The "Global Technology Spring Festival" showcases the AI terminal battle

Author | Huang Yu

Editor | Zhou Zhiyu

Nearly three years after ChatGPT sparked the wave of AI large models, the focus of the global AI competition is shifting from model parameters to real application scenarios. This characteristic will be more intuitively presented at the upcoming "Global Technology Spring Festival" CES.

As one of the largest and most influential technology exhibitions in the world, CES has always been regarded as a barometer for the direction of the technology industry for the coming year and even longer periods. Compared to previous years, CES 2026 presents a highly consistent signal: AI is no longer emphasized as a standalone technological capability but is moving from virtual tools to the physical world.

From chips, PCs to televisions, home appliances, and then to robots and wearable devices, AI is being embedded in hardware in a more concrete and practical way, reconstructing the terminal product experience. A consensus is forming in the global technology industry—the competition of model parameters has entered a diminishing returns phase, and what truly determines the direction of the industry is how AI enters the real world through hardware.

What CES 2026 focuses on is a concentrated showcase of how AI truly enters real life, reaches terminals, and integrates into specific scenarios.

Robots Become the Focus

This year's CES has over 4,000 companies exhibiting, with companies from China and the United States still taking center stage. Among the many exhibited products, robots will firmly occupy the C position.

"The CES has a core theme every year, and sometimes if you don't attend the event, you wouldn't know what the theme is just by hearing everyone discuss it," said the president of the Consumer Technology Association, which hosts CES. "But now I can clearly tell everyone that robotics technology will be the number one hot topic at this year's CES."

In the past year of 2025, the robotics sector continued to thrive, not only with more companion robots providing emotional value but also with the large-scale production of humanoid robots. This undoubtedly marks that AI is accelerating its shift from screen operations to running robots.

According to the official exhibitor directory released by CES, many Chinese robotics companies will participate, including Zhiyuan, Yushu Technology, Star Motion Era, Songyan Power, Fourier, Magic Atom, Zhujijidong, and Qinglang Intelligent, among others.

As the "star" among robotics companies last year, Yushu Technology will bring the Unitree H1 humanoid robot to CES this year. This is the first general-purpose humanoid robot under Yushu, which has attracted widespread attention in the industry since its release and gained fame on the domestic Spring Festival Gala stage last year.

It is reported that Yushu will also present the latest interactive demonstration of humanoid robots at this CES.

Zhiyuan is expected to showcase its star products such as Lingxi X2 (AGIBOT X2), Expedition A2 (AGIBOT A2), Elf G2 (AGIBOT G2), and D1 (AGIBOT D1) at CES 2026, marking the first display of its full product line aimed at the North American market According to Wall Street News, Xingdong Jiyuan will showcase its humanoid robot family, including core products such as Xingdong L7, Xingdong Q5, Xingdong XHAND1, and Xingdong XHAND lite, demonstrating its "fully integrated hardware and software self-research" capabilities to showcase the commercialization results from "technological breakthroughs to scene implementation."

It is reported that CES has specially prepared an exhibition hall to showcase embodied intelligent robot products. According to the CES official website, this CES is an exhibition where the actual applications of robots can be witnessed, showcasing how AI-driven machines, autonomous systems, and collaborative robots profoundly impact the future of manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare.

In addition to humanoid robots, intelligent cleaning robots have also been a highly regarded category. With the downfall of iRobot, the pioneer of robotic vacuum cleaners, Chinese manufacturers have achieved absolute leadership in the current global robotic vacuum market, with the top five in shipment volume being Chinese companies.

Considered a "dark horse," Zhaomi will showcase a complete layout of its whole-house intelligent ecosystem, including smart home appliances, intelligent cleaning, smart kitchen appliances, intelligent personal care, smart garden, and smart audio-visual products at CES, while also launching its newly upgraded embodied intelligent vacuum cleaner, which boasts greater operational flexibility and the potential to execute complex tasks intelligently.

Additionally, MOVA will present its entire line of 19 mature product lines and four new categories, and will unveil three prototype products targeting "water, land, and air" scenarios for the first time, including the underwater pool robot Rover Master with a bionic robotic arm, the all-terrain off-road lawn mower NAVAX AWD series, and the Pilot 70 module that gives vacuum cleaners flying capabilities.

Stone Technology will introduce a wheeled and legged vacuum cleaner, featuring a wheeled leg structure, creating the first vacuum cleaner capable of climbing stairs, with each wheeled leg equipped with extension, lifting, and lowering functions, reportedly as flexible as a human.

Competing for the Best AI Carrier

Since the wave of AI large models began, there has been no unified answer regarding the best carrier for AI large models. Some believe it is humanoid robots, while others think it is smart glasses or smartphones, and there are those actively innovating with AI devices like Rabbit R1 and AI pin.

Although the explorations of Rabbit R1 and AI pin both ended in failure, the industry's exploration of the best carrier for AI large models has not ceased.

Smart glasses, regarded as "one of the best carriers for AI large models," are undoubtedly one of the hottest tracks today.

At this CES, dozens of AI + AR glasses manufacturers are expected to appear, among which Thunderbird Innovation will bring optical waveguide AI glasses, AR glasses with BB solutions, and non-display AI glasses as part of its full ecosystem, and has announced the launch of the first AR smart glasses "Thunderbird X3 Pro Project eSIM" equipped with eSIM.

XREAL will present its newly released product 1S, equipped with the self-developed X1 spatial computing chip, capable of real-time 2D to 3D conversion. Meanwhile, its collaboration with Google on Project Aura will also have a small-scale demonstration and experience In addition to smart glasses, it is not difficult to predict that more new AI hardware will be prominently featured at CES.

Of course, while exploring new hardware forms, traditional categories such as smartphones, PCs, and home appliances are also actively breaking through growth bottlenecks by reconstructing product experiences with AI.

As a long-established global enterprise, TCL has become the largest Chinese exhibitor at this year's CES, showcasing the TCL "King of Machines" series of televisions for the first time, equipped with leading SQD-Mini LED display technology; the world's first forward-looking in-car display solution based on printed OLED screens; and the NXTPAPER series of smartphones and tablets that utilize eye-care display technology.

Another long-established global enterprise, Lenovo, will showcase the latest developments in its "hybrid AI" strategy and launch a new generation of AI PCs.

Of course, at an event like CES, which focuses on consumer electronics, chips remain the most fundamental and critical variable. By 2026, this foundation is being completely reshaped by AI, and giants like NVIDIA, Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm will engage in fierce competition in Las Vegas.

It is reported that during this period, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang will make intensive statements through several major events, focusing on consumer hardware upgrades, the implementation of physical AI, and industry-wide ecological collaboration. Intel will release the third-generation Core Ultra processor, which is its first consumer product based on Intel's 18A process technology.

The 2026 CES cannot provide an "ultimate answer" regarding AI devices, but it clearly demonstrates a trend: AI is transforming from abstract capabilities into concrete products, moving from conceptual demonstrations to everyday use.

For the global technology industry, this is not only a contest of products and technologies but also a game about industrial pathways and innovation models