The Chip Wars Heat Up: Nvidia, Intel, and AMD Battle for Supremacy
Jensen Huang took the stage at 1:00 PM PT today for Nvidia’s highly anticipated keynote, kicking off what many are calling the biggest chipmaker showdown in CES history. The 90-minute presentation focused heavily on AI infrastructure, robotics, and autonomous driving technology.
While specific product announcements are still unfolding, analysts predict Huang will unveil the company’s latest developments in AI datacenter chips and robotics platforms. Nvidia’s $5 trillion market valuation means every word carries weight for Wall Street investors.
But Nvidia isn’t alone in the spotlight. AMD CEO Lisa Su will deliver her rebuttal keynote at 6:30 PM PT, providing updates on gaming and AI products. Meanwhile, Intel is showcasing its Core Ultra Series 3 chips, codenamed Panther Lake, which represent a critical piece of the company’s turnaround strategy using their new 18A chip technology.
Qualcomm is also participating with CEO Cristiano Amon in a fireside chat, likely building on the momentum from their Snapdragon X-series processors launched at CES 2025.
The Year of Robotics: AI Comes to Life
If there’s one theme dominating CES 2026, it’s physical AI—artificial intelligence that doesn’t just live in your computer but walks, rolls, and works in the real world.
LG CLOiD: Your New Household Helper
LG unveiled its humanoid robot CLOiD, which can fold laundry, unload dishwashers, serve food, and handle various household chores. The robot features a display-equipped head unit with cameras and sensors that allow it to communicate through spoken language and facial expressions.
LG demonstrated the CLOiD completing tasks like starting laundry cycles, folding freshly washed clothes, taking croissants out of ovens, and unloading plates from dishwashers. While currently positioned as a concept rather than an immediate consumer product, LG says it will continue developing home robots with practical functions.
The Robot Revolution Expands
Ben Bajarin, CEO of Creative Strategies, predicts attendees will see humanoid robots walking around doing various tasks, emphasizing the emergence of “physical AI” that manifests in robotics, autonomous vehicles, and self-driving cars.
Zeroth Robotics emerged from stealth with five interactive AI robots, including the M1 humanoid designed to support independent living for older adults, assist busy parents with childcare routines, and empower creators to build and customize their first personal robot. The M1 will be available for pre-order in Q1 2026 starting at $2,899.
SwitchBot showcased its onero H1 household robot with 22 degrees of freedom and an on-device OmniSense VLA model designed to learn, adapt, and coordinate with existing smart home ecosystems.
switchbot onero H1
Display Revolution: Samsung’s Stunning 130-Inch Micro RGB TV
Samsung stole the show with its jaw-dropping display announcements that push the boundaries of what’s possible in home entertainment.
The 130-Inch Beast
Samsung unveiled the world’s first 130-inch Micro RGB TV (model R95H), promising to deliver 100% BT.2020 color gamut—the widest color gamut used in modern TVs. This isn’t just about size; it’s about a fundamental shift in display technology.
Instead of traditional backlights, microscopic red, green, and blue diodes generate color independently, with Samsung’s Micro RGB AI Engine Pro using AI to lift shadow detail, refine contrast, and maintain accurate colors in both bright and dark scenes.
The Micro RGB lineup will be available in multiple sizes from 55 to 100 inches, making this premium technology accessible across various room sizes.
OLED Gets Brighter Than Ever
Samsung Display showcased a 2026 QD-OLED TV panel capable of 4,500 nits brightness—among the highest brightness levels achieved for a self-emissive display. This represents a significant leap forward in OLED technology, which has traditionally struggled with peak brightness compared to LCD alternatives.
For gaming enthusiasts, the Samsung S90H mid-range OLED features OLED Glare Free anti-reflection screen, 15% brightness increase, and supports 4K 165Hz with Nvidia G-Sync, FreeSync, ALLM, and HDR10+ gaming.
Samsung Micro-RGB TV 130-Inch
The Laptop Wars: 2026 Will Be Brutal
Tim Danton, Editor of TechFinitive.com, predicts CES 2026 won’t be short of laptops, mainly due to new chip families from Intel promising improved performance for gaming and battery life. He also expects interesting new designs including rollable screens and more repairable models.
The battle lines are drawn between Intel’s Core Ultra Series 3, AMD’s Ryzen AI 400 Series, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite—each promising to deliver the ultimate AI PC experience.
Gaming and Entertainment Innovations
Nintendo Switch 2 Ecosystem Grows
Before the console even launches, accessories are arriving. Belkin announced the Charging Case Pro for Nintendo Switch 2, which packs a removable 10,000 mAh power bank delivering up to 30W of fast charging with its own LCD to display battery life.
Image: Belkin
Smart Glasses Competition Intensifies
The wearables market is heating up with Meta, Google, and Samsung all entering the smart glasses arena. The Xreal 1S, launched at CES, offers 1200p full HD resolution and 2D-to-3D video conversion for $449—$50 cheaper than the previous model.
AI Integration: From Gimmick to Genuinely Useful?
One analyst notes that while AI will be shoved into every gadget imaginable at CES 2026, with companies boasting about AI features, some applications could legitimately move the needle while the vast majority will be AI features for AI features’ sake, overpromising and underdelivering.
Samsung’s Vision AI Companion and similar platforms aim to go beyond basic voice control, offering conversational search, interactive Q&A, and proactive recommendations. Users can ask for recommendations on what to watch, recipes for meals shown on screen, and music suggestions.
What’s Coming Next
With CES 2026 officially opening on January 6 and running through January 9, we’re only seeing the beginning. Expect more reveals in autonomous vehicles, health tech wearables, and next-generation smart home devices throughout the week.
The show features over 4,500 exhibitors including 1,400 startups, with robotics confirmed as the dominant theme by Kinsey Fabrizio, president of the Consumer Technology Association.
The Bottom Line
CES 2026 isn’t just about incremental improvements—it’s about transformative shifts in how we interact with technology. Whether it’s robots that genuinely help around the house, displays that deliver unprecedented visual experiences, or AI that moves beyond the screen into the physical world, this year’s show suggests we’re entering a new era of consumer tech.
The question isn’t whether these technologies will arrive—it’s how quickly they’ll become affordable and accessible to everyday consumers. Based on today’s announcements, that future might be closer than we think.
Stay tuned to Techuncode for continued CES 2026 coverage as the week unfolds. Which announcement are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below.
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