The Must-Have Gadgets from CES 2025 That Left Me Green with Envy!

I didn’t attend CES 2025, and under typical circumstances, I wouldn’t forgo the 10-hour flight carrying hand luggage overflowing with lip balm and moisturizer or the never-ending wandering through casinos once I arrived. However, observing the event from a distance this year did evoke more than just a slight pang of FOMO.

I witnessed peers and associates discover gadgets that not only appeared enjoyable (usually the most exciting aspect of CES) but also devices I truly desire to possess in the future. Here are seven that piqued my curiosity, along with one element that annoyed me quite a bit.

Plantaform Smart Indoor Garden

Whether it’s my fondness for peculiar sci-fi like Silent Running, YouTube channels such as AntsCanada, or the fact that I struggle to remember to water my indoor plants, Plantaform’s Smart Indoor Garden truly drew my attention.

It’s reportedly self-cleaning and self-watering, which suits my low-maintenance approach to my unfortunate indoor plants right now, and the mix of colored lights and mist inside will guarantee it aligns with my sci-fi aesthetic expectations.

I’m not interested in cultivating vegetables or herbs within it, but rather ornamental plants and blooms. I appreciate tech products that also serve as conversation starters, and given the Smart Indoor Garden is enormous, anyone entering my home will certainly notice it.

Nekojita FuFu

The Japanese robotics firm Yukai Engineering creates delightful innovations, from the charming Qoobo tailed cushion to the quirky Amagami Ham Ham, and I was rather disappointed not to see its latest invention, Nekojia FuFu, in person. In typical Yukai Engineering style, it addresses a problem you weren’t aware you had in a wonderfully charming manner. The adorable cat-like robot features an internal fan that cools down hot food and drinks, and as a fan of coffee, cats, and machines, I’d love to have one, please.

LG AeroCat Tower

One element that does worry me about the Plantaform Smart Indoor Garden is the possibility of my newly adopted kitten gaining access to it, so I plan to redirect its attention toward a new device crafted just for it. LG’s AeroCat Tower serves as an air purifier equipped with health-monitoring technology designed for your feline friend.

There are two platforms — one designated for resting and one for lounging — both equipped with sensors for weight and sleep monitoring, and it is managed via LG’s ThinQ app. While I appreciate the concept of multifunctional gadgets, I’m fairly sure my kitten will completely disregard it, based on how it overlooks nearly everything I’ve purchased for it thus far.

Samsung Ballie

Samsung’s spherical robot has established itself as a fixture of CES for numerous years.

years, and seemingly it’s now nearly prepared for launch. I’ve been yearning for a robotic accomplice for some time, and Samsung claims it’ll debut in 2025. I knew I should have postponed getting a kitten instead, just for a little while more. Ballie is partly an AI companion, partly a domestic robot, and partly a pet caretaker, so I’m certain I’ll still discover a role for it in my life. If only it also performed the vacuuming.

Amazfit V1tal

Setting aside privacy concerns, the Amazfit V1tal genuinely seems to address the issue of remembering to log your meals in a health application. The camera observes you as you eat, and the software assesses your food consumption before breaking it down into calories and macros in the app. I’ve never found it necessary to log my meals, but I do believe it would be advantageous. Push through the oddity of a camera watching you consume food, and the V1tal boasts a great deal of potential.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6

I have absolutely no requirement for the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6, yet every time I observe the 14-inch display unfold to transform into a 16-inch tall screen, I can’t help but grin. It’s frivolous, not particularly useful, and I bet I’d ultimately only utilize the smaller screen after a while, but it’s sheer CES enjoyment, and everyone who witnesses it will inevitably exclaim, “Wow!” It’s reportedly set to launch later this year, and I am eager to pair it with the Motorola Rizr and embrace the rollable lifestyle.

PocketBook InkPoster

I possess a relatively large, empty stretch of wall in my residence that’s longing for some artwork, yet I can’t determine what to place there. My uncertainty would be resolved with the PocketBook InkPoster, an enormous 31.3-inch E Ink “poster” that comes with a library of images pre-installed, or you can upload your own. It operates on battery power, so there’s no necessity to hide any cables, there’s no backlight, and E Ink closely mimics the appearance of paper, ensuring it doesn’t resemble a screen on the wall. The downside is, the 31.3-inch model is priced at $1,700 and I have a suspicion I’ll require two.

One aspect annoyed me

What compilation would be complete without a product that I didn’t appreciate? It’s not that I disapprove of BMW’s Panoramic iDrive dashboard; it merely leaves me dissatisfied. Automotive interior design that revolves around numerous screens just isn’t particularly engaging to observe, but the worst part is if you take off the BMW emblem from the steering wheel — there’s absolutely nothing indicating it’s a BMW interior whatsoever.

Recently, car manufacturers appear determined to eliminate all the unique, characterized features associated with them, resulting in faceless “high-tech” interiors that seem as mundane as they do frustrating to operate. The Sony Honda Mobility Afeela suffers similarly. It’s nothing memorable, lifeless, and fully uninspiring.

However, as the interior styling of cars I’ll never purchase are the only aspects that bothered me from CES 2025, I would conclude it seemed like a pretty impressive exhibition, and I felt disappointed to have missed witnessing all these innovations in person.