Hot 100: T3's picks of the greatest tech in 2026

The world’s first Pokémon theme park might not be quite what you expect. Instead of a loud Pikachu death-coaster, Tokyo’s PokéPark Kanto is focused on replicating a Pokémon hunt in the real world. Budding trainers use AR and physical clues to navigate a 26,000 square meter forest. There are some rides too, but they’re as tame as a captured Pokémon.
£35, pokemon.com

Allergy sufferers live in permanent fear of contaminated food, but the Allergen Alert Mini Lab aims to alleviate these worries. This pocket-size lab tests food for nine major allergens, including dairy, eggs and shellfish, in under two minutes, so you can be sure your meal is truly clean.
$200 (£157), allergenalert.com

Building on the popular Omni S1, the Eufy S2 knows a few new tricks. It offers 30,000 Pa suction to hoover expertly without getting tangled, while the self-cleaning mop kills stains on hard floors. The best part? It releases aromatherapy scents to keep your home smelling fresh.
$1,599.99 (£1,187), eufy.com

Sage’s most advanced bean to cup coffee machine yet, the Oracle Dual Boiler has endless customisation options to make the perfect brew. It has both auto and manual modes which you can switch between so all types of baristas can enjoy it. With 15 preset recipes, 45 grind options and milk texture settings, the coffee possibilities are endless.
£2,499.95, sageappliances.com

The main unit of this bizarre-looking washing machine has three drums, and you can add mini-modules to it that cater to different types of clothes. This way, you can wash multiple loads at the same time, each tailored to specific items such as underwear and bedding.
Price TBC, uk.hisense.com

Touted as the world’s first dash cam with integrated thermal imaging, the Pilot 2 goes far beyond pretending to hunt Arnold Schwarzenegger while you’re stuck in traffic. The dinky thermal cam attaches to the front of your car and picks up the heat signatures of humans or animals up to 200 feet away, even in total darkness or heavy fog. $600 (£470), vantrue.com

LG’s proposed home assistant feels more like your mother than a scary robot overlord. We’ve seen it preparing workout clothes, getting ingredients ready for dinner and putting clothes in the laundry. The idea is that it interacts with other LG devices around your home to make life effortless, though it won’t scold you for not putting your dishes in the sink. Price TBC, lg.com

Your WFH setup will never be the same after you add this powerhouse dock to the mix. Designed to complement your MacBook and its Magic peripherals with a decidedly Apple-esque look, this dock comes with just about every port you could ever want. No more fiddling about with a tangled mess of cables – this Thunderbolt 5 dock promises simplicity while looking good, too. $399.99 (£297), satechi.com

The iX3 is the car of 2026. This pivotal model is the birth of a new type of EV, with technology at the forefront. It features the futuristic Panoramic iDrive system, which creates a projected display along the bottom of the windscreen, with apps swiped up from the central screen. That’s before you get to the 500-mile range and 400kW charging. From £58,755, bmw.co.uk

After Oakley and Meta proved it could be done, AI wearables are moving into new places in 2026. The Looki L1 is a compact device with a wide-angle camera that recognises your surroundings, records your life, and provides contextual advice. For example, at a networking event it’ll recognise people you meet and prompt you to follow up on LinkedIn. $199 (£157), looki.ai

Don’t expect the popularity of air fryers to drop at any point during 2025 – certainly not with models of this quality available to buy. This is really straightforward to operate and maintain, offering a spacious 9-litre capacity and variety of cooking presets. $3,000 (around £2,234), saunabox.com

Ever wanted to know way too much about the contents of your pee? Withings might have the gadget for you. This surprisingly demure device tucks within your porcelain throne and measures four key health markers in your urine. The accompanying app gamifies your health, providing insight and setting targets that aim to improve your wellbeing. From £319.95, withings.com

Security cameras are evolving into active systems, and the Reolink TrackFlex is a strong example. With dual-lens 360° coverage, 3000-lumen dimmable LEDs, and smart AI detection, it’s set to become a hugely popular choice in 2026. As people demand smarter home security, it’s this kind of flexibility that shows exactly where the market’s headed. Price TBC, reolink.com

