At CES in January 2026, two preview chips in the ESP32 family were shown: the ESP32-E22 and the ESP32-H21. This article summarises what technology media reported. Both are preview-level information.
Summary in 3 lines
The ESP32-E22 is an engineering sample of a tri-band Wi-Fi 6E radio co-processor with BLE 5.4. The ESP32-H21 is a 96 MHz RISC-V chip with BLE and 802.15.4 (Zigbee/Thread) aimed at battery-powered devices. Both are previews and specifications may change, so avoid buying or designing around them until final specs are published.
Where this information comes from
This article draws on reports from technology media: CNX Software (published 7 January 2026) and Elektor Magazine (2026, exact publication date unknown), covering the previews shown at CES 2026. To be clear, both parts are preview information. Specifications, naming and availability may change before release, so always check the manufacturer's official documentation.
ESP32-E22: a Wi-Fi 6E radio co-processor
According to the reports, the ESP32-E22 is presented as a tri-band Wi-Fi 6E radio co-processor with BLE 5.4. It is described as an engineering sample. A radio co-processor is a chip that mainly handles wireless communication, rather than serving as the single main brain of a device. We do not speculate on price, production schedule or which boards might use it, because no confirmed information is available.
ESP32-H21: a low-power chip for battery devices
According to the reports, the ESP32-H21 is a RISC-V chip running at 96 MHz with 320 KB of RAM, supporting BLE and 802.15.4, the basis of protocols such as Zigbee and Thread. The stated target is battery-powered devices. This profile suggests a small chip for sensors or switches that need to run for a long time. However, all figures come from the preview stage and may be adjusted before the chip goes on sale.
How to read preview news
Preview news helps show where the market is heading, such as Wi-Fi 6E, newer BLE versions and 802.15.4 networking in IoT devices. But it should not be the basis for a purchase or design decision, because specifications, pricing and availability can differ from what was reported at the show. A safer approach is to wait for the manufacturer's datasheets and development boards that are actually on sale, then evaluate whether they fit the job.
How this relates to TMRX
The TMRX website currently offers several ESP32 board families, including the ESP32 Dev Board TMRX-Ready and the XIAO ESP32C3, ESP32C6 and ESP32S3 Sense, all with clear specifications and documentation. For preview chips such as the E22 and H21, we think they are worth following, but not worth planning a purchase around before real specifications exist. If you are starting a project now, choose from boards that are available today.
Sources
CNX Software — https://www.cnx-software.com/2026/01/07/espressif-systems-showcases-esp32-e22-wi-fi-6e-soc-and-esp32-h21-ble-mcu-for-battery-powered-devices/ — 7 January 2026 Elektor Magazine — https://www.elektormagazine.com/news/new-espressif-microcontrollers-ces-2026 — 2026 (publication date unknown)
