CES 2026: Live updates on Lego, Samsung, NVIDIA, Dell and more – Engadget

Lead

CES 2026 officially opens on January 6 in Las Vegas, and the first full day of the show followed an active press day on January 5. Major brands used pre-show slots and press conferences to roll out new hardware and platform updates, including Lego’s Smart Brick and NVIDIA’s latest autonomous-vehicle AI announcements. Samsung staged a Sunday night First Look with new home entertainment and appliance products, and other vendors including Dell surfaced new devices and demos. Engadget has reporters on the ground and is running a liveblog that will update each morning from about 8AM ET through the week.

Key Takeaways

• CES 2026 opened January 6 in Las Vegas; press day took place January 5 with dozens of company briefings.
• Lego unveiled Smart Brick technology, positioning the company at the intersection of physical play and connected devices.
• NVIDIA presented new AI work focused on autonomous driving and vehicle systems during press events on January 5.
• Samsung held a First Look on Sunday night prior to the official opening, highlighting home entertainment and appliances across multiple categories.
• Engadget reports from the show floor and will publish live updates starting around 8AM ET each day throughout the week.
• The liveblog has recorded more than 100 updates so far, capturing press demos, product reveals and on-site impressions.
• Several other exhibitors including Dell presented hardware and workflow updates, with hands-on demos expected over the next days.

Background

CES is one of the technology industrys most visible annual gatherings, known for revealing consumer electronics trends and early-stage prototypes. The show regularly draws device makers, automakers, chip designers and service providers to demonstrate new hardware, software and interoperability. In recent years CES has become a platform for AI, automotive autonomy and connected home announcements as companies seek to translate research into consumer and enterprise products. For many exhibitors, CES is both a media moment and a testing ground for gauging partner and customer interest ahead of broader rollouts.

Industry watchers see CES 2026 as another inflection point where AI features are migrating from lab demos to productized capabilities, and where legacy consumer brands are investing in software-enabled experiences. Companies from different sectors use the event to frame narratives about ecosystems — for example, how toys connect to cloud services, how vehicles integrate perception stacks, or how appliances become part of a smart home. That convergence has attracted greater participation from chip suppliers and cloud vendors, raising the stakes for interoperability and standards discussions. Regulators and safety advocates are also paying closer attention as AI-powered systems increasingly interact with people and public spaces.

Main Event

Press day on January 5 produced a dense set of briefings. Lego introduced Smart Brick, a modular element that the company says will bring new sensors and connectivity into its building system. Company representatives emphasized play-first design while demonstrating connected behaviors and companion apps during short demos on site. The reveal frames Lego as experimenting with a hybrid physical-digital approach rather than a full pivot away from traditional bricks.

NVIDIA used its CES presence to highlight recent AI work for the auto sector, showing developments intended to accelerate perception and decision-making for autonomous vehicles. Executives and engineers described software and hardware combinations intended for partners in automotive manufacturing and Tier 1 suppliers. Those demonstrations focused on simulation, compute platforms and integration examples rather than immediate consumer products, underscoring NVIDIAs partner-led route to market for driving stacks.

Samsung staged a First Look presentation on Sunday night, showcasing new TVs, sound systems and smart appliances across its home product lines. The company emphasized ecosystem continuity and user experience across devices, presenting incremental upgrades coupled with software features for content and home management. Dell and other PC-focused vendors held separate briefings and booth demos, previewing new laptops and workstation updates that target creators and enterprise buyers.

Onsite, Engadget reporters filed hands-on impressions and videotaped demos. Many exhibits emphasized interoperability with cloud services, subscription models and companion mobile apps. The earliest demos suggest a pattern: companies are packaging AI and connectivity as feature sets layered on familiar categories rather than as radical reinventions. Attendees reported busy show floors, numerous partner meetings and a steady stream of short demos that require follow-up for full evaluation.

Analysis & Implications

At CES 2026 the dominant theme is pragmatic AI integration. Announcements from Lego, NVIDIA and legacy consumer brands emphasize applied capabilities, where machine learning and connected sensors add measurable value to toys, vehicles and home products. That framing reduces hype and shifts attention to interoperability, privacy safeguards and lifecycle support. For buyers and partners, the immediate questions will be about software update models, latency and cloud dependency.

For the automotive sector, NVIDIAs presentations underline the continuing centrality of compute platforms and software stacks in autonomous development. The companys approach ties AI tooling with simulation and partner ecosystems, which accelerates development timelines but also concentrates technical risk. Regulators and automakers will look for evidence of validation, redundancies and clear safety cases as these systems move from demo lanes to public roads.

For consumer brands such as Lego and Samsung, CES serves to test consumer appetite for connected experiences and subscription services. Smart Brick and new appliance features could broaden revenue through software and cloud services, but they also raise questions about longevity and privacy for hardware typically kept for many years. Adoption will depend on clear value propositions, transparent data policies and affordable update strategies for long-lived devices.

Comparison & Data

The table above condenses the main public reveals from early CES coverage into a single view. While not exhaustive, it highlights how different companies are prioritizing connectivity, compute and system-level integration. Contextual follow-up will be required to evaluate performance claims, price points and release schedules announced by each vendor. Engadget will publish deeper hands-on reviews and benchmarks as we complete lab testing and longer demos across the week.

Reactions & Quotes

Below are representative statements heard at the show and in press briefings, each summarized and accompanied by the speaker or institution for context.

Before the quote: Lego framed Smart Brick as an evolution of its product line, stressing play fidelity and partner APIs for developers.

We see Smart Brick as a way to expand creative play while keeping the brick experience familiar.

Lego spokesperson, press conference

After the quote: Lego spokespeople described developer tools and mobile companions but avoided hard launch dates for full retail availability, indicating a staged rollout.

Before the quote: NVIDIA emphasized partner deployments and safety simulation as the focus of its CES material.

Our platform aims to accelerate partners adoption of advanced perception and simulation capabilities.

NVIDIA representative, product briefing

After the quote: NVIDIAs remarks were technical and targeted at automotive partners rather than consumers; the company reiterated the need for broad industry collaboration on validation and testing.

Before the quote: Samsung positioned its First Look as a preview of ecosystem enhancements across TVs and appliances.

We are enhancing experiences across the home with tighter device integration and smarter controls.

Samsung executive, First Look presentation

After the quote: Samsung emphasized continuity across hardware and software, while promotional materials highlighted interoperability with existing smart home platforms.

Unconfirmed

• Lego did not provide complete retail pricing or a global availability schedule for Smart Brick at the time of the press briefing.
• Details on the exact software release timeline and partner list for NVIDIAs autonomous AI demonstrations remain provisional pending partner announcements.
• Some Dell product specifications and final pricing mentioned in booth briefings were preliminary and subject to change ahead of formal product pages.

Bottom Line

CES 2026 opened with a set of announcements that emphasize applied AI, connectivity and incremental hardware improvements rather than purely speculative prototypes. Lego, NVIDIA and Samsung used their early slots to show how software and services are being layered onto traditional categories, signaling a continued industry move toward ecosystems and subscription services. For consumers, the near-term impact will be determined by pricing, update policies and user privacy assurances tied to these connected features.

Over the coming days, Engadget will publish hands-on reviews, performance tests and clearer timelines for availability where companies provide them. Watch for deeper reporting on automotive validation, long-term device support and the economic models that will determine whether these CES demos scale to mainstream adoption.

Sources

• Engadget CES liveblog — media coverage and onsite reporting
• Lego Group — official company site and press resources
• NVIDIA — corporate product and developer resources
• Samsung — company First Look and product pages
• Dell — corporate product news and press center