This versatile bag splits into a 34L backpack and 16L sling bag so you can breeze through airline check-in and beat the carry-on rules. Theft-deterrent zips, plus a hidden AirTag pocket, keep your belongings safe, and you’ll find 16-inch laptop sleeves in both compartments. Price TBC, peakdesign.com

Our solar system is in peril – and only Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) and his unusual extraterrestrial pal can save it. Anyone who’s read Andy Weir’s bestseller will know how tricky it will be to adapt for the big screen – but if anyone can do it, it’s Spider-Verse and Lego Movie helmers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. mgmstudios.com

The ‘world’s first’ AI-powered colour E-Ink art frame displays historical artworks, and helps you make your own. Available in three sizes, it comes with an AI Art Prompt feature that allows users to enter prompts and assets, or upload sketches which the frame uses to create unique art. £149.99, switch-bot.com

‘Tilting’ refers to the moment gamers’ frustration outweighs their concentration, resulting in collisions between mouse and monitor. This headset monitors your brainwaves and detects cognitive overload, so you know when to take a break. Your monitor will thank you. $199 (£159), neurable.io

Dubbed the ‘world’s first VR doorbell with immersive AI tracking’, the S4 uses AI, radar and IR motion sensors to detect people and recognise faces. It also has an auto-framing feature that captures all the action by zooming in and out, following visitors until they’re out of shot. eufy.com

A second Hyundai EV gains the N designation, reserved for its performance cars. As with the 5N, the 6N has been rebuilt from the ground up. While it still looks like a tame saloon, its dual motors generate 650hp to deliver 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds. From £65,800, hyundai-n.com

This seriously stylish cargo bike looks like it was made for California, with brown-walled 20-inch wheels and matching grips plus a rear shelf that can convert into a second seat. Its intelligent ride system makes hill starts and declines a breeze. $1,699.99 (£1,260), segway.com

Over the past 12 years, CEO Lisa Su has rescued AMD from the verge of collapse and helped it regain its place in the big league of chip companies. This year, she’s taking on Nvidia (run by her cousin!) with a pincer movement that will open-source its AI software stack and release lower-cost and more efficient chips. AMD.com

With rich, warm sound and timeless design, this amp blends retro charm with modern performance, perfect for anyone who loves music the way it was meant to be heard. $1,499 (£1,110), onkyo.com

Sony Honda Mobility’s Afeela 1 electric vehicle finally sees the light of day in 2026 – it has two 180 kW electric motors for a total of 483 HP, but the interior is the real star here. The dash is dominated by a 28.5-inch ultra-wide display that can stream PS5 games from your home console and includes Microsoft Azure OpenAI voice commands.
$89,900 (£71,000), shm-afeela.com

Air quality has become a daily concern for many, and Ikea’s Alpstuga air quality sensor works because it keeps things simple. With a clean design, clear data and no overcomplication, it reflects Ikea’s mission towards approachable, affordable, smart home gadgets that provide insight into living environments. £25, ikea.com

Ever wanted someone else to fold your laundry? The Onero H1 is an AI-powered robot that’s here to do your chores. With a face, arms, hands and wheels, the onero H1 can open, organise, hold and push things so you don’t have to. Price TBC, switch-bot.com

Freely is a free service that encourages us to ditch our aerials and satellite dishes, offering all the major channels over the internet, and the TiVo-powered Manhattan Aero box can add it to your existing TV. It comes with more than 400 channels, plus the likes of Netflix and Prime Video, if you want to pay for more. £69.99, manhattan-tv.com

Designed to look more like a painting than a TV, The Frame sets feature anti-reflection tech that makes them look like giant pieces of canvas in standby mode, with selectable pieces of art showing. Turn it on, and it becomes one of the best QLED 4K TVs, now in a massive 98in size. Price TBC, samsung.com

TDM’s Neo Hybrid headphones look and work just like any other Bluetooth cans, but the twist here – literally – is that they rotate to transform into a wireless speaker. It’s a neat idea that makes you wonder why no one has thought of it before. Perfect for sharing your favourite tracks all the way at the back of the bus. £220, tdm-audio.com

