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- Wisely presented: AI gadgets became the most coveted among Russians at the end of 2025
Wisely presented: AI gadgets became the most coveted among Russians at the end of 2025
Russians have become more likely to choose devices with built-in artificial intelligence functions in the New Year period. According to major marketplaces, the demand for such gadgets has increased by 88% compared to the same period in 2024. Izvestia selected five of the most popular new products in its product categories, which aroused increased interest among customers choosing New Year's gifts. The selection includes an electronic chessboard with an AI assistant, a smartphone with an AI chip that protects the device from overheating, as well as a smart air grill that prevents overcooking of dishes. For more information, see the Izvestia article.
Smart gadgets are the main trend of household appliances
During the New Year period, the demand for devices with artificial intelligence functions increased sharply. According to the results of the fourth quarter of 2025, AI technology has become the core of consumer demand, the restore store chain told Izvestia:
From October to mid—December, sales of smart home appliances increased fourfold, and AI gadgets increased by 88%. By the end of the year, demand continued to accelerate, confirming a steady trend: AI devices ceased to be niche and became a massive choice of buyers, the company added. If in 2024 they were perceived as a premium experiment, by the end of 2025 they had become the standard and the market driver.
"Customers are increasingly choosing devices that save time, personalize service, and integrate into smart home ecosystems, perceiving them as personal assistants," they noted.
Sales of AI-powered aerogrills have almost tripled by the end of 2025. According to Yulia Li, sales director of Dreame Technology in Russia, sales of more expensive robot vacuum cleaners with a self-cleaning station have increased significantly against the background of demand for cordless vacuum cleaners.
"The buyer has become more attentive to the choice, paying more attention to quality, convenience and AI functionality," she said.
According to Yandex Market, from December 1 to December 25, 2025, sales of smart speakers increased 1.7 times compared to November. The Yandex, Sber, and VK models were most often chosen. The interest in AI devices as gifts confirms that technology is becoming a part of everyday life. The growth of wearable formats, where AI is constantly near the user, is already noticeable — this trend will continue to develop in 2026, the marketplace's press service noted.
Chess with Maia support
Chessnut Pro is a full—size electronic chess set with wooden board and pieces, combining the classic feel of the game with digital capabilities. The board recognizes moves, allows you to play against the built-in AI Maia or connect to Chess.com and Lichess, and batches can be saved and analyzed. The device is designed for players who need a "live" board without constantly accessing the screen.
The strengths include high-quality materials, neat design, convenience of training and online games. At the same time, the software and AI are focused more on practice than on deep professional analysis, and the price may seem high for those who are looking for an exclusively digital format. In general, this is a successful hybrid of classical chess and technology for those who appreciate a physical board. There are practically no analogues on the Russian market, so the device is often chosen as a gift.
Smartphone with overheating protection
The Realme GT8 Pro is a flagship smartphone that has become one of the final releases of the end of 2025. The model enters the Russian market after the main brands have introduced their top-end devices, and relies on a combination of high performance and advanced AI capabilities. The smartphone is based on a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and a 200 MP camera.
The key feature of the GT8 Pro is the proprietary R1 AI chip, designed to solve one of the problems of previous generations: overheating under high load. It analyzes usage scenarios in real time, manages cooling, redistributes computing resources, and reduces workload in heavy games and applications. In parallel, AI optimizes power consumption — background processes and unused applications are automatically minimized, which has a positive effect on autonomy. As a result, the smartphone works more stable during long gaming sessions and is perceived as a personalized platform.
In general, the gadget illustrates the general trend of 2026: AI is becoming the basic level of smartphone architecture, responsible simultaneously for performance, energy efficiency and user experience, rather than a separate marketing function.
Aerogrill with built-in AI assistant
Dreame Tasti AF30 is a multifunctional air grill positioned as a replacement for several kitchen appliances at once. The device supports the SmartSteam 3X Infuse steam supply and is equipped with an AI assistant that automatically selects cooking parameters. This lowers the entry threshold for beginners, but limits the possibilities of manual configuration, which may be a disadvantage for experienced users. The volume of 7 liters is aimed at families, but the increased dimensions require a noticeable place in the kitchen. As a result, the AF30 looks like a technologically advanced solution for those who are willing to pay extra for automation — its price is higher than that of basic models without AI.
According to "M.Video", despite the specifics of the devices, Russians are interested in them. So, in the first nine months of 2025, more than 882 thousand aerogrills worth about 7.2 billion rubles were sold in the country, compared to 246 thousand units and 1.5 billion a year earlier.
Smart backlight for TV
Govee RGBWIC AI Sync Box Kit 2 is an AI backlight for TVs with a diagonal of 27-34 inches, which synchronizes lighting effects with the image on the screen. The built-in AI module adapts colors and effects to what is happening in the frame: from calm scenes to dynamic games and action. This enhances the immersive experience and makes watching movies, TV series, and games more expressive.
Limitations include the need to connect signal sources directly to the Sync Box, as well as the fact that the effect is most noticeable in dynamic content.
Voice recorder with built-in transcription
The Plaud NotePin Purple is a compact AI voice recorder with 64 GB of memory and a built—in assistant for recording and audio processing. The device automatically recognizes speech, filters noises, highlights voices, and can create text notes and short abstracts based on the content of recordings.
The main feature is an AI assistant that simplifies work with lectures, meetings and interviews, sorting entries by topic and saving time on editing. Simple controls make NotePin a convenient tool for students and professionals. At the same time, the voice recognition system sometimes makes mistakes with heavy noise or dialects, and the built-in AI does not always correctly distribute recordings by topic, which requires manual verification. Also, the device remains relatively expensive for its functionality.
The dynamics of sales of products with AI functions remains high, which is partly due to the effect of the low base of the previous period, the press service of Wildberries & Russ reported. Thus, sales of electronic chess boards with AI increased by 365% in monetary terms and by 500% in quantitative terms. Voice recorders with an AI assistant, although more common, also show high growth rates - by 970% in turnover and by 1470% in physical terms; at the same time, we are talking about thousands of devices sold. Products with AI illumination belong to more mature categories, so the growth here is more modest — 30 and 45%, respectively. At the same time, the average receipt for all categories is decreasing, which is associated with the increasing availability of such gadgets, the marketplace summarized.
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