CES is where the world's most innovative products are showcased. It's also where we get to see unique, one-off demos and products that are interesting but not really practical, but cool nonetheless. I scoured the show floor this week, and these are the coolest products I saw.
These phones change color, and they're actually getting released
Infinix makes phones with interesting designs, and the Chinese brand showcased some of its innovations in this area. These include an E Ink panel at the rear that changes patterns — you can even create your own — alongside color-changing models and phones with lenticular designs. The brand says it'll even put some of these models to production, so get ready to see a Hot 60 device later in the year with one of these designs.
You'll want to use a physical keyboard again with this accessory
Clicks stole the show with the Power Keys, a slide-out keyboard accessory that includes a portable battery. You attach it to your phone magnetically, and you can then pair the keyboard over Bluetooth, giving you a physical keyboard. As it's just over Bluetooth and has a built-in battery, you can also use the accessory with your tablet and other devices.
This camera watches while you eat — and analyzes your every bite
Still logging food manually? That'll be a thing of the past if Amazfit's Food Camera goes into production. This thing sits on the dining table and records you eating, and it guesstimates portion sizes, automatically assigning macros, and serves recommendations based on how quickly you're eating, and in what order.
Govee has even more ways to bring RGB lighting to every corner of your home
I like what Govee is doing with lighting products, and the brand just debuted LuminBlend+ tech, which basically allows its products to deliver lifelike colors even when you increase the brightness. If you're like me and have dozens of Govee products in your home, you'll be glad to know that the brand is making it easier to change lighting and create zones or scenes across products.
Reebok wants in on the smart glasses action
Lucyd makes smart glasses with built-in audio, and it does a good job of it. It collaborated with Reebok over smart glasses that look similar to the Oakley Meta Vanguard. They have UV 400 lenses, and as there's no camera, they're significantly lighter. They don't have anywhere close to the same level of smarts as Meta provides, but they're undeniably cool — and at $299, they cost less than half as much as my Vanguard.
SwitchBot showed off robots you'll want in your house
SwitchBot tends to have interesting products, and it showcased a few robots at its booth. While most robots on the show floor tend to be humanoid, the brand went with teddy bear-esque creates that looked downright adorable.
The brand even had a robot that was generally tidying up around the booth. If someone from SwitchBot is reading this, I'd like two of these, please.
Keychron is going wild with keyboards
Think your all-metal keyboard is cool? Keychron would like to have a word. The brand is dabbling with interesting materials, and is rolling out keyboards made out of wood, ceramic, marble, and even stone. I like Keychron keyboards because they're reliable and have a great feature-set, and I can't wait to get my hands on some of these unique keyboards.
AGIBOT is intent on creating eerily-good humanoid robots
There will come a time when robots can legitimately do cool things, but until then, we've got demos where they wave, do a jig, and generally follow the guy who's got their control interface. What if the robot gets a hold of that interface? Probably best not to dwell on that — AGIBOT must've thought of that, right? Right?
This brand is bringing back landlines
We had a landline in the house when I was growing up, but all that reinforces is how old I am. Kids these days don't know what a landline is, and Pinwheel Home is aiming to change that. It has interesting landline designs, and they're meant to be plugged in the old-fashioned way. Thankfully, you don't actually need to take a new number, as the service uses VOIP to make calls.
ASUS finally figured out who its audience is
ASUS is intent on getting you to buy a router you don't need; at least this time, its designs aren't arachnoid in nature. While Wi-Fi 7 is yet to go mainstream, ASUS is debuting Wi-Fi 8 routers sometime later this year — it remains to be seen if anyone will actually buy them.
Another issue with routers is target devices. I've been using phones with the requisite Wi-Fi 7 modem, and I honestly don't see a difference with the standard. But then again, ASUS is going after D&D-style 20-sided dice with its router, so it clearly understands its target audience.
Samsung put AI in just about everything it could get its hands on
Samsung had a slate of robots doing all manner of activities, but the one that caught my attention is the one with a built-in speaker. It wasn't playing any sound, but it looks cool, and I have no idea if Samsung will consider making this into a consumer product — Ballie, anyone?
MyArcade is gaming nostalgia done right
I didn't know about MyArcade until I stumbled upon its booth, but the brand does mini arcade machines that let you play your favorite retro titles. They're small, powered by built-in batteries, and are incredibly cool.
XREAL is working on gesture control
XREAL has plenty of cool products, and the brand is now working on a gesture control system that lets you interact with your phone (while it's paired to the glasses) without actually using it. The demo I tried was pretty cool, and while the tech is still in its nascency, I like the idea of controlling media while using XR glasses via gestures.
There's now an E Ink frame designed by Pininfarina
If you just want a regular E Ink photo frame, you should just buy what SwitchBot and other brands are doing in this area. But if you want something designed by an acclaimed design studio, you should take a look at InkPoster. It partnered with Pininfarina, and I have to admit that it looks stunning. The built-in battery cycles through 3,000 refreshes, and it charges via USB-C.
Bugatti showed off a car none of us can afford
Do I really need a reason to highlight the Bugatti Tourbillion? The French auto manufacturer had the car showcased at its booth alongside a smaller version designed for kids (which probably costs more than a regular car).
