CES 2025 is over – and the world’s biggest technology show once again proved to be a revealing (and sometimes disturbing) look at the technological trends that will shape our near future. But it was also a place where some real, affordable gadgets were launched – and we’ve rounded up the best you can buy today right here.
Yes, not every CES launch was a humanoid robot or flagship $175,000 Panasonic OLED TV. We also saw a wave of phone accessories, from powerbanks to SSDs, and some promising new contenders for our best budget wireless earbuds and best cheap smartwatches guides.
So if you’re all caught up on our CES recap podcast and want a palate cleanser of all the best tech that was announced at the show (and isn’t too hard on your wallet), read on for our top picks.
1. Anker Power Bank 25K
- Price: $90 / £72 (around AU$145)
One of the more curious trends we noticed at CES 2025 was power banks with retractable USB-C cables. Not a wildly futuristic advance, but if you’re tired of coiling cables around your backup batteries while you travel, then the new Anker Power Bank 25K might be for you.
Announced at CES 2025 and already available with a 10% discount (20% in the UK) from Anker’s store, this high-capacity power bank for laptops, phones and tablets has a capacity of 25,000 mAh and three USB-C ports (two of which have retractable cables) .
With a bonus USB-A port on top and a display to fill in its remaining charge, battery status and more, it certainly looks like a strong contender for your next international trip.
2. Shokz OpenFit 2
- Price: $179 (UK / Australia price TBC)
TechRadar’s audio editor Becky Scarrott called the Shokz OpenFit Airs “my favorite sports-focused open earbuds yet” last year, so that bodes well for the OpenFit 2, which was announced at CES 2025.
Instead of using bone conduction technology, the OpenFit series uses DirectPitch technology (this time version 2.0) to send sound to your ears while leaving your ear canals open to the sound of cars or cyclists.
We haven’t tested them yet, but we’re fans of the range (including its waterproof OpenSwim models for swimmers) – and these new ones also claim a decent 11 hours of battery life.
3. Amazfit Active 2
- Standard version: $99 (approx £80 / AU$160)
- Premium version: $129.99 (approx £105 / AU$208)
If you’re looking for an inexpensive smartwatch with heart rate monitoring and voice commands, the Amazfit Active 2 should be on your shortlist.
The original version impressed last year with its many useful health-tracking features (for everything from strength training to chess), and this new model adds a redesigned heart rate sensor plus (inevitably) some AI-powered tricks.
Whether you’re using the AI Zepp Flow voice command software to add events to your calendar or adjust the watch’s settings, its attractive design means it looks great for the money. It’s out now in the US, but will also be available globally from February.
4. SanDisk Creator Phone SSD
- 1TB model: $109.99 / £92 (around AU$180)
- 2TB model: $169.99 / £136 (around AU$275)
Another mini sub-theme for CES 2025 was tiny little SSDs to boost your iPhone’s storage space – and SanDisk’s take on the idea got extra marks for including MagSafe to help it magnetically clip onto the back of your phone.
The main purpose of the chunky Creator Phone SSD is to support video creators, as you can record Apple ProRes 4K footage at 60 fps directly to the drive from your compatible iPhone. But the nippy read and write read speeds (1,000MB/s and 950MB/s respectively) mean it’s generally a handy travel companion.
It also has three meters of drop protection along with IP65 water and dust resistance and is available for purchase right now.
5. Creative Aurvana Ace Mimi
- Price: $129.99 / £109.99 / around AU$218
Our review of the AirPods 4 says that “they’re good, but you can do better for the price” — and that was before we saw the launch of these promising new earbuds from Creative (and audio personalization experts Mimi) at CES 2025.
On paper, the Aurvana Ace Mimi has a few big advantages over Apple’s earphones. First, they have an ANC (active noise cancellation) mode, despite costing the same as the ANC-free version of the AirPods 4.
They also use solid-state drivers, which can produce excellent sound quality (see our Creative Aurvana Ace 2 review). Finally, by customizing and adjusting the sound to your needs, Creative reckons they’ll also protect your ears by removing the temptation to turn up the volume.
6. HMD OffGrid
- Advance price: $199 / £169 (AU$330)
- Subscription: $14.99 / £14.99 (around AU$30) per month
Planning a big travel adventure in 2025, but don’t want it to turn into one Touching the Void-style survival documentary? It might be worth investing in HMD’s satellite-powered location sharing device.
OffGrid is a pocket gadget that basically brings satellite communications to any phone, no matter what operating system it’s running. You can send and receive messages via the room or send an SOS distress signal using the HMD OffGrid app.
It’s a bit like a Garmin InReach only cheaper – you can buy an OffGrid now for $199 / £169 up front, plus an extra $14.99 / £14.99 a month for unlimited messages, check-ins and SOS alerts.
7. Soundpeat’s PearlClip Pro
- Price: $29.99 (approx £23.99 or AU$48) for early birds, or $59.99 (approx £50 / AU$97) afterwards
We’ve saved possibly the biggest CES 2025 bargain for last here – if you sign up on the Soundpeats website before January 19, you can pick up the new PearlClip Pro open-ear headphones for half off their usual price of $59.99 .
Now, we haven’t actually tested these ridiculously cheap earphones yet, but we’ve reviewed their previous offerings – like Soundpeat’s Air 4 Pro – and found them to be good value.
The PearClip Pros use the popular clip-on, cuff-like design of other open earbuds and promise six hours of battery life (with an additional 18 hours from the charging case). If you’re in need of some very affordable earphones (or a backup pair), then this early deal could be your CES 2025 highlight.
