Ted Kritsonis

The 2016 Consumer Electronics Show—or CES as it’s more commonly known—is upon us, and poised to show off more cool technology to wow attendees. The show is largely an opportunity for vendors to introduce what’s possible, like proof of concepts, prototypes and ideas that may never be available to you, the consumers. Still, much of what is there does make it to retail, like Best Buy, and in 2015, that was certainly the case.

Virtual reality is a real thing now. Yes, it has existed for some time, but the concept of immersing yourself in it in a portable way at home and on the go is one major difference. As is the quality of content. Samsung’s Gear VR is a headset with the imprint of Oculus, arguably the most popular company in the VR space today. It’s not the Oculus Rift, of course, but the Gear VR can open up some new worlds with the right smartphone inside.

Buying a tablet for someone is one of those functional gifts that should get great mileage and plenty of use. There are more than a few to choose from, so weaving through the 150 models and options available at Best Buy requires thought and research to get the right fit. This isn’t as hard as it sounds, and you can look like a genius once the gift-giving starts.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is one of the most anticipated films in years, and Disney has spared no expense in promoting it with a number of marketing partnerships that tie-in to mobile devices. If you’re a big fan, you may already know about some of them, and if you don’t, there may be some that are of interest as the next episode in the Star Wars mythos hits theatres.

This year’s duo of Nexus smartphones has been the best Google has come to market with thus far, offering the best marriage of hardware and software to date. The Nexus 5X is the more affordable option between the two, though it benefits from having some of the same internal components. It also sports the same untouched version of Android 6.0 Marshmallow, making it far more open to customization.

If you have a Google Chromecast already, then you likely know what it’s capable of. If you don’t, then you may interested to find out. The small, affordable device is known for being able to stream YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, NHL GameCenter and much more directly from a smartphone or tablet, and is capable of doing some other cool things with the right settings.

Samsung has tried and tried again to get it right with its smartwatches, having come to market with no less than six different iterations in about two years. All failed to really capitalize on what was then a wide open market looking for a trendsetter. The Gear S2 marks a turning point in both design philosophy and performance, making it the most complete wearable the company has made to this point.

Smartwatches running on Android Wear have had a tough go of it since first launching to some fanfare last year. Part of it has to do with the slow appeal of the category as a whole, but the rest can be chalked off to a platform that needs to grow up. With the second-generation Moto 360, Motorola has made a case for putting out a serious contender to win over some hearts and wrists.

Now that Google has released its latest version of Android, 6.0 Marshmallow, the rollout will come in stages as each smartphone and tablet manufacturer optimizes its respective software overlays to work with it. For the moment, only the Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X and HTC One A9 run Marshmallow, but in time, a much wider range of devices will, and there are a number of new features that go with it.