This smart mirror takes a 30-second selfie, analyses your facial blood flow patterns, and gives you insights into your health. Nuralogix is also developing its own AI Health Assistant to go with it, to give advice on health, sleep and nutrition. Price TBC, nuralogix.ai

An entire PC housed in a toughened, water-resistant keyboard, so you can rock up, connect it to any monitor, and be ready for work. An optional battery turns it into a wireless sofa computer, like a 21st-century ZX Spectrum, and HP has made it easy to upgrade its RAM and storage.
£849, hp.com

The Aqara U400 is a great example of how smart locks have matured. Not only does it look good, but thanks to Ultra-Wideband technology your door can unlock automatically as you approach. Pair that with an IP65 waterproof rating and a six-month battery life, and you can’t go wrong. $269.99 (£199), aqara.com

Govee is a brand that’s always improving its products, but it’s pretty much there with the Floor Lamp 3. Between its wall-washing design, reactive RGB effects, and a maximum brightness of 1,900 lumens, it’s set to become a smart lighting go-to for gamers, streamers, and any hosts eager to impress. Price TBC, govee.com

Thanks to TikTok, vertical gaming is becoming a thing and the Pocket Taco – not as messy as it sounds – is here to help. This Bluetooth controller weighs in at just 62g, but it includes Hall Effect sticks which are impervious to drift, effectively turning your phone into an uber-powerful Game Boy. $35 (£28), gamesir.hk

AR glasses that project a 135in display in front of your eyes. HDR10 certification and Bang & Olufsen audio ensure content looks and sounds amazing, while the Wayfarer-esque design hides your tears when you rewatch Titanic on the Northern Line. $299 (£249), rayneo.com

This smart speaker blends elegant design with high-fidelity sound to create a tailored listening experience. Whether you’re building a home cinema or just want better everyday audio, it’s the kind of setup that instantly impresses anyone who hears it. Price TBC, samsung.com

A robot vacuum cleaner that climbs stairs might have seemed far-fetched a few years ago, but not any more. The Saros Rover is a robot vacuum with wheeled legs that can lift itself up to scale stairs, obstacles and slopes – it can even jump! Most importantly, when on the ground, it delivers an expert clean across all floor types. Price TBC, roborock.com

Nobody enjoys lugging around a heavy power bank. A lot of slim models now offer decent power output, and the Pocket Rocket is a perfect example. It fits neatly into the palm of your hand while still delivering 10,000mAh of power at 45W. It comes in five lovely colours too. £32.99, iniushop.com

Segway is the first in the industry to integrate solid-state LiDAR into its mowers, so no moving parts. The X4 series features three models made for residential gardens, with an improved cutting system and compatibility with Apple’s Find My. Price TBC, uknavimow.com

Developed alongside iSmart, L’Oréal says its mask targets visible signs of ageing. With a consumer launch expected in 2027, it has an impressively thin design and precise control over the different wavelengths it emits. For beauty tech lovers, it’s definitely one to watch. Price TBC, loreal.com

The Duna collection is something rather special. Designed by Pininfarina, the 40.5-inch full-colour E-Ink Spectra 6 display is surrounded by a frame inspired by materials found in the studio’s in-car creations. You also get an exclusive collection of classic car images from the Pininfarina portfolio, to display alongside other works of art. £6,000, inkposter.co.uk

Everything about the FTP² concept bike has been designed for aero gains, from the seat tube and cockpit, to the Mahle M40 motor that powers up to an epic 100km/h. Van Rysel has even created an ecosystem around the bike, with a custom helmet and (terrifying) pedal-less shoes that can’t be detached from the bike.
vanryselcycling.com

Ayaneo has made a name for itself in the world of portable emulators, but this is its first creation for modern gamers. Packing an AMD Ryzen chip, OLED screen and an 80Wh battery into a diminutive form, it will play PC games via Steam and Epic. $239 (£177), ayaneo.com

Not just a charger, this turns your iPhone into a little AI desk companion, using its display, camera and microphone to bring it to life. It taps right into the trend of blending productivity tools with playful tech, making long desk hours feel a lot more human. £TBC, keyirobot.com

