TECH · ROUNDUP
Beyond smartphones: the tech that mattered in summer 2026, from TVs to robots
By S. Dahani and the RealDigitalTech editorial team
TVs, headphones, smart glasses, robots, air conditioners, detectors, printers, cars, routers, health wearables and gaming: a guide to the devices that drew the most interest this summer, with links to our analyses.
Quick Take
The devices at a glance
| Family | Device | Price | In one line |
|---|---|---|---|
| TV | Samsung S95H OLED | about $2,100 | Record brightness and anti-glare screen; no Dolby Vision. |
| Audio | Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) | $359 | Very comfortable, better noise cancelling; weak for calls. |
| Smart glasses | Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 | from $449 | Better battery and styles; a modest step over Gen 2. |
| Robots | Dreame A3 AWD Pro and Eufy Omni S2 | $3,200 / $1,599 | Excellent, but premium-priced robots. |
| Air conditioning | Smart window air conditioners | varies | Midea's U-shaped range is the most complete. |
| Home safety | Smoke, CO and gas detectors | from $57.99 | First Alert SC5 replaces the Nest Protect. |
| Printers | Best home printers | from $159 | Ink tanks win on long-term cost. |
| Smart pens and tablets | Kindle Scribe Colorsoft | $629.99 | Paper-like colour writing, for a niche. |
| Cars | US electric car market | avg. $54,754 | New EV sales down, used EVs booming. |
| Routers | Best Wi-Fi 7 routers | from $99 | TP-Link Archer BE9700 is the best value. |
| Health | Blood pressure wearables | from $179 | Only inflatable-cuff watches give a reliable figure. |
| Fitness | Garmin Cirqa | $199.99 | The best subscription-free screenless band. |
| Gaming | Valve Steam Machine | $1,049 | Well made, but expensive for its performance. |
Three trends of the summer
- Subscriptions are becoming a selling point. Garmin sells the Cirqa without a required subscription, while rivals charge every month. Look at the total cost over two or three years, not just the price of the device.
- Health and wellness are converging. Watches, rings and glasses add blood pressure, hearing and sleep features. Most are wellness indicators rather than medical devices, and they do not replace a diagnosis.
- Premium prices, better alternatives. From robots to the Steam Machine, reviewers often point to cheaper rivals that cover most needs.
How to use this guide
Prices are launch or reference prices, usually in the US, before local taxes. Each linked article sets out what reviewers agree on, where they disagree and who the product suits. For safety and health devices, check local certifications and ask a professional when in doubt.
This article summarises our own analyses of reviews and data published by other outlets.
How this article was made: our editorial team selected and read the reviews listed above, compared their results and wrote this synthesis, with AI tools assisting the research and drafting. Every figure was checked against the sources, and the article was approved by the publication director. Our AI Disclosure · Our methodology · Report an error: editorial@realdigitaltech.com