Europe’s biggest tech show Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin, more commonly known as IFA, is currently underway and already many new gadgets have hit the headlines. Here are some of the best electronics that have been revealed so far:
Best Phone: Huawei Mate S
Although there have been a lot of phones revealed at IFA this year, including the ZTE Nubia Z9, the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium and the Gigaset Me, the Huawei Mate S appears to be getting the most attention. Instead of adding the same old pointless gimmicks, Huawei have actually used their technology to remedy problems that many people have. For instance, the Mate S has spectacular low-light camera function, an accurate fingerprint sensor, a 128GB model and impressive call quality selections.
Best Desktop: Acer Revo Build
For decades, most PC users have had to make the difficult choice between closed machines like Apple Macs, upgradable equipment that requires a lot of knowhow and messy clusters of USB wires sticking out everywhere to connect your gear. Using the Acer Revo Build you can upgrade your desktop simply by magnetically clipping extra components to the top of the hardware, these include hard drives and an impressive external graphics card. Using this innovative machine, even those new to the world of computers will be able to upgrade with ease.
Best Laptop: Toshiba Satellite Radius 12
This 12.5-inch, 2.9-pound notebook cannot only be transformed into a tablet, but also has the highest density display ever seen on a laptop. The 3,840×2,160 resolution screen at 363ppi is also smaller than 4K laptop displays, with Dell’s XPS 4K option weighing in at 3,200×1,800 at 13.3-inches. The Satellite Radius 12 is powered by a brand new Intel Skylake processor and features two regular ports, as well as one USB-C 3.1 port.
Best Smartwatch: Samsung Gear S2
Although the Huawei Watch may be pretty and the 23-karat LG Urbane is a luxurious gadget, Samsung’s Gear S2 comes out on top as it actually functions. Whilst many smartwatches have significant interface issues, the Gear S2 has intuitive UI, including rotating the bezel and featuring dependable Home and Back buttons.
Best HDTV: Panasonic CZ950
LG has spent the last few years at the top of HDTV innovation after the reveal of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) HDTVs, but this year Panasonic have really stepped up to the plate. Their CZ950, a UHD OLED television, may even outrun the LG EG9600 in the future.
Best Home Gadget: Samsung SmartThings Hub
Having recently acquired SmartThings, Samsung have revealed their first collaboration. The new Samsung SmartThings Hub is similar to the pre-Samsung Hub in that it supports Zigbee and Z Wave connected devices, however it is now significantly smaller and sleeker. The new design also features a back-up battery which can last for ten hours without power and can stay connected to partucular functions without Internet. You can use the new Samsung SmartThings app on iOS or Android, with Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Gear S2 smartwatch apps promised in the near future. These apps are also impressive within themselves, particularly the Home Monitor that collaborates with several new Samsung SmartThings sensors.
Best Camera: Ricoh Theta S
Like the original Theta, the S captures the entire world around it from an exclusive spherical viewpoint. The improved f/2 lenses, larger image sensors and 30fps 1080p video capture options make the Ricoh Theta S an incredible device, and with Google Street View and Youtube integration now installed you can share your images and video with everyone.
Best Tablet: Lenovo Miix 700
Although the Lenovo Yoga 3 features built-in projectors, it’s the Lenovo Miix 700 that’s the real winner. With Intel’s Skylake processor, a 2,160×1,440 screen and 3D camera enabled for 3D scanning, the Miix 700 is sure to be a popular choice.
Best Monitor: Acer Predator Z35
With built-in 9-watt speakers and a USB 3 hub, this 35-inch gaming monitor with 2000R curve uses Nvidia’s G-Sync tech and overclocks to 200Hz to ensure you have one hell of a gaming experience.
Best Home Entertainment: Ultra HD Blu-Ray
Samsung revealed the new Ultra HD Blu-Ray to a chorus of relief-laden sighs. Finally, we have a universal physical medium for 4K content, or at least we will once the Ultra HD Blu-Ray is out of the prototype stage. This device ensures that UHD and HDR movies can be distributed on discs, which will save us all a lot of money spent on streaming.
Best Audio: JBL Everest 700 Elite
We’ve all seen the ear buds that mold to the contours of your ear, but now Harman’s has revealed the JBL Everest 700 Elite, over-ear Bluetooth headphones that adjust to your ears. Using TruNote the headphones emit an ultrasonic pulse that detects distortions in your ear canals and transforms the audio accordingly.
Best Gaming: Computerspiele Museum
IFA isn’t really a gaming convention, although some companies come along to share some accessories, hardware or systems occasionally, but that’s about as game-y as this place gets. That said, the brand new Video Game Museum Of Berlin is a definite attraction for any gamers feeling let down to go and visit. Densely packed with fifty years of gaming history, Computerspiele Museum more than makes up for IFAs lack of interest in video games.
