Preorders For Hottest New Tech Items Open at CES 2026

CES is when the year’s most-coveted gadgets step out of the shadows — and, increasingly, where you can book them in advance of ever arriving on a store shelf. Here’s eXactly how to preorder the first-wave units (and launch pricing) on the best of this week’s buzziest TVs, laptops, AR glasses, smart home gear and wearables without much risk for $$$ and returned pride.

Begin Where Preorders Go Live First, Officially

Begin at the source. Brands typically put live reservation pages on their official stores within minutes of their CES announcements, and those links are oftentimes linked from press releases and product landing pages. The big retailers — Amazon, Best Buy, B&H, Micro Center and Newegg — all routinely list preorder pages (oftentimes under “Coming Soon”) that flip to live with no warning at all, so set stock alerts or add items to wishlists now.

Don’t forget to keep an eye on brand newsletters, X and Instagram posts and YouTube video descriptions — where we often find early access codes. For startup hardware, it might be preorders — online or on a Shopify store — that appear there, or may instead land at the feet of a crowdfunding site, should there be one; which trail they leave makes all the difference for your protections (more later).

Understand the Preorder Timelines by Product Category

CES reveals follow consistent rhythms. Typically flagship TVs from those household names then switch from “notify me” to paid preorders once pricing is public, and finally ship out in the spring. Laptops and PC parts debuted on stage often go up for preorder within days, only to post more randomized config and shipping windows. Accessories — keyboards, earbuds and chargers and hubs — are the most likely to ship within weeks of the show; cutting-edge other categories like AR glasses or home robots may reserve production batches months out.

CES itself is organized by the Consumer Technology Association, and such an event clusters thousands of product announcements each year, so if you’re hoping to preorder something after this week’s slew of news, plan on hearing about preorder opportunities in rolling waves rather than all at once.

Early-Bird Pricing and Bundles Matter Most

Launch windows often come with perks: time-limited discounts, free accessories, extended trials of services and upgraded warranties. AR glasses might come with a battery pack or adapter; e-readers may include a case or stylus; monitors could have premium cables and calibration benefits included. If there’s a bundle that aligns with what you’ll actually do with the system, then jump on it — those bundles usually evaporate after the first production run.

Lean on Retailer Perks and Price Protections

Early or exclusive color options may be unlocked by joining a membership program. Most importantly, understand the pricing policies: In the case of Amazon’s “Pre-order Price Guarantee,” you pay only the lowest price displayed between the time you order and its shipping date for eligible items. Some retailers will price match or adjust within a certain return window — again, be sure to read the fine print before you commit. If you’re fretting about sizing up reviews, opt for sellers with no-hassle returns on preorders.

Know Deposits, Fees, Shipping Promises and Your Rights

It’s uncommon for legitimate preorders to charge the full amount until your item ships; instead they bill either a refundable deposit or place an authorization on your card. Under the F.T.C.’s Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Rule, sellers must ship within their advertised shipping estimates — or, absent any advertising for shipping timing, they have a reasonable time frame to do so — and must secure your consent for delays or give you a prompt refund. If something goes wrong, with a credit card you also end up getting chargeback protections.

Other types of financing, such as offers through services like Affirm or Klarna, can help break up the payments, but look at the fine print: interest or fees may apply — possibly even before an item is shipped — under the terms of a given plan.

Crowdfunding Is Not the Same as a Store Preorder

There are a lot of CES startup announcements that eventually become Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaigns. And those are promises, not retail buys, so they may not come with the same refund or delivery guarantees. The F.T.C. has gone after creators in cases where rewards weren’t fulfilled, but the risk of delivery still exceeds what people might expect when they shop at Target or Amazon. Inspect the manufacturing partners, see previous campaign activity and delivery roadmap also before pledging towards it.

Beat the Sellouts Without Feeding the Scalpers

Save time at checkout by setting up retailer accounts now with saved addresses, payment methods and two-factor authentication. Get the official apps for push alerts and sign up for virtual queues when they become available. Don’t pay markups on third-party marketplaces after things sell out — most CES products get restocked in waves as the manufacturing ramps up.

Check Compatibility and Regional Caveats

When you’re ready to commit to a preorder, ensure regional specifications: TV tuners, cellular bands, voltage and warranty coverage all differ per market. Bringing in a unit can also tack on duties, taxes and shipping limitations for batteries. Go down the list of factors to consider for laptops and A.I. PCs — memory choices, GPU selections, the path to upgrading (say from a 2060 to a 2080) — remembering that some preorder pages initially default to mid-tier builds with parts you can’t choose later.

Your Quick Preorder Playbook for CES Announcements

1. Monitor brand channels and retailer listings
2. Set up accounts and enable alerts
3. Focus on early-bird bundles with value, not throw-ins
4. Trust sellers that provide clear prices/return policies
5. Leverage credit for added protection
6. Treat crowdfunding as higher risk
7. Confirm regional compatibility/warranties
8. Blaze through at go time while remaining unafraid of restocks — smart patience will always trump scalper price spikes

And if executed uneventfully, a CES preorder is not a gamble — it represents a head start. Then, with a plan in place, you could be unboxing the year’s best tech when the first reviews come in and long before the second batch of stock finally gets shipped out weeks later.