Some trade shows promise the future. CES 2025 delivered things you can plug in right now.
The Las Vegas strip smelled like ozone, carpet glue, and corporate optimism last week, and the halls of the convention center buzzed with the faint, constant whirr of LiDAR-equipped coffee tables and AI-powered litter boxes. Amid all the noise, a few gadgets didn’t just raise eyebrows—they earned a spot on your desk, your wrist, or your living room floor.
Take the Dreame X50 Ultra. Yes, it’s another robot vacuum. No, it won’t change your life. But here’s what it will do: identify spills, adjust suction power on the fly, and mop your hardwood floors better than you probably would. It’s quiet, quick, and doesn’t need babysitting. That’s more than you can say for most roommates. It even docks, recharges, and cleans itself without turning your hallway into a charging station obstacle course. The app is functional—minimal lag, readable UI—and you can set no-go zones with a simple drag-and-drop. Useful, not magical. And that’s fine.
Then there’s the OnePlus 13. It’s slimmer, faster, and smarter, thanks to a Snapdragon Gen 4 chip and onboard generative AI that actually works. It suggests better captions, organizes your photos like it read your mind, and yes, it still has a headphone jack (you’re welcome). What really impressed, though, is its battery life—easily pushing two days even with moderate screen-on time. In a sea of iterative updates, this one feels like progress. It’s the first Android flagship in years that doesn’t feel like it’s trying to be an iPhone replacement—it’s just itself.
Honorable mention goes to the Halliday AI Smart Glasses. They don’t look like ski goggles. They let you take calls, get directions, and skim headlines without touching your phone. Think of them as a heads-up display for real life—minus the Tony Stark cosplay. The voice control isn’t flawless, but it’s functional. The frames are lightweight, stylish enough for daily wear, and surprisingly intuitive after about an hour of use.
So what makes these gadgets different? They’re usable. Tangible. Slightly imperfect but genuinely helpful. No hype, just utility. And in a year full of AI vaporware and subscription bloat, that feels like real progress.