CES 2025 ICYMI: The 6 most impressive products so far

The biggest week in tech is here: the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES). ZDNET is on the ground in Las Vegas and also keeping a virtual eye on the products and concepts that debuted before the show’s first day.

Also: CES 2025: What to expect and how to watch

So far today, we’ve seen announcements from big names like Samsung, LG, and HP, as well as new and innovative brands with cool concepts. Here’s the tech gear that impressed us the most so far.

1. AI-integrated TVs

TVs are always big at CES, and this year, the common thread among new TV models seems to be AI integrations. For example, Samsung’s new lineup of TVs takes advantage of AI upscaling to make older content look better through HDR Remastering, which enhances standard dynamic range content to high dynamic range levels. 

LG’s AI-powered TV technology includes features like AI-powered recommendations with voice recognition, an AI chatbot and AI search, and an LG AI Concierge that tracks your preferences alongside search history to provide contextual insights based on what’s playing on your screen. 

Also: Every Samsung TV announced at CES 2025

Plus, Google is improving its TV experience by incorporating its Gemini AI assistant to converse with your Google TV without needing to say “Hey Google,” and the ability to ask more complex questions. 

2. An alternative to Dolby Atmos

Eclipsa Audio is Samsung and Google’s answer to Dolby Atmos. One big difference in this new 3D audio format compared to Dolby Atmos is that it doesn’t have licensing fees; it will be a free and open-source audio format. So far, the format is available only on Samsung’s 2025 lineup of Crystal UHD to Neo QLED 8K TVs and its 2025 lineup of soundbars, but we’re excited to hear it in person nonetheless. 

3. Smart home collaborations

Smart home devices are about to get even smarter thanks to a few key collaborations we’ve seen at CES. First off, Ring and Kiddie are pairing up to launch a new collection of smart smoke and combination detectors featuring Ring technology. When the alarms detect harmful levels of smoke or carbon monoxide (CO), you’ll receive a notification through the Ring app. 

Also: Ecobee just launched a surprisingly affordable smart thermostat at CES 2025

In addition, Home Depot is throwing its hat into the ring of smart home tech with its new Hubspace devices, which will debut later this year. These new devices include a Remote Switch to control on/off functionality and brightness control for lights, as well as two Vissani AC units with smart climate control and customizable schedules and modes. 

4. TCL’s new devices are easy on the eyes

TCL debuted two new devices that caught our eye and benefit your eyes. The TCL 60 XE Nxtpaper 5G is a smartphone with Nxtpaper 3.0 display technology, which blocks blue light to promote visual comfort and reduce eye strain. And, of course, there’s AI involved: the Smart Eye Comfort Mode and the Personalized Eye Comfort Mode adaptively configure the display’s colors, brightness, and contrast levels based on the user’s preference.

The QM6K mini LED TV is packed with features like precise dimming and brightness controls, a redesigned backlighting system to reduce the halo effect of images on screen, a new color optimization algorithm, and enough quantum crystals to render over one billion colors, which we are excited to test out. 

5. Lots of laptops

Monday seems to be the day dedicated to laptops, as we’ve so far seen announcements from HP, Dell, and Acer. HP’s Elitebook series got an AI boost, and Dell nixed its XPS namesake to rebrand its entire portfolio into the Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max. These Dell models will, of course, feature AI capabilities alongside Wi-Fi 7 support and snappy performance. 

Also: Qualcomm set to bring fast Snapdragon X performance to mid-range laptops with new chipset

Meanwhile, Acer’s lineup of devices is super versatile, thanks to their lightweight form factors and OLED displays. 

6. A hands-free smart lock

Imagine approaching your front door, and it automatically unlocks without you having to do anything. That’s exactly what Schlage debuted at CES Monday in the Sense Pro lock. The lock uses Ultra Wideband (UWB) radio signals and a paired device, such as a smartphone, to calculate speed, trajectory, and motion, unlocking the door as you reach for the handle. 

Also: Do you need a smart doggy door? I wasn’t convinced until I saw this at CES

The lock also supports Matter-over-Thread, meaning it can securely connect to your smart home network of devices.