Transparent TVs. Stair-climbing robot vacuums. AI-powered everything. Just another January at CES, the consumer-electronics show that used to be known as the Consumer Electronics Show. I’m attending in spirit, which is to say I’m armchair-quarterbacking this year’s event — with ample help from the folks at Engadget, who have their boots on the Las Vegas ground. (If you want a flavor of what it’s like to be there, check our their ongoing CES 2025 liveblog.)
As always, CES is home to a treasure trove of tech products — some of them cool, some “meh,” some just plain bizarre. (I’ll never forget the WheeMe rolling robotic back massager of a few years ago. Shockingly, that never made it to market.)
Below I’ve rounded up the weirdest tech products of CES 2025 followed by some wonderful ones I’m genuinely excited about. (Note that this is a list in progress; I’ll be adding more finds in the days to come.)
The weirdest tech products of CES 2025
EcoFlow Power Hat
I’m not sure even Brad Pitt could pull this off. (Daniel Cooper/Engadget)
Mad props to Engadget’s Daniel Cooper for this opening line: “Another CES, another opportunity for the technology industry to lob a trebuchet’s worth of molten lead at the last vestiges of my dignity.”
Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox
See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories.
Because how else to describe a product that’s like Crocs for your head? The EcoFlow Power Hat is a fashion nightmare, something I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing — unless I wanted to keep the sun off my face and the juice flowing to my phone.
Because, let’s face it, your dome is the perfect place for solar panels, and the beach is typically bereft of AC outlets. The Power Hat sells for $129 and is available now (with a $40-off coupon!)
Samsung Ballie
Samsung’s Ballie is a decidedly cute ‘bot for the home, but what will it actually do? (Samsung)
Originally unveiled at CES 2020, Ballie (rhymes with “WALL-E”, hint-hint) is Samsung’s rolling AI-powered robot that, um, does stuff. What stuff? Unclear. It incorporates both a camera and a projector, the latter capable of showing movies — assuming it can find a suitable place to park itself. (Here’s hoping you’ve got some empty wall space and plenty of room in front of it.)
The little ‘bot can respond to voice commands, control smart-home products and so on — much like your phone or any number of other devices. One interesting accessibility feature is floor-projected “buttons” you’d step on to interact with something or make a selection.
Samsung hasn’t announced pricing or a ship date (other than “sometime in 2025”), but it did demo the product at CES. Beyond “Aw, how cute!”, it remains to be seen what value Ballie might actually bring to the home.
Spicerr
I can’t decide if this will help or hinder me in the kitchen. But I’m terrified to learn what the price will be. (Spicerr)
Measuring out a bunch of different spices can definitely slow down your recipe prep. Spicerr is an automated dispenser that holds six interchangeable spice capsules. With a few taps of its touchscreen, you could sprinkle, say, a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon or a tablespoon of paprika.
I… guess? The Spicerr doesn’t grind, it just dispenses. It relies on proprietary, sealed capsules; it doesn’t appear you can refill them with your own spices. And if you frequently have to swap capsules in order to meet specific recipe needs, are you really saving any time?
Product pricing has yet to be announced, but the company plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign following CES. My guess is it’ll cost somewhere in the hundreds of dollars, with spice capsules selling for around $15-20 apiece. I think I’ll just use my measuring spoons, thanks.
Swippit Hub
If charging your iPhone is just too much, drop it into the Swippit Hub for a fresh battery (one that gets side-loaded into the custom case your iPhone will need to be wearing). (Nathan Ingraham/Engadget)
Ever wish you could drop your iPhone into something resembling a toaster and have it pop out with a fresh battery? That’s the Swippitt Hub in a nutshell, but it doesn’t replace the built-in battery (which would be impossible); it merely replaces the battery inside a special iPhone case.
Price for all this? The hub itself costs $450 and includes five batteries; the case will cost you another $120.
Hard pass. The hardest of passes. The case is bulky and ugly, and if I’m going to saddle my phone with something like that, I think I can manage swapping out batteries myself, thank you.
The wonderful tech products of CES 2025
Circular Ring 2
The Ring 2 is an impressive piece of wearable tech, offering ECG monitoring, AFib detection, wireless charging and an 8-day battery life. (Circular)
To paraphrase Beyonce, if you like living you should put a Ring 2 on it. Circular’s new wearable offers not only the usual health-management features, but also ECG monitoring and FDA-cleared AFib detection — meaning it might just save your life.
And it starts with Circular’s app, which can perform a ring size measurement right from your phone, thus ensuring you get the proper fit when ordering. That’s pretty cool, and so is this: The Ring 2 can run for up to eight days on a charge.
Available in four finishes and priced at $380, the Ring 2 should ship by March of this year.
Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable
The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable can unfurl its screen to give you nearly 50 percent more work area. (Sam Rutherford/Engadget)
Do I need a laptop with a screen that can unfurl itself to become almost 50% taller? Probably not. Do I want a laptop that magically creates more viewable workspace for spreadsheets, Word documents, web pages and the like? Abso-freaking-lutely.
Unsurprisingly, you’ll pay a hefty premium for this wizardry: The Rollable is expected to start at around $3,500 when it goes on sale later this year. Read more about this crazy concept made real.
PocketBook InkPoster
Notice the absence of a power cord? That’s because this digital art frame runs on battery! (PocketBook)
I’m totally sold on the idea of an art TV, which doubles as a painting showcase when not being used for Netflix binges. However, they’re expensive, their screens aren’t exactly canvas-like and they have power cords that must be dealt with.
That’s why I’m excited by PocketBook’s new InkPoster lineup: framed color e-paper displays that run on battery. Expected to come in 13.3-, 28.5- and 31.5-inch sizes, they can show either curated artworks or your own digital photos. And PocketBook estimates you’ll get up to a year on a charge, so plugging in a power cord should be only an annual chore.
There are many unanswered questions, including “when?” and “how much?”, but I’m hoping this category catches on in a big way. Flawed though my existing art TV might be, I get a lot of joy from it. I want these things all over the house.
Shokz OpenFit 2
The Shokz OpenFit 2 open-ear headphones promise better sound and easier touch controls. (Shokz)
The original Shokz OpenFit made our list of the best open-ear headphones, so it goes without saying I’m jazzed to see (and hear) its successor.
The company had already crafted arguably the most comfortable headphones in this growing category; the OpenFit 2 aims to address the so-so sound quality (by including both a woofer and tweeter in each earpiece) and limited touch controls (by adding multifunction buttons).
Also on deck: Bluetooth 5.4, a big step up (and one that should address the audio/video lag issues I encountered in testing).
Available in black or beige and priced at $180, the Shokz OpenFit 2 is available for purchase immediately.
