CES 2026 it's about to start and I'll be there and I'll be lucky enough to go and see all the technologies that are coming out this year that I'm most excited about. I'm TechRadar's AV reporter, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a complete fanatic when it comes to the latest news. OLED panel construction, innovation in speaker design, and home theater upgrades.
A huge part of the fun of CES is finding things you didn't even know existed, but obviously I also see things that I either expect to see or know I will see. As I get ready to head to the show in the next few days, here's what's at the top of my list of things I'm looking forward to, and I encourage you to stay tuned for more information on whether you're an enthusiast like me.
TV technologies
1. New generation OLED panel from LG.
LG has yet to announce its next-generation OLED TV, but we already have a good idea of what to expect from its flagship TV. For starters, LG Display announced the new generation Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 WOLED panel (part of the OLED panel company) which is the successor technology to the excellent LG G5 flagship.
But there is also LG G6 leaked, claiming higher brightness and lower reflectivitywhich means it will be even more powerful. I can't wait to see this TV and its new panel in action in person.
2. RGB TVs from everyone
RGB LED TVs are the next big thing. Almost every major company will be releasing affordable versions of this new type of screen technology this year, and I've outlined what to expect in the full article here..
Compared to existing mini-LED TVs, the new technology promises even brighter TVs (or the same brightness with less power consumption), brighter colors and potentially better contrast. WITH SamsungLG, Hisense, TKL they're all either confirmed or likely to be shown at CES, I'm really looking forward to seeing what they're capable of.
4. Samsung's mysterious new ultra-high-end OLED
Samsung hasn't confirmed any plans to produce OLED TVs before CES. but a leak has revealed that we can expect several new Samsung OLED TV models this year. – not just replacements for last year's options, but actually new model numbers that seem to indicate updates we haven't seen before.
Top of my list from this leak is the Samsung S99H. Previously, Samsung's flagship OLED displays were called “S95”, and if Samsung's usual naming schemes are anything to go by, “S99” will be even more expensive. What technology will make something even more elite than Samsung S95F, which we called the TV of 2025?
The only thing I assume with any degree of security is that it use the Zero Connect wireless video boxas seen in Frame Pro And Samsung Q990F last year. I'm looking forward to seeing what else he can do.
5. Next Steps for Dolby Vision 2
Last year, Dolby Vision 2 introduced.promising to improve HDR next for budget TVs, making images even more accurate for bright high-end TVs and fixing motion smoothing for good measure.
I got to see Dolby Vision 2 in action and it looks really impressive.but we had very little information about when and where we would see him at home. I hope we get more confirmation at CES about streaming platforms and TVs that will support it – we know Hisense will, and TCL Very It's heavily implied that this will happen, so we may hear more about it. LG was much more evasive, but perhaps this will also be confirmed. Samsung is unlikely to change its position on abandoning Dolby Vision support.
Home theater sound
6. Competitor Samsung Sonos Arc Ultra
Ahead of CES Samsung has announced its next two flagship soundbars. One of them is a universal strip located directly on the bow of the vessel. Sonos The Arc Ultra is an all-in-one device that doesn't require a separate subwoofer to deliver impressive sound.
It promises 7.1.2 channels of audio with Dolby Atmos support, which means seven straight and corner surround channels, two height up channels, and bass provided by four dedicated woofers.
It can lie flat on your TV or mount vertically to a wall, and automatically adjusts sound based on how you use it. As far as I can remember, this is Samsung's first attempt at a high-end single-box soundbar, so I'm excited to hear what its audio engineers can do. We consistently rank the company's other soundbars among the best. best soundbars on the planet, after all.
7. LG Dolby Atmos FlexConnect Soundbar.
Dolby Atmos FlexConnect is one of the most exciting home theater technologies of the last few years, but its life has gotten off to a very soft start. The idea is that this allows you more flexibility in choosing the placement of speakers for your sound system – you choose a location and the system detects where they are and recalibrates the audio output accordingly, creating immersive audio even if you don't have room to place the speakers in the usual front left, front right, center, rear left and rear right positions.
LG will unveil the first wireless soundbar with FlexConnect at CES this yearwith compatibility built into future TVs, it could be the breakthrough technology needs.
8. 9.2.6 channel Ultimea sound system.
We know very little about it yet, but as a home theater fan with a small home, I'm very intrigued by it. Ultimea is best known for its cheap soundbars, and it makes some impressive models, but at CES it's introducing a new, very powerful and intriguing model.
Ultimea Announces 9.2.6 Channel Surround Sound System it's like a super exciting beast. The soundbar is combined with four satellite speakers – side and rear – and two subwoofers, forming a truly complex system, but at the same time it seems very compact and simple.
I'm looking forward to trying this – if it's affordable (and history says it will be affordable compared to anything even remotely close to its configuration). This could be a dream option for home theater enthusiasts with very limited space.
Audio equipment
9. Samsung Music Studio Speakers
At CES 2026, Samsung will unveil two wireless speakers that, like the soundbar above, appear to be aimed squarely at Sonos.. They're called “Music Studio,” come in two sizes, and have a cool, minimalist look that isn't usually associated with Samsung.
Music Studio 5 has virtually the same speaker setup as Sonos Era 100and has a similar size; Music Studio 7 has basically the same speaker setup for surround sound as Sonos Era 300.
Will they sound as good as these speakers and will they be competitively priced? I'm really looking forward to finding out.
10. New profitable repairable buds from JLab.
We don't have any leaks on this, but JLab is always high on my list of companies to visit. The company produces some best cheap headphones and regularly surprises me at events with a new set of headphones with impressive technology for half the price you'd expect, even knowing the company is a budget specialist.
One thing we do know is that JLab is enthusiastic about the future of repairable headphones—I suspect there will be models at least with replaceable batteries at CES 2026.
11. Soundcore's next wild creations
Anchor You can always trust Soundcore to bring something truly interesting to shows. IN The IFA 2025 is a portable projector with detachable and foldable surround sound.and in At CES 2025, it had one of the first speakers that used artificial intelligence to remove vocals from any song for easy karaoke from any streaming source..
I don't know what to expect from CES 2025, but I know there will be something there that I've never seen before.
12. Great Japanese Hi-Fi companies Onkyo and Technics
The hi-fi world has a variable relationship with CES: there are plenty of niche audio shows for companies to launch at, so those companies aren't always as diligent about attending CES.
Onkyo and Technics tend to be permanent exceptions. IN At CES 2025, Technics introduced the world's new best headphones, the EAH-AZ100.Bye Onkyo unveils impressive wireless speakers Along with it comes a brand new “Icon” range of Hi-Fi amplifiers.
I don't know what the companies have planned this time, and there haven't been any major leaks early on, but I always recommend keeping an eye on their announcements.
TechRadar will be covering this year's events in detail. KESand will keep you informed of all important announcements as they become available. Visit our CES 2026 News a page with the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from wireless TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets and the latest artificial intelligence technology.
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