CES: 72 Hours in Las Vegas, Where Innovation Unfolded

Photo Credit: Samsung

Las Vegas has always been a city of spectacle. During CES, it becomes something more exacting: a proving ground where innovation is expected to arrive fully formed.  CES 2026 offered a chance to rethink how technology is experienced in a city built on constant stimulation. Rather than focusing on scale alone, the week unfolded as a sequence of moments that emphasized perspective, pacing, and purpose.

Thus, Las Vegas became a backdrop for a layered narrative — one that moved from immersion to intention, from experience to engineering. With Samsung Electronics, the concept evolved organically over 72 hours: Tri-Vegas. Tri-Samsung. TriFold. A progression that ultimately led to the unveiling of Galaxy Z TriFold, a new form factor designed to elevate productivity and cinematic mobile viewing.

Day One

Photo Credit: Samsung

The first day set the tone. Guests were brought inside Sphere Las Vegas for a reimagined Wizard of Oz experience — a choice that felt symbolic rather than nostalgic.

Inside the Sphere, storytelling wrapped around the audience. Visuals curved, expanded, and dissolved traditional boundaries between viewer and screen. It was entertainment, but also instruction: this is what immersion looks like when technology stops feeling like a device and starts feeling like an environment.

Then, the party moved to Wynn Las Vegas, where Samsung Electronics unveiled The First Look 2026. Framed around the idea of AI as a daily companion, the exhibition focused less on futurism and more on how technology quietly integrates into real life — supporting entertainment, the home, and personal care without demanding attention.

Rather than presenting AI as something abstract or overwhelming, the experience unfolded through a series of environments that felt familiar and livable. Art, design, and technology intersected early, grounding the week in the idea that innovation should enhance culture, not compete with it. From entertainment systems that respond intuitively to voice and environment, to connected home appliances designed to reduce friction, the message was consistent: the next era of AI is about ease, not excess. That perspective carried into the Care Companion space, where mobile devices, wearables, and home systems converged — positioning new Galaxy form factors not as standalone objects, but as central hubs within an increasingly fluid ecosystem. By the time CES officially got underway, the direction was clear. This would be a week defined by integration, intention, and experiences that unfold over time — a through-line that would carry across the next 72 hours in Las Vegas.

Day Two

Photo Credit: Samsung

After a night defined by sensory intensity, the rhythm shifted. The next morning centered on restoration at Canyon Ranch Las Vegas — a reminder that performance without balance is unsustainable.

As evening returned, the brand reasserted its presence with a private media event at Collins Bar inside Fontainebleau Las Vegas. The setting — sleek, modern, architectural — mirrored Samsung’s own design language.

This wasn’t a traditional press briefing. It was a dialogue. Conversations flowed between editors, creators, and

Day Three

Photo Credit: Samsung

Before the city stirred awake, Samsung invited guests into the sky. At sunrise, hot air balloons lifted off over the desert — a quiet counterpoint to the Strip’s neon intensity.

From above, Las Vegas simplifies. The spectacle resolves into structure. It was a moment of stillness that reinforced the theme running through the experience: innovation begins with perspective. Seeing the whole — then choosing how to unfold it.

As evening descended, so did the big reveal: the arrival of Galaxy Z TriFold.

The final act took place at COTE Korean Steakhouse Las Vegas, the newly opened Las Vegas outpost of the Michelin-starred New York restaurant founded by Simon Kim.

Photo Credit: Samsung

Built for the mobile AI era, Galaxy Z TriFold rethinks what a phone can be. Folded, it maintains the portability of a premium smartphone; unfolded twice, it opens into a 10-inch immersive display — the largest ever on a Galaxy device — designed to support productivity, creativity, and cinematic viewing in equal measure.

Despite its expansive screen, the device remains remarkably slim, measuring just 3.9 mm at its thinnest point. Flagship performance comes powered by the customized Snapdragon® 8 Elite Mobile Platform for Galaxy, paired with a 200 MP camera system, Samsung’s largest battery ever in a foldable phone at 5,600 mAh, and super-fast 45W charging for all-day endurance. At its core, Galaxy Z TriFold addresses one of mobile’s longest-standing challenges: balancing portability, performance, and productivity in a single design.

That balance is enabled by Samsung’s most advanced hinge system to date, using dual-rail technology and two differently sized hinges to allow smooth, stable folding across three panels. An inward-folding design protects the main display, while premium materials — including a titanium hinge housing and Advanced Armor Aluminum frame — provide durability without unnecessary bulk.

When opened, Galaxy Z TriFold functions like three portrait-sized smartphones working side-by-side, enabling seamless multitasking and fluid workflows. Standalone Samsung DeX transforms the device into a mobile workstation, while Galaxy AI and Gemini Live scale naturally to the larger screen — supporting everything from creative editing to real-time assistance. Closed again, it returns to a slim, pocketable form, proving that cinematic scale doesn’t require compromise.

Photo Credit: Samsung