Every year, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) gives us a glimpse of what’s around the corner in tech: creepy humanoid robots, robovacs that climb stairs, AI baked into everything.
Some of these products will never come to fruition. Some will arrive months later. And some – the rarities we picked out below – are available to order right now. I had a chance to try each one in person on the show floor in Las Vegas. So if you’re looking for a taste of the future today, here’s your fix.
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Xreal 1S AR glasses
We sang the praises of Xreal smartglasses for travel back in October, and this new pair makes the company’s most affordable pair both better and cheaper. They have a larger 52-degree field of view (up from 50 degrees) and 700 nits of brightness (up from 600), and 1,200 pixels of vertical resolution (up from 1080).
All of these improvements were immediately noticeable. I wore them connected to an Android phone for roughly 10 minutes, and while that’s not enough to speak to long-term comfort, they never felt heavy on my nose, and they come with different nose pieces to find the perfect fit.
At $449, these glasses are now the ones to beat under $500. I could definitely see myself using them on an airplane to watch TV or get work done on their big private screen. And if you own a Nintendo Switch 2, you can get a $99 dock that lets them work together.
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DuRoBo Krono e-reader
The $280 Durobo Krono is a smartphone-sized e-reader that can be used for reading, music, and even note-taking. Unlike a phone, it has a physical dial that lets you scroll through pages or adjust settings, which is a refreshing addition when everything else has gone to touch screens.
For instance, the dial will adjust the display’s brightness when you rotate it, or record a voice note if you long-press it – an AI assistant will transcribe and summarize those long voice notes.
The 6.1in Carta 1200 HD display looks as crisp as paper, and you can adjust the color temperature to your liking. It also runs Android 15, so you can install apps and buy e-books from the Google Play Store.
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Ohsnap Mcon Gaming Controller
Don’t want to buy a $450 Switch 2 for portable gaming? This $150 gaming controller attaches to your iPhone or Android device magnetically, then flicks open to reveal dedicated joysticks and control keys.
It’s super fun to use, thanks to the thoughtful design details, such as a kickstand for setting it down upright. The grips extend from both sides to give you better ergonomics during long gaming sessions, the joystick controls were easy to use, and the buttons have a really satisfying click.
I first saw a prototype of this game controller last year, but it’s now scheduled to ship in January.
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Even Realities G2 smart glasses
Unlike the Meta smartglasses, these don’t have a camera or speakers to aggravate your friends – they just add a floating display to your vision. I loved their predecessor, the G1, so much that I wore them daily last year, and the G2 are lighter, stronger, and pack some quality-of-life upgrades.
They feel like a regular pair of glasses … until you lift your head to trigger the Dashboard, an virtual overlay of information only you can see. It’s bigger, brighter and sharper than the outgoing model, and you can use it as a teleprompter, translator, navigator or to interact with the company’s AI. A new feature called Conversate shows contextual information (such as floating information about a famous person or place) in the middle of conversations.
A new charging mechanism allows you to just pop them in a case, and an optional smart ring, the R1, can be used to control the glasses and track health data.
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Anker Nano 45W Charger with Smart Display
As a frequent traveler, I’m stoked for the release of this powerful and pocketable new charger with a built-in display that shows your charging speed, phone battery level, and temperature in real time. Hinged prongs allow you to plug it in with the screen facing two different directions, and they fold away completely for portability.
Anker says the new Nano can identify Samsung or Apple phones in seconds and deliver up to 45W of charging on compatible models – enough to bring an iPhone 17 from zero to 50% battery in 20 minutes. A smart “care” mode also tapers down the speed as your phone reaches capacity to reduce heat and battery degradation.
Anker won’t begin shipping these until 20 January, so they’re technically not available right this second, but if you sign up to be notified, you’ll receive a 25% off early-bird discount to purchase it for $30.
