Newer trade shows have given it a run for its money, but the annual Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) show in Berlin is still soldiering on and far from forgotten. The best tech companies in the world turned up in Germany on August 31 to display their latest offerings, and we’ve picked out a few worth talking about.
Displays: 8K is on the horizon
Even as we grapple with the idea of getting a 4K TV, LG and Samsung have gone ahead and showcased the future at IFA. Building off the 8K panel they displayed at CES. LG showed off a massive 88-inch 8K OLED TV, though the company did not comment further on pricing and availability.
Samsung went one better with its Q900R, an 8K TV that will be available in sizes ranging from 65 to 85 inches and supports HDR10+ and HLG HDR formats. The company also claims the TV can upscale content to match the TV’s resolution, thanks to ‘AI upscaling’. The best part is it is actually going on sale (in the USA at least) this year.
Mobiles: Sony Xperia XZ3 unveiled, and audio gets a boost
IFA is not known for high-profile mobile phone launches, but Sony has always loved the venue. This year, it took the wraps off its new Xperia XZ3, which brings a new design language and more AI smarts to the camera to shoot ‘portrait mode’ images with one lens. It also takes a leaf out of Samsung’s book and avoids a notch by using an OLED panel with a curved edge, with said edge supporting gestures for navigating the UI.
Special Arrangement
In other news, Qualcomm and Huawei took things forward on the technology front. Qualcomm introduced the AptX Adaptive codec for superior audio playback over Bluetooth (let’s face it, that headphone jack is not coming back), by allowing the phone to stream audio at variable bitrates, depending on the environment or the app it is playing audio from. This functionality should be baked into the upcoming Android Pie, and headphones supporting the tech are around the corner.
Huawei introduced its Kirin 980 processor, the world’s first 7nm chip, with two integrated neural processing engines to make its AI skills that much quicker.
Laptops: Touch is in
Two of the most talked about laptops at IFA were the Asus ZenBook Pro series and the Lenovo Yoga Book C930. The ultra-sleek ZenBook Pro 14 and 15 get a touch-enabled screen where the trackpad is, that can be used for media control, smartphone mirroring and for the odd digital signature. The Yoga Book meanwhile, brings backs the full-touch keyboard with the help of E-Ink tech, which allows for useful tricks like getting the trackpad out of the way when not required, and even allows users to read PDFs, like on an e-reader.
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Everything else: The weird and the wonderful
LG SuitBot
LG did not stop with the TV. They also unveiled the SuitBot, which sounds like something out of a Japanese animé. The bot is essentially an exoskeleton designed to enhance the wearer’s leg movements, allowing for factory personnel to lift loads with ease, for example. The SuitBot also has applications in medicine, and can also link up with other robots being developed by the company for various purposes.
Special Arrangement
Nubia Alpha
Nubia showed off its Red Magic gaming-oriented smartphone, which is said to be coming to India, but also got eyeballs for the Alpha, a hybrid wearable that tries to blur the lines between the smartphone and the smartwatch. It is still a very early proof of concept, but it’s good to see innovation still happening.
Acer Predator Thronos
Acer brought a heap of upgrades to its gaming line-up, but nothing caught the eye quite like the Thronos, a five-foot-tall Frankenstein gaming hub that can house a person in its depths and give them access to three-curved 27-inch displays, while they sit on a motorised chair that can tilt up to 140 degrees. When the robot exoskeletons rise up to overthrow us, this is a throne worth fighting for.
