From Home Robots To Smart Rings — 10 Most-Anticipated Gadget Launches In 2026

The new year is expected to be groundbreaking for gadgets as giant announcements regarding futuristic sci-fi adjacent inventions like domestic robots, smart rings and smart glasses join the conversation along with anticipated releases for Apple and Google's latest phones and laptops.

NDTV Profit collects it all in one place for your perusal.

Google is expected to launch AI-powered smart glasses that run on its Android XR virtual reality operating system. The device comes equipped with a camera, microphones and speakers, and works in collaboration with the users' phone.

The device will help users access apps without having to pull up their phones. It will also sport an optional in-lens display, which privately provides helpful information as and when required.

These glasses can also be paired with Gemini and can detect the context of the users' actions and surroundings, and undertake actions like automatically translating other languages.

A release date has not yet been shared but is expected to debut in 2026.

Ever grumbled about AI taking over things that give life meaning like making art instead of doing something more useful and mundane like making your bed or washing the dishes? LG might have just the thing for you.

The home appliance company is set to move into the robotics sector with its new LG CLOiD Home Robot set to unveil at Consumer Electronics Show 2026. The company will show off its articulated limbs and fingers that look and move similar to those of a human, having been built for performing complex chores.

It is powered by an integrated chipset combined with AI, that works in tandem with cameras and speakers to hear and perform verbal commands.

A release timeline has not yet been determined by the firm, but the proof of concept is sure to turn heads in 2026.

If you've found smartwatches to be too uncomfortable to wear, perhaps smart rings might be up your alley. These small gadgets are expected to undertake the same functions that a smart watch can, such as health monitoring, AI assisted voice notes and music and notification control, all in a small package.

Key players expected to shape this wave include Oura Health, Sandbar with the Stream Ring, Samsung’s smart ring lineup, and India’s Ultrahuman, each bringing different hardware and software approaches to the smart ring market.

Apple is expected to unveil their iteration of the foldable smartphone, which is expected to be a new version of their flagship iPhone series.

According to reports, the device is rumoured to span around 7.8 inches and is designed to resemble a book when it unfolds.

It is also likely to have a 5.5 inch display that users can utilise when the phone is folded.

Its main camera is expected to be of 48 mp with two lenses. Apple is also expected to give the gadget a liquid metal hinge.

Though it remains to be seen if Apple will be able to do enough to edge out its competitors, such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Google Pixel Fold 10.

The Realme 16 Pro series smartphones are set to launch in India in January 2026. The lineup includes Realme 16 Pro 5G and Realme 16 Pro+ 5G.

Its most anticipated feature would be the LumaColor Image-tuned 200-megapixel camera system it is expected to sport. According to reports, the device is expected to be priced under Rs. 43,999 in India.

The device is expected to run on Qualcomm's octa core Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset and will have a 94% screen-to-body ratio.

Samsung is anticipated to unveil its Galaxy S26 line up of smartphones in February 2026, according to reports. The launch roster is likely to include Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra as the variants.

Reports also noted that devices may launch at much higher prices than their predecessors of the S25 series due to rising input costs for original equipment manufacturers.

This is due to shortage of memory components as AI companies have been buying up these parts for their infrastructure.

Digital tech giant Google is set to plunge into the laptop market with its Aluminium OS, a next-gen operating system designed specifically for AI-powered personal computers. Aluminium OS is built to seamlessly integrate AI at the operating system level.

The operating system is expected to power a new wave of AI PCs, working in close coordination with on-device hardware accelerators and cloud intelligence. Rather than treating AI as an add-on, Aluminium OS will reportedly integrate intelligence directly into core functions such as file management, multitasking, search, and system navigation, facilitating users to interact with their computers more organically by detecting context in prompts and actions.

It is expected to perform functions such as summarising documents and generating content as well as automating routine tasks and adapting workflows based on the user's usage patterns.

Honor Phones India executive Madhav Sheth's Ai+ brand will launch its own flippable folding smart phone. The device will be in the mid-range sector, retailing for under Rs 40,000 and will release in the first quarter of the fiscal 2026.

The device runs on its own NxtQuantum OS software, and is expected to have architecture that focuses on user privacy, with no bloatware and trackers.

Apple is expected to launch the Apple Watch Series 12, a smart watch designed to deliver integrated health and fitness monitoring powered by AI. The Apple Watch 12 will use AI to expand the device’s role beyond timekeeping and fitness tracking into a more proactive personal assistant inside a wrist watch.

The smartwatch is expected to work in close coordination with on-device sensors, the user’s iPhone, and Apple’s ecosystem, leveraging both local processing and cloud intelligence.

It is expected to perform functions such as continuous health insights, adaptive workout recommendations, sleep and stress monitoring, and AI-assisted reminders, while also automating routine tasks and adjusting its features dynamically based on the user’s behavior and daily patterns.

Samsung is expected to launch its next-generation Samsung Smart TV with AI-powered content recommendations, adaptive picture and sound optimization, and smart home integration.

The TV will run on Tizen OS and utilise on-device processing and cloud AI to personalize the viewing experience.

It is expected to perform functions such as real-time content enhancement, personalized streaming suggestions, automatic picture and sound adjustment, and control of connected smart home devices.