As we wrap up our live coverage of all things CES, it's time to pick the best of the show. So many of the new things we've seen this year have an AI component, with a notable rise in AR glasses, hearing aid earbuds, solar-powered tech, emotional support robots and robot vacuums. (Why this year, robovacs?)
Our list of CES 2025 winners covers a variety of categories, from typical Engadgety stuff like PCs, home entertainment and gaming to winners themed around sustainability and accessibility.
In fact, our best-in-show winner is an accessibility pick: the WeWalk Smart Cane 2. A high-tech version of the mobility cane for blind people seems to be the best useful application of AI. With a new voice assistant powered by GPT, users can speak directly to the cane to get navigation guidance, with sensors alerting the user of upcoming obstacles. Since the cane can do things like turn-by-turn navigation, users don't have to worry about holding a smartphone while trying to get around.
There were many other winners as well. Which laptop beats the rest? Read on for more!
— Matt Smith
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The biggest tech story you missed
As the EV approaches the finish line, it's time to get critical.
The automotive talk of CES is the Sony Afeela 1 — again. The company has been showing several variations of this EV for five years at this point. Now, the car is almost ready to launch, and the more specifications we hear, the more wary we get. The Afeela 1's maximum charge rate is 150 kW for its 91 kWh battery, which provides an estimated 300 miles of range. Compare that to a cheaper Lucid Air, which can charge twice as fast and cover more than 400 miles on a charge, and you start to see the problems. All this in a car that costs almost $90,000. The charming Tim Stevens takes Sony Honda Mobility to task – and not just for the company name.
Sloth-koala robots? Sure.
We've curated all the crazy (and sometimes useful) devices we spotted in the wild of the show floor at CES. Weird doesn't mean — it may just not have the power of a multinational corporation… or the desire to change the world. Still, solar sun hat? Yes, please.
Better screen, better premise.
Samsung's The Frame TV lineup has been a success. It doesn't just look like a black box when you're not using it, but instead blends into your home decor by displaying art on the screen, with a single-cable build that fixes the usual mess of behind the TVs. It inspired many imitators, but Samsung is finally back with a pro iteration. Most importantly, the Frame Pro now has a Neo QLED display — the same Mini LED tech that powers the company's high-end QN900 series TVs.
