another major global brand, Lenovo, will showcase the latest progress of its "Hybrid AI" strategy and launch the new generation of AI PCs. Of course, at a consumer electronics-centered show like CES, chips remain the most fundamental and crucial variable. In 2026, this layer is also being completely reshaped by AI, and giants like Nvidia, Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm will fiercely compete in Las Vegas. Reportedly, during this period, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will make intensive appearances at multiple major events, focusing primarily on consumer hardware upgrades, real-world AI deployment, and comprehensive industry ecosystem collaboration. Intel will release its third-generation Core Ultra processors, marking its first consumer-grade products built on the Intel 18A process technology. CES 2026 cannot provide the "ultimate answer" for AI devices, but it clearly shows a trend: AI is transforming from an abstract capability into specific products, moving from conceptual demonstrations to everyday use. For the global technology industry, this is not just a battle of products and technology, but also a competition of industrial paths and innovation models. --- Risk warning and disclaimer The market has risks, investment needs caution. This article does not constitute personal investment advice, nor does it take into account the specific investment goals, financial status, or needs of individual users. Users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions in this article are suitable for their specific circumstances. Investing accordingly is at your own risk.