17 Tech Innovations Stealing The Spotlight At CES 2025

Future tech innovators met once again in Las Vegas, as the Consumer Electronics Show 2025 — organized by the US Consumer Technology Association (CTA) — kicked off on January 7. The show treated visitors to a smorgasbord of big innovations, head-scratching gadgets, and plenty of contraptions that made us wonder what "smart living" will mean in just a few years. 

So far, CES has delivered plenty of excitement in the realms of laptops, gaming, TVs, and smart home technology — areas the show has always shone in. However, this year’s event also highlights some of the trendier, emerging categories and massive products from tech giants like Samsung, Acer, and Sony, alongside the countless smaller tech vendors eager to unveil their latest innovations that are starting to make a bigger impact, from smart home gadgets to gaming solutions, and even a robot sloth charm that hangs off purses and turns to look at people and objects around it, mimicking the body language of an infant. Its purpose? To “recreate people’s joyful experiences of noticing a human baby as he/she tries to interact with them,” says the company’s website. 

The event highlights innovations across multiple industries, with some products set to hit the market this year and others still in prototype or pre-production. This year’s CES places artificial intelligence (AI) at the forefront, demonstrating its impact on autonomous vehicles, personal computers, smart homes, wearables, healthcare, and next-gen televisions. With the theme “Dive In to the Future,” the event underscores AI’s integration into everyday life. 

Here’s what stood out from the crowd in each category: 

CONSUMER TECH 

1. Samsung’s Stretchable MicroLED Display 

A standout attraction at a behind-the-scenes at CES was a stretchable Micro-LED display by Samsung. This innovation effortlessly morphs from a sleek, flat surface into a dramatic, bulging fisheye shape, only to snap back to its original flat form. The tech is still in its early stages, with Samsung’s demo featuring just a single 6-inch (15-centimeter) panel that bulges out at eye level — a size smaller than most flagship smartphones.  

2. Holoconnects Holobox 

Dutch 3D holographic technology company Holoconnects made waves at CES 2025 with the Holobox Mini, a travel-sized version of its original human-sized Holobox. An advanced holographic display that comes in two sizes, designed to project live, 3D visualizations of people, products, or displays on its transparent screens, it offers a more personal experience than typical video calls. Whether it’s welcoming guests at a hotel or hosting virtual doctor consultations, the Holobox Mini brings a whole new level of interaction.   

3. XREAL One Pro AR Glasses

At CES 2025, Chinese augmented reality (AR) company XREAL unveiled its highly anticipated XREAL One Pro AR glasses along with the original XREAL One. Also on display is the modular XREAL Eye camera from the One Series, offering new features and enhancements for immersive experiences. They’re all featured with the company’s first in-house spatial computing chip, delivering less blur, no flicker, and a 120Hz refresh rate. 

4. Lenovo ThinkBook Rollable Screen

There is a great sense of enjoyment when it comes to multitasking across multiple screens, which may be why going back to a single display feels like a step backward. And while additional screens might solve the problem, they often add bulk and hassle. At CES this year, Lenovo showcased its new Thinkbook Plus Gen 9 Rollable laptop with a screen that unrolls, where the OLED display extends upward to give you more room to multitask or see more lines of a spreadsheet.  

SMART HOME TECH 

5. LeafyPod AI-Powered Houseplant 

This AI-powered smart planter takes all the guesswork out of plant care by monitoring soil moisture, light, temperature, and humidity. LeafyPod’s watering system adapts to your plant’s needs, mimicking natural rainfall. And with its companion app, you’ll get personalized care tips, daily notifications, and watering schedules for over 100 common houseplants. Plus, with no cords to worry about, it looks sleek and stylish — just like a regular planter, but with a whole lot more brainpower. 

6. Anker Beach-Ready Gadgets

While tech and the beach don’t always go hand in hand, there’s always room for some clever gadgets. At CES, Chinese electronics manufacturer Anker has some ideas for beach-ready tech, including an electric cooler and a solar-powered umbrella, which it is gearing up to launch this summer. 

The SOLIX EverFrost Electric Cooler can both freeze and chill at the same time, with batteries that last 52 hours and can be swapped out for continuous use. The SOLIX Solar Umbrella, on the other hand, can generate up to 100W of power via USB-C connections. Powered by solar cells, it supports EverFrost cooler, phone, or any other beach tech. 

7. BioLite Refrigerator Battery 

One of the gadgets to support smart homes is a backup battery solution by BioLite. This product is efficient for fridges or other appliances that need constant power. Instead of installing a large whole-home battery system, the BioLite battery is attached to a single appliance, making the product similar to a portable power station. With two battery units, it packs 3 kilowatt-hours of energy – enough to run a standard fridge for a couple of days. 

8. Roborock Vacuum 

While robovacs have become increasingly commercialized, most still require human intervention to navigate around household clutter. The Roborock Saros Z70 solves this problem with a mechanical arm that can grab items and move them to a designated area. On its first pass, the Saros Z70 will perform its usual cleaning tasks while also identifying and marking objects it can pick up. It will return later to grab items like socks, tissues, and small towels during a second round of cleaning. 

HEALTHCARE TECH

9. Withings’ Full-Body Mirror Scan 

French tech company Withings, known for its smart scales and watches, unveiled a futuristic prototype of a full body "health screening mirror." While still just a concept, this product gives a glimpse of how Withings plans to integrate its biometric devices into a more comprehensive health platform. The Withings Omnia smart mirror would theoretically track everything from heart rate and pH levels to muscle composition, sleep quality, and exercise recovery. Designed to work alongside other wearables like a smartwatch, it will pull together data from throughout your day to offer a holistic view of your health.  

