After reviewing the news and opinions surrounding CES 2025, it's hard not to come to the conclusion that the smart home is being subtly rebranded as a given rather than an aspiration. Virtually every product we've seen has been sprinkled with the fairy dust of AI, just as the buzzy “Internet of Things” was all the rage about a decade ago.
Now you just assume that everything has an app and connectivity is universal. Rather, what is considered important is how these devices serve your needs, thanks to the same algorithmic filters that tacitly but definitely shape the way you see the world. From state-of-the-art laptops to stair-climbing vacuum bots, sleek TVs and self-rocking cribs, here are ten technologies in need of willing human stewards.
1. The Frame Pro TV from Samsung
(Image credit: Samsung)
We've raved before about The Frame, Samsung's tasteful take on television that allowed tech fanatics to hide their screentime addiction from the public eye. The Frame Pro is the latest evolution of this discreet design classic. There's a new processor and improved display technology, as well as news that Samsung's own Art Store has expanded its inventory to over 3,000 works, with ties to Art Basel, MoMA and the estates of Magritte and Basquiat.
Samsung.com
2. LG PF600U 3-in-1 Lamp
(Image credit: LG)
LG's PF600U may not have a unique name, but it has a number of distinctive capabilities. Combining an LED mood lamp, a Full HD projector and a Bluetooth speaker in a single, slim, freestanding device, the PF600U could be the perfect solution for compact spaces.
LG.com
3. Lymow One mower
(Image credit: Lymow)
Robotic mowers are nothing new, of course, but Lymow introduced its more powerful and capable device at CES while also launching a Kickstarter campaign. Like a small bulldozer, the Lymow One is equipped with all-terrain tracks that give it the ability to tackle 45-degree slopes while mulching the grass. With the promised ability to tackle up to 1.75 acres per day, the One could be the ultimate consideration for even the most authoritarian HOA.
Lymow.com, Kickstarter.com
4. Switchbot K20+ Pro vacuum cleaner
Switchbot K20+ Pro robot vacuum cleaner
(Image credit: Switchbot)
The Roborock Saros Z70 isn't the only household cleaning robot that promises other ways to upgrade your space. SwitchBot claims its new K20+ Pro is the “world's first multitasking household robot,” a modular platform that not only takes care of vacuuming, but can also perform safety checks, purify the air, and even serve as a food delivery platform. Alexa is integrated, while the multifunction modes are made up of separate components that can be interchanged on the movable round base thanks to the company's FusionPlatform technology.
Switch-Bot.com
5. Elvie Rise Bassinet
(Image credit: Elvie)
It takes a brave and trusting parent to entrust their precious baby to a smart device in this age of uncertainty, but Elvie believes its new Rise model will rock your precious little one's world. The Elvie Rise is described as “an app-controlled, smart, all-in-one multi-function rocker and bassinet” that transforms from a rocker to a cradle without you having to move a muscle. The movement component learns and repeats your signature movements, and there's the inevitable app that doubles as a sleep tracker for toddlers.
Elvie Rise, Elvie.com
6. Dangbei MP1 Max Projector
Contemporary MP1 Max 4K projector
(Image credit: Dangbei)
In addition to the new Freedo Google TV ultra-portable projector, Dangbei also launched the MP1 Max, a static LED and tri-laser 4K project for ultimate picture quality. While Freedo is battery-powered (up to 2.5 hours of playback time) and has built-in 360° surround sound, the MP1 Max is a weightier offering and comes with Google TV as standard.
Dangbei MP1 Max, US.Dangbei.com
7. Dreame X50 Ultra Complete Vacuum Cleaner
Dreame X50 Ultra Complete vacuum cleaner
(Image credit: Dreame)
Dreame's new Still, it's a step forward from the flat plane to which such devices are typically limited, and points toward a future in which no stair or edge will ever have to succumb to the dust.
Dreame X50 Ultra Complete, £1,299, Dreamestore.co.uk
8. Lenovo ThinkCentre and ThinkBook PCs
ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable AI PC
(Image credit: Lenovo)
Our trio of favorite computer debuts begins with two new products from Lenovo. First up is the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable AI PC, a laptop with a trick up its sleeve. Billed as the first use of rollable display technology in a consumer device, the laptop's 14-inch display expands upward at the touch of a button to create a 16.7-inch display, effectively creating 50% more space appears on the screen. Nevertheless, the computer remains light and compact.
(Image credit: Lenovo)
Lenovo's other headline release also had a small footprint. The new ThinkCentre neo Ultra Gen 2 may not have as snappy and simple a name as the Apple Mac Studio, but it offers similar processing power, with Intel's latest Core Ultra CPUs and up to 64GB of RAM.
Lenovo.com
9. Minisforum AI X1 Mini PC
(Image credit: Minisforum)
Minisforum continues to be one of the most exciting companies in the mini PC space, and the new Minisforum AI X1 mini PC aims to give the micro space a head start in the emerging AI industry. Powered by an AMD CPU and GPU, the AI X1 offers an impressive 96GB of RAM and 12TB of storage in a small footprint.
Minisforum.uk
10. Acer Aspire Vero 16 Laptop
Acer Aspire Vero 16 laptop
(Image credit: Acer)
Finally, there was the material innovation from laptop star Acer. The new Aspire Vero 16 notebook uses a chassis made from a combination of post-consumer recycled plastic and a new bio-based oyster shell material (although this only accounts for 1% of the total). PCR plastics are used extensively across the laptop's key touchpoints, helping to challenge the ingrained notion that all technology must be shiny, new and pristine.
Acer Aspire Vero 16, available in the 2nd quarter, from €1,199, Store.Acer.com