CES 2026 Preview: E-ink Smartphone, Allergen Detector, and More

In a few days, Las Vegas will be inundated with engineers, executives, investors, and members of the press—including me—for the annual Consumer Electronics Show, one of the largest tech events of the year. If you can dream it, there’s a good chance it’ll be on display at CES 2026 (though admittedly, much of this tech won’t necessarily make it to the mainstream). There will be a range of AI toys, AI notetakers, and “AI companions,” exoskeletons and humanoid robots, and health tech to track your hormones, brain activity, and... bathroom activity. This year’s event will have keynote addresses from the CEOs of tech giants including AMD and Lenovo, and thousands of booths from companies spanning legacy brands to brand new startups. I’m excited to stumble across unexpected new tech while wandering the show floor. But as I prepare for this year’s event, here are some of the devices that have already caught my eye. Headphones that can read your brainwavesElectroencephelography, or EEG, has been used in healthcare for decades to monitor neural activity. It usually involves a person wearing a whole helmet of electrodes, but scaled down versions of the tech are now being integrated into consumer devices and may soon be ready for users. Several neurotech companies using EEG will be at CES this year. For instance, Neurable (a company we’ve had on our radar for years) will be there with its over-ear EEG headphones, which help users hone their focus and are now available for preorder. Naox will also bring its in-ear EEG tech to consumer-oriented earbuds. And Elemind, another company we’ve covered, aims to help you sleep with its headband. With wearables already monitoring vital signs, sleep, and activity, 2026 may be the year our brainwaves join the list of biosignals we can track on a daily basis. A toothbrush to sniff out health issuesSonic toothbrush company Y-Brush is introducing dental tech analyzing another biomarker: smelly breath. The toothbrush itself is y-shaped and looks almost like a dental retainer on a stick, with bristles surrounding the teeth. In the latest version, the Y-Brush Halo, a gas sensor called SmartNose is integrated to analyze breath biomarkers. The company says this allows the toothbrush to detect more than 300 health conditions, including early-stage diabetes and liver disorders. Automatic massage roller to sooth sore musclesRheoFit’s A1 massage roller basically looks like what would happen if a foam roller and a massage chair had a baby. The device automatically rolls itself down your spine and offers two replaceable surfaces: one harder material that mimics a masseuse’s knuckles, and a gentler option that’s meant to feel more like an open palm. This will be the second year the RheoFit A1 is on display. To find out whether it’s worth the US $449 price tag, I’ll have to try it out on site. Minimalist e-ink smartphone to cut out distractionsJust before last year’s CES, several devices were awarded a new certification meant to reward tech designed to be less distracting. While most exhibitors will keep competing for our attention, a few are tapping into a desire for calm and clarity. Minimalist tech company Mudita, for instance, will be showing its e-ink smartphone, which began shipping in 2025. The phone is designed to reduce screen time with its black and white, paper-like display, and the operating system is designed to run without Google. Like other not-as-smart phones (such as the Wisephone or Light Phone), the Mudita Kompakt offers the essentials—messaging, maps, camera, and so forth—without constant notifications. Food allergen detector to avoid anaphylaxisSome new tech surprises users with an experience they didn’t know they wanted. Others aim to offer the solutions you’ve dreamt about. For me, French startup Allergen Alert falls into the second category. The startup, one of the listed exhibitors at an early press event on 4 January, is developing a portable system to test food allergens in real time. I’ve been eating gluten-free for most of my life (not by choice), and I know how easily allergens can sneak into a dish with just a sprinkle of flour, or a dash of soy sauce—especially when you’re traveling or eating out. For many people with severe allergies, a device like this could be a lifesaver.