The perfect middle ground between the convenience of a pod machine and the quality of bean-to-cup. It has a 16-bar pressure pump and a clever two-section bean container, but our favourite feature is a small button that ejects used grounds straight into the bin. See, it doesn’t always need to be fancy! Price TBC, philips.co.uk

These open-back headphones bridge the gap between the studio and high-end hi-fi. A 44mm driver with a diamond-like carbon diaphragm delivers fast and distortion-free transients. They’re pricey, but can be driven by portable players and computers, so you won’t have to spend more on an amp. £899, austrian.audio

Brit brand Nothing continues to disrupt the tech scene with its affordable, yet desirable devices. Featuring a more budget-focused build with plastics rather than aluminium, the Headphone (a) certainly don’t hold anything back when it comes to sound or ANC control. And that includes hi-res audio support. £149, nothing.tech

Could 2026 be the year of Mini-LED? Thanks to a retina-searing 10,000 nits peak brightness and over 20,000 dimming zones, TCL’s X11L delivers OLED-beating colour depth. With its super-thin design and Bang & Olufsen audio, this is an all-in-one cinematic experience for your living room. £2,499, tcl.com

Ever wanted your hair dryer to double up as a LED light? The Halo Concept is referred to as a hair dryer lamp – and honestly, that hits the nail on the head. To use it, you simply take a seat underneath the C-shaped floor lamp and relax while the dryer head dries and styles your hair. Price TBC, dreamestore.co.uk

The ZenScreen Duo is a hinged pair of screens that can be configured in lots of positions, including a tent mode where the same content is displayed on both sides. A neat addition is that you can connect two different devices, such as a laptop and tablet, and use each display independently. £569, asus.com

We’ve all been looking back to 2016 recently, but Pebble has taken things a step further by bringing back a refreshed fan favourite in the form of the Pebble Round 2. This stylish smartwatch improves upon its predecessor with a bigger e-paper display, a thinner profile, and a battery that goes for days. $199 (£148), repebble.com

Known for combining multiple functions into one appliance, Ninja has packed a grill, griddle, smoker, roaster and pizza maker into one outdoor cooking system. The FlexFlame looks the part too, with its large stainless steel hood, digital control panel, stand and storage area – the perfect barbecue for 2026. £999.99, ninjakitchen.co.uk

Designed for use on treadmills – but also good for pounding the pavement. The outsole provides high traction, the dual-density foam midsole disperses energy evenly, and the wrap-around structure provides lateral stability during intense sprints. £120, reebok.co.uk

Samsung’s 130in ultrapremium screen is designed to look more like a giant architectural window than a TV, and its wide colour gamut and glare-free technology ensure your content looks completely amazing. It’s £100,000 and absolutely huge, but presumably if you’ve got that much cash to splash on a telly, you also have the space for the thing. £100,000+, samsung.com

Nintendo is not one to shy away from bonkers tech and the Talking Flower is arguably one of its most left-field yet. Modelled after characters in Super Mario Bros Wonder, the flower will jabber all day if you let it and can even tell the time, although it might get it wrong… it’s wacky like that. £24.99, nintendo.co.uk

Aliens’ power loader comes a step closer with this modular exoskeleton. The hip module adds propulsion to reduce perceived effort uphill, while the shock-absorbing knee unit offloads up to 216 lbs of impact pressure. They can be tuned for specific uses, like throwing Xenomorphs through airlocks. From $699 (£500), ascentizexo.com

In the past year, there’s been a definite throwback to tech products we’ve not seen since T3 was just a baby – we’re talking ’90s nostalgia here. We Are Rewind has been leading the way recently with its latest release, the Blaster Curtis, which feels like something straight out of an ’80s hip-hop movie. Another big retro release are the Fiio EH11 headphones. These high-fidelity headphones boast 40mm dynamic drivers, LDAC support and 30 hours of battery life, but look like something from Back to the Future. £29.27, fiio.com

Your phone’s back camera rocks – so why are you still using the front for selfies? Insta360’s clever gadget means never sacrificing quality for convenience again with a selfie screen, a device that fits on the back of your smartphone and gives you a real-time preview of your snap. Content creators and influencers will be foaming at the mouth for this one. £83, insta360.com

