Lenovo’s CES 2026 is concealing the exciting features behind AI — here’s what I'm looking forward to.

      CES 2026 is quickly approaching, and no one seems to celebrate quite like Lenovo at the world’s largest trade show. While others might also be enjoying themselves (it is Vegas, after all), Lenovo is known for its numerous announcements – last year, over 50 products were revealed, including some standout laptops. Thus, it's highly likely that Lenovo will make a significant impact this year.

      Lenovo will host its Tech World event on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. PT. During this event, Lenovo Chairman and CEO Yuanqing Yang will speak at The Sphere in Las Vegas to present the company's latest initiatives. The event will be available for livestreaming at home (registration is available here).

      So, what can we anticipate from Lenovo in 2026?

      AI is central to everything (as expected)

      It's not surprising at this point that Lenovo will discuss AI extensively, specifically a “smarter AI for all.” This vague concept leaves many questions.

      What we do know is that Lenovo is collaborating with FIFA to launch the world’s first AI-powered FIFA World Cup. The company will also participate in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027, with more details expected during its Tech World event.

      Lenovo's involvement in sports isn't new, as the company has been a partner with Formula 1 since 2022. This year, Lenovo introduced its AI solutions. Lara Rodini, Global Sponsorships & Activation Director at Lenovo, spoke with NSS Sports about how “AI-enhanced hardware can automatically detect and correct low-quality frames to improve live streaming.” While that sounds impressive, Lenovo Tech World will cover more than just sports.

      Lenovo is promoting its “Hybrid AI strategy,” which currently appears focused on delivering services for businesses. Chairman Yang expressed a desire to advance the company's strategy on a more “individual level” as well.

      Lenovo aims for AI to be more personalized, creating solutions that are tailored to individual users. I’m skeptical about how Lenovo envisions this in practice. We know that Lenovo's AI solutions are already used for content creation, which raises concerns for many artists. Lenovo's Hybrid AI is also geared towards data science; while data aggregation is a beneficial application of AI, Lenovo’s plan includes analyzing that data, which can be tricky. History has shown that AI often fails to provide all the correct answers.

      Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

      However, my main interest lies in seeing new technology. I’m particularly eager to see Lenovo’s portable gaming devices. Last year brought announcements for the Legion Go S and Legion Go 2, both of which received rather lukewarm responses. I've been using the Legion Go S, and while I find it enjoyable, it lacks the comfort of the new Xbox Ally X. If Lenovo continues in this area (which it should), we can expect more handheld gaming announcements.

      What we can definitely expect is a flood of laptop announcements, covering everything from ThinkPads and Yogas to Legions and IdeaPads (though the latter is uncertain since only one was introduced last year). New gaming or business laptops are always welcome, but I'm particularly focused on new Yoga launches, as they are among the best in the premium laptop category, comparable to Apple’s MacBooks.

      We’ll also see how Intel’s anticipated Panther Lake chipset performs in these laptops. Lenovo also produces desktops, including gaming PCs, mini-PCs, and all-in-ones. While many Lenovo devices are Intel-based, the company also incorporates AMD, which is likely to announce its new chipsets as well.

      Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

      Lenovo manufactures monitors, tablets, and various peripherals that may also see announcements. However, I’m not particularly excited about anything in those categories. While Lenovo's Tab series is generally reliable and affordable, it doesn't compete well with the iPad.

      What would truly excite me is the introduction of innovative designs, like the transparent laptop that Lenovo teased last year, and the rollable laptop showcased the year prior. Pushing boundaries with high-concept devices is always intriguing, even if they're not very practical. Still, it would be great to see an actual product that isn’t exorbitantly priced.

      CES 2026 is just around the corner, so we won’t have to wait much longer to see what Lenovo has planned. Whether for better or worse, AI is currently one of the major trends, so it will be interesting to see if Lenovo can present something genuinely useful to the average consumer, avoiding the typical pitfalls associated with AI.