CES 2026 runs from 6 to 9 January in Las Vegas—here’s the wearable tech we’re expecting to see on the show floor
CES 2026 is almost here. As usual, the first week of January will see Las Vegas turn into a corridor of LED walls, robotic demos, and enough AI marketing to power a small city.
The event remains the most notable tech show on the calendar, and we’re expecting the industry’s biggest brands to announce (or at least tease) their latest wearables at the 2026 instalment.
CES is a different place for wearable tech than it used to be. While the early years were squarely focused on smartwatches and fitness trackers, CES 2026 looks set to be dominated by a wider range of form factors and innovations. With the help of AI, the smart glasses, rings, and watches set to be launched will be the most advanced health and wellness devices ever seen.
From the giants like Samsung and Garmin to the smart ring startups fighting for your finger, here’s what we expect to see on the show floor. And, as we always say, what happens in Vegas absolutely doesn’t stay there—we’ll be testing and reviewing all the wearables we spy, so stay tuned for more coverage throughout early 2026.
Garmin: A return to fitness trackers
Garmin is a CES veteran, but it rarely uses the show to drop its flagship devices. And given that we saw the Fenix, Forerunner, and Venu lines all get significant refreshes throughout 2025, don’t hold your breath for anything high-end or significant.
Instead, a revival of its entry-level fitness band looks nailed on, with recent leaks pointing to the long-awaited Garmin Vivosmart 6.
It’s a logical move; the Vivosmart 5 is getting long in the tooth, and though the fitness band form factor is far from its heyday, Garmin still needs a fresh competitor.
Garmin has been filing some wild patents recently—sealed digital and magnetic crowns, for one—but we expect any innovations hinted at to be saved for the likes of the Fenix 9 and others later in 2026.
Fitbit: A return to hardware
Fitbit is arguably the biggest wildcard of CES 2026. The brand has been quiet—too quiet, really—while Google has focused on the Pixel Watch over the last few years. However, Google has recently confirmed that new Fitbit hardware will be released in 2026.
CES would be the perfect stage to prove the brand is still alive and kicking. The smart money is on a Fitbit Charge 7 or a refreshed Luxe 2. These trackers are overdue for an update, and they remain the best entry point for users who want Google’s health smarts without the battery drain of a Wear OS watch.
A great surprise would be the brand debuting a smart ring. With Oura dominating the premium market, the space is still crying out for a lower-cost, data-rich option from a household name like Fitbit. Pure speculation—and nothing Google has done since it bought Fitbit years ago would suggest it’s interested in doing this—but we live in hope.
Samsung: XR glasses and Ring 2 teasers
Samsung is huge, so its CES presence covers everything from fridges to phones. We’re just here for the health and wellness stuff, though.
And to that end, we aren’t expecting a new Galaxy Watch (those arrive in the summer), but we could see hints about the Galaxy Ring 2. While a full launch is unlikely until later in 2026, Samsung may use CES to tease the fact that a sequel is at least in the works.
The bigger story might be Android XR. Samsung has been working on smart glasses with Google and Qualcomm, and has partnered with eyewear brands. We expect to see the first concrete look at Samsung’s role in the platform, given we haven’t seen or heard anything since it unveiled the Galaxy XR headset in late 2025.
Amazfit: Another smartwatch is inbound
Zepp Health (Amazfit) is a volume player—it releases a lot of watches. For CES, the rumor mill is spinning around the Amazfit Active Max. Think of it as a ruggedized, battery-behemoth version of their lifestyle watch, designed to bridge the gap between the T-Rex series and the sleek Active line.
There are also murmurs of a Falcon 2. The original Falcon was Amazfit’s attempt at a premium multi-sport watch. It was a solid debut, and a second-generation model with improved AI coaching and mapping could be a sleeper hit of the show. But it typically only shows one device per event, so we may have to wait until MWC in Barcelona in late February for anything else.
Withings: The health wildcard
Withings loves CES. In past years, they’ve given us urine-analyzing toilet devices (U-Scan) and its all-in-one thermometer, stethoscope, pulse oximeter, and ECG device (BeamO), shown above. The French brand doesn’t do boring updates; they do niche, high-tech health innovations.
We haven’t seen major leaks, which usually means they are hiding something good. Our bet? A continued evolution of its health operating system on the back of the lick of paint it gave at IFA 2025. If history is anything to go by, we might even see a special edition ScanWatch… but don’t get your hopes up for a new generation, necessarily.
The smart ring showdown
The buzz around smart rings has been substantial in the last few years, but 2026 is shaping up to be a year in which litigation settles down and the space matures. Here’s what we’re expecting from the biggest brands:
- Pebble Index: The brand is back. We’ve seen the renders, but CES will be our first “proper” hands-on look at the Pebble Index 01. It promises to be a geekier, more open-platform take on the smart ring. We’re keen to see if the single-use device is a hit in our daily routine.
- Ultrahuman: The company is currently dealing with a US import ban, putting it in a tough spot. However, leaks of the Ultrahuman Ring Pro suggest the Indian brand may pivot to new hardware to help keep its hat in the ring. Our hope is for a thinner design with improved battery—or, at the very least, one that can leapfrog the legal drama with Oura.
- RingConn: Fresh off the success of the Gen 2 Air, RingConn is in a strong position. We might see new premium materials (such as titanium and ceramic) or a ‘Gen 2 Pro’ model.
- Oura: The market leader usually skips the big trade show splashes, but it will be present to showcase the Ceramic collection unveiled in October. Don’t expect a Ring 5 just yet, but do expect Oura to push their software dominance hard.
- Other competitors: Keep an eye on newcomers like Luna and Bond. The latter has made some lofty claims about its sensor capabilities (ECG, continuous BP). CES is where these claims are officially put on display, and we’ll be there to see if they’re the real deal.