Equally suited to gamers and creatives, Corsair’s keyboard uses MLX Pulse switches with 8,000Hz polling for effectively zero-lag input. But the coolest addition here is the integrated stream deck: 12 customisable LCD buttons that offer programmable shortcuts for specific inputs and apps, plus a 720 x 1280 LCD screen. £310, corsair.com

Dolby’s quest to saturate the world’s ears and eyes continues. Its AI-powered Vision 2 optimises picture quality based on your TV’s capabilities and delivers cinematic motion control. Dolby Atmos with Apple CarPlay is available in new Mercedes-Benz cars, while Pioneer’s SPHERA aftermarket in-dash receiver adds the immersive audio tech to older vehicles. dolby.com

A futuristic chef’s knife that resonates at 33kHz to effortlessly slice through ingredients. The blade is made from Japanese AUS-10 steel, which is pretty damn sharp before you add the fancy vibrating tech. $399 (£315), seattleultrasonics.com

The Tactix 8 is built for extreme conditions, with a rugged Cerakote finish that clearly targets serious outdoor users. It stands out by prioritising durability, precision and purpose in a market packed with lifestyle-first smartwatches, and it might even hint at where the wider industry is heading next. £1,379.99, garmin.com

Not just a camera, but a time machine. It comes with a dial on the side that can change the look of its video clips to mimic historic styles. Each era also has up to 10 effects and strengths, making for a load of creative fun, and you even get an Instax photo printer built in. £329.99, instax.co.uk

Epson’s upcoming flagship is an ultra-short throw projector that promises a gorgeous 4k picture at 4,000 lumens with no drilling. And thanks to its proximity to the wall, you won’t see shadows when you grab the popcorn. Price TBC, epson.co.uk

One of the last manufacturers standing when it comes to gaming phones, Redmagic produces high-end Android devices that are great for everyday use and gaming combined. The 11 Air is a prime example, with flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite processing and quality components, but a pocket-friendly price. From £439, uk.redmagic.gg

The latest Jet Bot maintains its steam-based bug-busting sanitisation, but can now recognise different spilt liquids and clamber over obstacles up to 2.4 inches high. With remote camera access it pulls double duty as a home security bot too. £749, samsung.com

A new edition of Rudy Project’s legendary cycling glasses is 3D printed in titanium for a weight of just 36g, with a Toric lens that replicates the shape of the originals. They’re limited to a run of just 100, and while they’re more expensive than a lot of bikes, hopefully the tech will trickle down the range. £750, rudyproject.com

At first glance this looks and works like a normal 16-inch laptop, but just like the Zenbook mentioned earlier, underneath the ultrathin magnetic keyboard lurks a second screen that gives you twice the digital real estate. High-end Intel and Nvidia chips provide the muscle for the dual-display gaming setup. £2,899, rog.asus.com

With ultrawide monitors growing in popularity among desktop gamers, manufacturers are exploring ways to make them portable too. Lenovo has an intriguing concept in development – a gaming laptop that uses a rollable OLED to expand the screen widthways when needed. Hopefully this will make it into a consumer product later this year. Price TBC, lenovo.com

A BlackBerry for a new era, the Clicks Communicator marks the welcome return of the physical keyboard with a message-centric UI so you can respond as efficiently as possible. Press the ‘Prompt Key’ on the side to quickly dictate responses, plug in your favourite 3.5mm headphones, and party like it’s 2007. £399, clicks.tech

Not a standalone product in itself but still ultra cool, the Retro Box turns a FiiO M33 RSR digital audio player into an ’80s-style speaker. You pop the player into the box and it’ll even give you a cassette-like display. Music then blasts out of the stereo speakers for a neat, modern audio player with fashionable old-school aesthetics. Price TBC (M33 £499), fiio.com

Dreame is moving beyond robot vacuum cleaners with a thumb-sized action cam – and it doesn’t look like it’ll suck. Its 50MP sensor and Qualcomm AI processor deliver 8K stabilised video from a titchy unit that can be detached from its screen/battery pack and mounted anywhere.
$439 (£345), dreametech.com

