Annually, a few of the greatest names in know-how, media, movie, TV, and music head to downtown Austin for SXSW. They collect to speak in regards to the future, image what it could carry, and ask how quickly that future might arrive. SXSW 2026 offers you a spot to satisfy, carry out, join, and share concepts.
Music pulls me in first. I battle to call one other competition the place 1000’s of artists play exhibits throughout a whole metropolis. Nonetheless, my tech at SXSW 2026 information goals to indicate that know-how stands by itself right here. From Rivian to MKBHD and Nothing, there may be loads of content material to discover.
Electrical SUV: Rivian R2
Rivian has teased the R2 for fairly a while. The corporate presents it as a smaller and extra attainable model of the well-loved R1S. From what I’ve learn, the R1S feels intuitive to drive and provides a cabin with house and luxury, even if you happen to place a few youngsters within the third row. That observe document units excessive expectations for the Rivian R2.
The R2 begins at $48,490 for the bottom Normal trim and rises to $57,990 for the Efficiency trim with the Launch Package deal. That worth nonetheless calls for a stable price range, but the specs make a powerful case. The SUV can ship as much as 656 horsepower and attain 0–60 mph in 3.6 seconds. Freeway acceleration from 50–70 mph can take as little as 1.55 seconds. These numbers might tempt drivers who need sturdy efficiency with on a regular basis use.
I control how automakers use AI, and the trade appears to face at a turning level. Many individuals assume AI in automobiles means self-driving autos. The bigger influence occurs behind the scenes.
The R2 makes use of an AI-ready structure that mixes 5G-connected processing with offline functionality and tactile {hardware}. Rivian positioned haptic dials on the redesigned steering wheel. These massive scroll wheels allow you to alter quantity, fan pace, and temperature whereas your eyes keep on the path.
Some new automobiles place each management on a contact display screen. Easy duties, resembling reducing the fan pace, might require a number of menu steps whereas the display screen responds. That design feels unusual to me. Automakers warn drivers about telephone use, but many automobiles place massive tablets on the dashboard. Rivian retains bodily controls inside attain, so yow will discover a button by contact and hold your give attention to the street.
Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast Stay
Marques Brownlee is among the many greatest tech reviewers on the earth. His channel, MKBHD, has greater than 20 million subscribers. Viewers tune in for detailed video critiques of the newest know-how and devices. After I watch for a brand new product to ship to my dwelling nation, Armenia, I typically test his movies first to get an preliminary impression.
Within the Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast Stay, Brownlee and co-hosts Andrew Manganelli and David Imel dive into many matters. Count on discussions about Apple units, the HONOR Robotic Telephone, and privateness considerations round Ray-Ban Meta glasses.
Featured Session: A Dialog with Nothing’s CEO and Co-Founder Carl Pei
Nothing Telephone (4a) Professional
True-blood midranger with 140x extremely zoom
Carl Pei began Nothing in 2020 with the aim of constructing client know-how much less monotonous. He argues that smartphones have change into boring, with small enhancements in batteries, screens, and cameras. I can see how the Nothing crew responds to that problem.
I like the commercial design of Nothing telephones. After I first noticed press pictures of the first-generation Nothing Telephone, the design seemed uncommon and unfamiliar. Over time, I grew to understand it. The London-based firm now releases a few of the best-looking telephones I’ve seen. If you wish to be taught the place Nothing is heading, be part of Carl Pei on the JW Marriott, Salon 6–8 on March 18.
Associated: Nothing Telephone (4a) Professional vs. Google Pixel 10a: Which midrange telephone wins for you?
Carl will mirror on how the buyer know-how trade grew to become closed and predictable, and why the following period requires a distinct mindset. He’ll share his perspective on main shifts throughout the trade, together with the rise of AI-native {hardware} and the function AI now performs within the product expertise. The dialog may also cowl Nothing’s subsequent chapter, from its continued push into audio to the model’s increasing retail presence with new shops deliberate throughout New York Metropolis, Tokyo, London, and India.
What’s subsequent
The 2026 South by Southwest (SXSW) Convention & Festivals takes place from Thursday, March 12 to Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Austin, Texas. This yr, all main parts—Music, Movie & TV, and Innovation—run concurrently over the seven-day interval.
Parting ideas
SXSW at all times leaves me with a way that the longer term sits nearer than we expect. As I look throughout all the pieces at SXSW 2026—from Rivian’s subsequent electrical SUV to know-how conversations on stage—I see an occasion that mixes creativeness with actual merchandise.
I get pleasure from how the competition blends large concepts, design, and efficiency throughout your complete metropolis. While you stroll via Austin throughout SXSW, you’ll be able to transfer from a live performance to a tech speak and really feel the identical inventive vitality in each areas. When you attend, it’s possible you’ll depart with recent concepts, new inspiration, and a clearer view of the place know-how might head subsequent. For me, that blend of curiosity, dialogue, and discovery makes SXSW some of the thrilling occasions of the yr.
Grigor Baklajyan is a copywriter overlaying know-how at Gadget Circulate. His contributions embody product critiques, shopping for guides, how-to articles, and extra.
