CES 2025 day 2: The 11 coolest gadgets we saw, from Samsung’s The Frame Pro TV to AI air fryers

CES 2025 is now in full swing – and while the big expo technically starts today (January 7), for those in the media (including the Ny Breaking team) it’s the second day of showcases and announcements. It’s been another hectic day full of tech news, so here’s a roundup of the best bits.

Just like the first day of CES 2025, the gadgets and gadgets shown below will help define the year in technology. We have big news from Samsung, Nvidia and LG, but also new smartwatches, robot vacuum cleaners, AI-powered air fryers and… umbrellas with batteries attached (perfect for your next beach day).

CES is a tech showcase, so you won’t be able to buy all of these products right away, but they give us a taste of what’s coming later in 2025 so you can start saving now.

This isn’t the end of the CES 2025 fun either, as tomorrow we’ll have another full collection of hardware for you to dive into…

1. Samsung The Frame Pro TV

• Best feature: The addition of mini-LED technology

We’ve always been intrigued by Samsung’s The Frame TV – the television that doubles as an art showcase – and here at CES 2025 the latest model has been unveiled. The Frame Pro adds mini-LED technology and improved HDR to the mix, and the difference between this model and the 2024 model is simply stunning.

There’s an extra vibrancy here and some other tweaks (such as an improved refresh rate) that make The Frame Pro a better TV, and yet it loses none of its appeal when Art mode is active. We’ll have to put the model to the test more extensively, but it looks like Samsung has finally found the right formula this time.

2. Nvidia RTX 5090

• Best feature: Good 8K gaming support

We’ve been waiting a long time, but the Nvidia RTX 5000 series GPUs are finally official – including the top-end RTX 5090. First impressions: These graphics cards will live up to the hype and pack in a ton of power, though you’ll have to shell out a ton of money pay to get them.

The RTX 5090 specifically brings with it 92 billion transistors, Tensor Cores and next-generation Ray Tracing Cores, and more than double the AI ​​processing speed of the RTX 4090 (which was a complete beast). Oh, and there’s also 32GB of new GDDR7 VRAM, making this comfortably the most powerful GPU on the planet.

3. SwitchBot K20+ Pro

• Best feature: An innovative mounting platform

If you’ve ever thought that the most important feature your robot vacuum cleaner is missing is the ability to bring you a sandwich while you clean your floors, check out the new SwitchBot K20+ Pro. It comes with a mounting platform for accessories like fans, security cameras, and trays to bring your lunch (maybe) straight to you.

It’s a nice idea and expands the capabilities of the standard robovac – it makes sense that it could do other jobs (like purifying indoor air) while keeping everything looking tidy. The price of the device and accessories will be key, and we’ll find out sometime later in 2025.

4. LG xboom Stage 301

• Best feature: Works on the floor or on a stand

Musician will.i.am is back in the tech game, teaming up with LG to bring us the xboom series of speakers. The best of the bunch at the moment is the LG xboom Stage 301, which is designed like a stage speaker – there’s a corner cut off at the bottom so you can tilt it upwards, just like the professional musicians do.

What matters most, though, is the sound, and the 6.5-inch woofer and dual 2.5-inch midrange drivers do a very impressive job here, based on our testing on the CES 2025 show floor. The speaker works both on a stand and on the floor and is designed to be versatile enough to meet a range of different needs.

5. Anchor SOLIX parasol

• Best feature: Shade cloth with solar energy

You know you’re at CES when you see charging stations attached to items you wouldn’t necessarily associate with charging gadgets — and that brings us to the Anker SOLIX umbrella, which you can wheel to the beach to make sure are that you stay very much on the grill while enjoying the sun rays.

Or better said: don’t enjoy the sun’s rays if you take advantage of the parasol cover. The umbrella is waterproof and comes with some smart solar cells on top, so you can use the power of the sun to charge your phones and tablets. It also goes well with other products from the Anker range, including power stations.

6. Amazfit Active 2

• Best feature: A personal AI assistant on the wrist

It’s now common knowledge that Amazfit is one of the go-to brands if you’re looking for a smartwatch that’s both feature-packed and affordable, and the new Amazfit Active 2 series continues that trend. The starting price here is just $99.99 (about £80 / AU$160), but you get an awful lot for your money.

The watch series features stainless steel frames, 10-day battery life, offline map support, and 160 sports mode options. There are multiple band and AMOLED display options, and you also get the AI ​​Zepp Flow assistant on board, ready to help you with fitness insights, watch settings, messaging and more.

7. Ecobee smart thermostat essential

• Best feature: Save energy at an affordable price

Ecobee isn’t missing out on the fun of CES 2025 and has a new Smart Thermostat Essential to show off in Las Vegas. Not only does it learn the heating and cooling speeds for your home and brings a color touchscreen, it also costs half the price of the 4th generation Nest Learning Thermostat that Google unveiled last year.

It’ll cost you $129.99 (about £100 / AU$200) when it goes on sale in March. All the standard features are included, like customizable schedules and remote control, and it also works with Ecobee’s SmartSensors, if you have them installed. We haven’t had a chance to test it yet, but the early signs are promising.

8. Dreo Chef Maker 2

• Best feature: AI-powered oven recipe conversions

We’re often a little disappointed by AI tricks that don’t quite live up to the hype, but we like the idea of ​​the Dreo ChefMaker 2 air fryer: it uses artificial intelligence to turn standard oven recipes from websites or cookbooks into actual programs that run the machine. can use, with revised temperatures and times.

Until we try it out we won’t know how well this works, but considering how good the original Dreo ChefMaker was, we’re hopeful. If you don’t want to rely on AI, there are also 100 pre-programmed recipes available to get you started, and the device appears to offer the usual Dreo build quality and cooking skills.

9. TCL Play Cube

• Best feature: Can be easily rotated in any direction

We’ve only seen a fleeting mention of the TCL Playcube at CES 2025 so far, but we’re very interested in learning more. The portable projector is battery powered, so it can be taken virtually anywhere, and features a ‘magic cube’ design, meaning you can easily rotate the projected image in any direction.

And… that’s about all we know: TCL hasn’t provided any information on pricing or a release date. The previous TCL A1 projector was affordably priced and came with Google TV software on board, so we expect the same from the Playcube. Stay tuned to Ny Breaking for future updates on this.

10. HMD OffGrid

• Best feature: Satellite connectivity for all smartphones

The HMD OffGrid brings satellite messaging to any smartphone, so you don’t need the latest iPhone to keep in touch with people without WiFi or cell coverage. It works as a mobile hotspot that can also reach satellites, and also supports connection to 24/7 search and rescue services.

All of this comes at a cost, specifically $199 / £169 upfront with a monthly subscription fee of $14.99 / £14.99 – but for some of you outdoor adventurers that will be worth it. HMD hasn’t confirmed exactly which phones this will work with, but we should hear more later this month when the device goes on sale.

11. Flic Duo

• Best feature: Extremely adaptable and versatile

Sometimes the best gadgets are also the simplest gadgets, and the Flic Duo is an example from CES 2025: at first glance it looks like a simple wall switch, but the two buttons can be programmed in all kinds of different ways, and such as in addition to accepting button presses , you can also control connected devices with swipes.

For example, you can change the brightness of smart lamps or move a smart roller blind up and down by moving your finger over one of the buttons. Not only can you use it on the wall, but you can also easily pull it off and use it as you wander around your home, making it a versatile and convenient controller for your smart devices.

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