When your computer screen is as big as your TV, you know it’s something special. This is a serious 6K IPS that matches a setup with two portrait 27in monitors on either side of a 43in monitor, as used by data engineers and traders. It can be connected to up to four PCs for display at any one time. £2,571.60, dell.com

A smaller, mid-sized SUV with class-leading specs. In its largest 117kWh battery configuration, the EX60 is capable of over 500 miles of range, and 800V charging makes topping up super speedy. There’s no shortage of tech on board either: it boasts the Nvidia AGXOrin driving platform for autonomous controls. From £56,850, volvo.co.uk

After the phenomenal success of the Steam Deck, Valve has opted to return to a previous concept – except it’s keeping development in-house this time. The previous Steam Machines were PC-based game consoles, but proved underpowered. Not so the new generation. It promises top-line specs and plug-in-and-play capabilities to keep PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo on their toes.
Price TBC, store.steampowered.com

It’s been five years since the Apple AirTag was first released, and since then, we’ve used them to track everything from our keys and hold luggage to our dogs and cars. Now, though, there’s a new model. The second generation looks identical, but inside it features an Ultra Wideband chip to make finding it more precise, an upgraded Bluetooth chip to double the range, and a louder speaker to make it twice as audible.
Price £29, apple.com

While not the first triple-folding phone to make it onto the market, the TriFold offers perhaps the biggest potential from a multi-fold unit. The slim device with a 6.5-inch cover display opens up to reveal a 120hz 10-inch AMOLED for a full tablet-like experience. There’s plenty of power on board thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and serious photography potential with a 200MP wide-angle, 12MP ultra-wide and 10MP telephoto on the rear, plus 10MP selfie cameras on both the main and cover screens.
Price TBC, samsung.com

Trainer design has hit an all-new level in the last 12 months, with some crazy concepts and styles. The Nike Mind 001 mule is perhaps one of the weirdest, embedding spherical foam nodes in the sole that move like tiny pistons underneath each foot. This is to help relax athletes both before and after competition, although it won’t be long before we see them on the streets too, we’re sure.
£79.99, nike.com

It’s not every day you see earbuds marketed as “socially friendly” – especially when features like ANC usually do the opposite. Sony’s new LinkBuds Clip Open are built for walking, commuting and multitasking, keeping you aware of the world around you. They feel like something you can comfortably wear all day, which, depending on what you’re after, might be exactly the appeal.
£179.99, sony.co.uk

The latest in a long line of TVs designed to blend into their environment, this is actually the return of a product that LG last produced in 2020. The appropriately named Wallpaper TV uses the Zero Connect Box Wireless to avoid trailing lots of wires into the back, and everything, apart from the power, is transmitted wirelessly to the TV, keeping things clean. The screen itself is no slouch either. The OLED W6, as it’s also known, is the same tech as the LG OLED G6, with a multi-layered panel, Hyper Radient Color technology and an anti-glare coating. Just be careful where you place it, as it might just show up your wallpaper.
Around £4,999, lg.com/uk

While the Windows 11-powered Lenovo Legion Go 2 arrived at the tail of 2025, a SteamOS version is coming this summer, potentially elevating the high-end handheld to greater gaming heights. Lenovo did something similar with its Legion Go S model last year, and it proved a massive success. SteamOS is a great front-end for console-style gaming, and pairing it with the 8.8-inch display of the Go 2 is a masterstroke.
Price TBC, lenovo.com

The next-generation smart ring from Ultrahuman boosts the battery life between charges up to 15 days, and also comes in a charging case, which extends that to 45 days, so plugging it in will become something you only think about once a month. It also features real-time biointelligence to give proactive insights into the data it’s gathering as you wear it, so you don’t have to wait for those end-of-day summaries.
£419, ultrahuman.com

Apple’s new budget iPhone offers a few improvements over the old model that make it a tempting proposition, even over the main-line iPhone 17. It now sports an improved 48MP Fusion camera on the rear, matching the iPhone Air, and the A19 chip inside, giving it faster performance and access to Apple Intelligence features. Best of all, though, the 17e now starts with 256GB of storage (double that of the previous model) and features a MagSafe connector, allowing for magnetic wireless charging and access to a wide range of MagSafe-compatible accessories, from wallets to power banks.
From £599, apple.com