Where is Ballie? Samsung's robot ghosts us at CES 2026

Ballie might go down in history as one of Samsung's most hyped concepts that never actually hit the shelves. Hard to believe it’s been six years since Samsung unveiled the original rolling robot prototype at CES 2020, yet Ballie was nowhere to be seen at CES 2026 after a missed launch last year.

The last word from Samsung came just a month ago, with a company official saying they’re “continuing to refine and perfect the technology to deliver an even more impactful customer experience.”

I had hoped to see some of those proposed refinements at CES 2026, even in concept form. After all, Samsung has teased Ballie in various iterations before, so it felt natural to expect a comeback in Las Vegas.

That didn’t happen. Ballie was absent from the show entirely. Samsung did reveal a range of other prototypes and unique ideas, including a robot with a circular screen from its Display division. But that was mostly a demo platform for the circular display, not a step toward a new commercial product.

Clearly, Samsung doesn’t think Ballie is ready for market. What’s odd is the complete lack of a CES 2026 showing. Not a single updated concept or panel offered a glimpse of what Ballie could do next.

Officially, Ballie isn't canceled. But given the robot's complete absence from CES 2026, I’m starting to wonder if Samsung just wants us to forget Ballie and move on. The only trace of it left is the still-active Ballie sign-up page on the company's USA portal.

On the bright side, Samsung did bring the Jet Bot Steam Ultra to Las Vegas. Better yet, this new vacuum cleaner that can clear obstacles is planned to go on sale later this year. But without Ballie's built-in projector or Gemini AI tricks, it won't quite fill the void left by the little rolling robot we've been waiting for all these years.