This year, IFA (International Funkausstellung or “radio exhibition”) celebrated its 100th year, a truly remarkable milestone. Attending the show this year felt like the biggest return of “Europe’s biggest tech show” since 2019, brimming with exciting announcements and cutting-edge products. We ventured to Berlin to witness the spectacle firsthand and were astonished by the wave of innovation – AI being the central theme, as expected. From experimental laptops to revolutionary smart home devices, here’s a look at the most captivating tech we encountered at IFA 2024.
Honor Magic V3
IFA 2024 didn’t shower us with an abundance of new smartphones, but the star of the show, the Honor Magic V3, was an exciting revelation in itself. It’s one of many foldable phones launched in 2024, but it effortlessly stands out as one of the most captivating. The reason? It seamlessly blends form and function, transcending the typical ‘folding phone’ experience. The Honor Magic V3 measures a mere 9.2mm thick when closed and weighs 226 grams. It’s no thicker than the iPhone 16 Pro Max and even lighter than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. This makes the Magic V3 exceptionally comfortable to hold and use compared to other foldables. Despite its slim and lightweight design, you still enjoy a spacious 7.92-inch display on the inside, ideal for gaming, watching movies, and more. It’s an exceptional engineering feat, undoubtedly one of the most visually striking foldables we’ve seen all year.
Lenovo Auto Twist AI PC
This one is a testament to the power of imagination and a demonstration of Lenovo’s unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of laptop technology. The Lenovo Auto Twist AI PC boasts a rotating hinge that allows the screen to swivel almost 180 degrees, a feat made even more remarkable by its hands-free capabilities. This is where the “AI” in its name comes into play. With a simple voice command, the Lenovo Auto Twist can open or close its lid, as well as transition into tablet mode. One of its most practical features is the screen’s ability to follow you as you move around, perfect for presentations. I was pleasantly surprised by how flawlessly the voice activation and face-tracking worked, especially considering its experimental nature. It felt far more like a viable product than you’d anticipate. The Lenovo Auto Twist AI PC echoes Lenovo’s long-standing tradition of exploring new laptop technologies with a spirit of adventure.
Roborock Qrevo Curv
Roborock unveiled the Qrevo Curv at IFA 2024, a powerful new robot vacuum making significant strides towards becoming a truly maintenance-free device. It includes all the usual features – a robust docking station, enhanced suction, and a sleek new design – but the real game-changer is its innovative vacuuming system. The main roller brush is now divided into two smaller units that work together to guide hair and other debris into a central gap. This system, called the DuoDivide Main Brush, is said to achieve a 100% hair removal rate. The same holds true for the new FlexiArm Side Brush. This device swings outward to collect hair near baseboards and furniture. Equipped with asymmetrical bristles and a new rubber stopper design, it results in a 0% hair tangling rate. Throw in a powerful motor capable of clearing thresholds up to 4 centimeters, wheels that elevate up to 10 millimeters for efficient performance on thick rugs, and an impressive 18,500Pa of suction, and you have a robot vacuum that truly stands out from the crowd. We’ll be conducting a full review in the coming months, so stay tuned for our comprehensive analysis.
Intel Core Ultra Series 2
The stakes were incredibly high for Intel entering IFA. With fierce competition and ongoing industry turmoil, Intel needed a victory, especially in the eyes of its peers. From what we’ve seen, Intel Lunar Lake (also known as Core Ultra Series 2) might just be that win. The driving force behind these new laptop chips is efficiency – and there’s a compelling reason for that. Intel is being forced to compete directly with Arm chips for the first time, due to the remarkable success of Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X chips. Core Ultra Series 2 tackles this head-on, promising a 50% improvement in performance-per-watt in the Performance cores and a generational improvement of 20% to 80% from the Efficiency cores. This should theoretically lead to significantly faster and more efficient performance, as well as significantly extended battery life in laptops. The fascinating twist is that these chips are actually manufactured by Intel’s rival, TSMC, the same company behind Qualcomm and Apple’s Arm chips. Intel Core Ultra Series 2’s secret weapon, however, could very well be its integrated graphics. Built on Intel Xe2, these graphics could be gaming-ready for the first time ever, which could have exciting implications for gaming on both laptops and handheld devices like the upcoming MSI Claw 8 AI+.
DJI Neo
The drone market has always had a problem. Decent drones are prohibitively expensive, and the cheaper options aren’t worth your investment. The DJI Neo has emerged to break this trend and from what we’ve seen, it does so spectacularly. This drone is priced at just $200, despite being able to capture 4K 30 fps video, launch from your palm, and even track your location using AI. It’s also remarkably compact. It weighs just 0.3 pounds – almost half the weight of the DJI Mini 4 Pro. This is achieved despite having a 1425mAh battery inside, which DJI claims translates to 18 minutes of flight time. This is undoubtedly the biggest compromise with this device, but for casual users, it might be more than enough. While it comes with a controller, you can even use the DJI app on your phone for navigation or have it follow you hands-free. It’s an exciting release expanding the market to a new demographic, making it affordable enough to become a holiday hit later this year.
Acer Project DualPlay
Acer brought a concept product to IFA 2024 that aims to bring a crucial aspect of console gaming to the world of gaming laptops: local multiplayer. The concept is straightforward: Project DualPlay is a robust gaming laptop that cleverly conceals a large game controller within the laptop’s touchpad in the device’s chassis. Once released, you can even split the controller in two for multiplayer gaming, taking inspiration from the Nintendo Switch. It’s a genuinely fun idea, and I personally enjoyed a round of Street Fighter 6 using just half the controller. The controller is wireless and charges inside the laptop. While there will undoubtedly be a compromise in battery size within the laptop, it’s a fantastically geeky idea for a product that received thunderous applause at the press conference. We’ll have to wait and see how (and if) it translates into a real product, but it’s ideas like these that continue to fuel the vibrant world of PC gaming, brimming with innovation and endless possibilities.