10. FlowBeams's Needle-free Injection

Dutch company FlowBeams is set to revolutionize injections with its BoldJet, a handheld device that fires ultra-fine streams of liquid — thinner than a human hair — into the skin, bypassing the outer layer with no pain, unlike traditional needles. By adjusting the jet velocity, the device ensures controlled delivery to the target skin layer, making injections more efficient. Also, the dosage is divided into multiple small, repeated injections, allowing for precise delivery and better control over the total volume. This new tech will enhance comfort for patients of all ages and potentially reduce medical waste. 

11. Speediance’s Adjustable Gym 

The Gym Monster 2 from Shenzhen-based Speediance features an all-in-one fitness tool designed to take the guesswork out of workouts. It has a touchable screen where weighted bars can be adjusted to the preferred resistance and provides other options for beginners like the "strength assessment" feature to automatically set the load for different lifts – much like having a personal trainer in your gym routine. The product also features visualized workout tutorials, advanced data insights, and versatile training modes. 

12. Kirin’s Electric Salt Spoon

If you’re aiming to reduce your sodium intake, a high-tech spoon might be the solution, according to Japanese beer company Kirin. Their Electric Salt Spoon uses electricity to enhance the sodium ion molecules, boosting the taste of salt and umami (the savory flavors found in mushrooms or miso). However, to activate the electric loop, you need to keep your fingers on a metal strip on the back of the spoon and hold it against your mouth for a few seconds before swallowing. A little extra effort for a big flavor punch! 

GAMING GADGETS 

13. Acer’s Nitro Blaze 11 

Taiwanese tech-powered lifestyle brand Acer showcased the Nitro Blaze 8 and Nitro Blaze 11 (8 and 11 inches, respectively), the latest in its series of handheld gaming devices. After announcing the Nitro Blaze 7 at the International Consumer Electronics Fair in Berlin last September, the company made a splash at CES with the larger Nitro 11, which is set to hit markets in Q2 2025. All three Nitro Blazes have a 2560 x 1600 IPS display, with the smaller models running at 144Hz as well, but that 11-inch model just has so much screen real estate with the same Ryzen 7 mobile processor. The display also comes with a higher resolution. The Nitro Blaze 11 features detachable controllers, an integrated kickstand, Hall Effect joysticks, and two rear buttons. 

14. NVIDIA’s Flagship GPU 

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang took to the CES 2025 stage to announce the launch of the first batch of RTX 50 series graphics processing units (GPUs), the most advanced consumer GPUs for gamers, creators, and developers. Depending on the game, RTX 5090 is expected to deliver as much as twice the relative performance. The GPUs, featuring the company's next-gen Blackwell AI chip, are designed to enable major improvements in AI-driven rendering.  

NVIDIA also announced technologies that allow "autonomous characters" to think, plan, and react like human players. These characters can assist players with strategy planning or adjust their tactics to create more dynamic and challenging battles. 

SMART CITIES 

15. Toyota’s “Woven City” 

At CES 2025, Toyota unveiled the completion of phase one of "Woven City," which was first announced at CES 2018 and is a bold prototype city designed as a "living laboratory." Located at the base of Mount Fuji, the city will test autonomous vehicles, smart home technology, robotics, and innovative mobility solutions in a real-world environment. The city's mission is to redefine mobility by seamlessly integrating the movement of goods, information, and energy. It will feature technologies like the Arene OS software platform and advanced driver-assistance systems (AD/ADAS) to enhance connectivity and safety.  

Woven City will welcome its first residents – 100 Toyota employees and their families – this year, with plans to expand to 360 residents in the first phase. Over time, external inventors, known as ‘Weavers,’ will join the community. Designed by the Copenhagen-born architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group, the city will be powered by Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell technology. The city's innovation ecosystem also includes partnerships with companies like ENEOS, NTT, and Rinnai. Toyota plans to open "Woven City" to the public in 2026, offering a glimpse into its ambitious vision for the future of urban living. 

SMART ELECTRIC VEHICLES (EVs) 

16. Sony and Honda’s Afeela EV 

The Afeela 1 electric vehicle, the first product of a joint venture between Sony and Honda, got the spotlight at CES 2025. In addition to its targeted 300-mile (483-kilometer) range, which matches the capabilities of other upcoming electric cars like the Lucid Air Touring, the EV comes with built-in entertainment, including PlayStation integration that allows drivers to play games while parked and two screens for on-the-go movies in the rear passenger seats. Sony Honda has also integrated the anime streaming service Crunchyroll into their cars.  

17. Aptera’s Solar-Powered EV 

The US startup Aptera, which has seen its share of ups and downs before relaunching in 2019, showcased its pre-production solar-powered electric vehicle at CES. The two-seat vehicle features a dolphin-like design and will be capable of achieving up to 40 miles (64 kilometers) of daily driving solely on solar energy. Every aspect of its construction is optimized for efficiency, including its lightweight build — approximately half that of a standard electric vehicle — its carbon fiber chassis, and its low-profile wheels. For extended journeys, the vehicle can be charged via a plug-in, providing a range of up to 400 miles (643 kilometers) on a full charge.