The 6 next big things in consumer tech for 2026

Consumer technology is at its best when it’s solving problems that exist outside of the tech world. This year’s honorees include better ways to clean your floors, put on your shoes, hear the conversation around you, and practice music effectively. There’s also a less-intrusive smart lock, a refreshingly simple microwave oven, and—if you’ll allow one solution to a problem caused by technology itself—a way to spare your smartphone screen from prying eyes. JBL/HarmanFor giving guitar practice an AI upgradeWhile the modern musician will find no shortage of backing tracks on YouTube for practice purposes, they’re seldom as fun to jam with as the original material. JBL’s BandBox Solo and Trio guitar amplifiers can play music from streaming services over Bluetooth but with AI audio separation that controls the volume of individual instruments. Users can mute a song’s guitar track while playing along themselves, or turn down the vocals and drums to better hear the notes in a tricky solo. Software tools such as LALAL.AI and Moises have long allowed aspiring musicians to create backing tracks from recorded music, but by building this capability directly into the hardware, JBL is adding a ne…