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6 days ago
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ZDNET's key takeaways
- CES 2026 showcases smarter, more autonomous home tech.
- AI-driven features are becoming standard across home devices.
- Battery-free power and quieter operation stood out.
CES makes this smart home reviewer happy each year. There are numerous amazing, innovative, and compelling smart home devices that debut at the show, making it challenging to keep track of them all. As I comb through press releases and walk the halls, demoing the different devices, I start narrowing down a list of the most attractive ones in my mind.
Also: CES 2026 live updates: Biggest news on TVs, smart glasses, robots and more for Day 2
With CES 2026 in full swing, I thought it's as good a time as any to share this list. Below, you'll find my choices for the coolest, most eye-catching yet useful devices being featured at the showcase, and information on when they'll be available for purchase.
The Lockin Veno Pro and Lockin V7 Max are fantastic smart locks that don't require you to ever recharge or replace their batteries. Instead of using a removable battery, this lock uses Lockin AuraCharge, an external device that you plug in about four meters away.
The AuraCharge is a transmitter that shoots an invisible light beam to your smart lock, continuously powering its battery.
Also: I just saw one of the coolest new smart locks in action at CES
The Lockin Veno Pro is a deadbolt smart lock, whereas the V7 Max is a Mortise lock, which is less common in the US than the former. The Veno Pro is expected to hit the market this year, with a retail price of around $350.
The V7 Max has dual cameras and displays to also show you who's at the door, and is planned for Q3 2026, but it's expected to cost upward of $1,000.
Google TV is introducing new generative AI features that are impressive enough to convince any Alexa user to switch to Google's voice assistant. The new features include Dive Deeper, a Nano Banana model, and Veo, and will be available as a free OTA update to TCL Google TVs initially, but will also be accessible on the Google TV Streamer.
Aside from smart home control, your Google TV will also be able to edit your photos and create artwork and videos from them. I watched as Google demoed editing a photo of a woman and her dog at the beach to look like a cartoon, then asked Gemini to create a video of the woman playing fetch with the dog with the same cartoonish look.
Also: Your Google TV is getting several useful Gemini features soon - these models included
Gemini will also generate briefs for you to catch up on your favorite sports, complete with a new visual layout and even a narrator with a sportscaster voice.
The new Narwal Flow 2 is expected to perform better than its predecessor, though the Narwal Flow was well received. Narwal is showcasing its new flagship robot vacuum and mop, featuring an outstanding 30,000Pa of suction power and a track mop that can apply 12N of downward pressure during cleaning.
The best part about the Flow 2 is probably its intelligence. This robot is smart enough to not only recognize objects on the floor, but also remind you of misplaced items or toys, and can even flag these on a map with a priority order. The robot vacuum uses AI to process its surroundings and can adjust its cleaning accordingly, such as decreasing the noise when cleaning near a crib.
Also: This robot vacuum at CES 2026 can find lost items on your floor and alert you of them
The Narwal Flow 2 is expected to launch in April 2026. Though pricing info hasn't been announced, we can expect it to cost about the same as its predecessor, priced at $1,500.
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