After a two-year Covid hiatus, IFA 2022, Europe’s answer to CES in the US and the continent’s largest technology show for consumer electronics, was finally back live and in-person — and we were there to take it all in. The event, which takes place every September in Berlin, Germany, ran from Sept. 2 to Sept. 6, and welcomed over 1,100 brands from 46 countries showing off the latest technologies and innovations.
This includes some of the biggest names in the industry, like LG, Samsung, Lenovo, Asus and Huawei, and we took our time to explore over 20 halls filled with everything from kitchen appliances to smart home technology to bendable OLED displays.
It’s a tough job but someone has to do it. And though there were plenty of fascinating products and trends which caught our attention on the IFA 2022 show floor, here are the best ones that should be coming to the US in the near future.
A flat screen may be the perfect vessel for watching TV, but a curved screen can offer a more immersive experience when gaming. Luckily, LG’s newest innovation covers it all.
The Korean giant showed off the futuristic OLED Flex TV, a bendable 42-inch OLED screen that starts out completely flat for watching content, and uses two motorized arms to curve inward in five percent increments. This gives you 20 levels of curve to choose from when you’re gaming with a maximum curve of 900R.
And because the LX3 was designed with gamers in mind, it also includes Dolby Vision gaming at 4K and a rapid 120Hz refresh rate, as well as built-in support for Dolby Atmos and two front-firing 40W speakers.
Lenovo’s redesigned ThinkPad X1 Fold turns a 16-inch display into a 12-inch laptop and it folded down small enough to fit into my shoulder bag. This is the 2nd gen X1 Fold, dramatically improving on the foldable laptop that was first introduced at CES in 2020. It has a larger 16.3-inch display, a more streamlined design and updated powerful specs. The 2024 x 2560 OLED display with HDR mode looks eye-poppingly beautiful whether you’re using it as a large tablet, a traditional clamshell laptop or with the optional stand and keyboard as an all-in-one computer.
Fitbit debuted its new line of health and fitness smartwatches. The health-focused Fitbit Sense 2 is getting a continuous EDA (cEDA) or continuous electrodermal activity sensor for all-day stress management, as well as an ECG app that analyzes your heart rhythm. There are also some design improvements like a physical button on the side and a slimmer overall look, as well as 6-day battery life. The software now seems closer to Google’s Wear OS UI, which makes sense since Fitbit is now owned by Google.
The less expensive Fitbit Inspire 3 tracker gets a brighter AMOLED display, 10 days of battery life, comes in fun new colors and is more affordable at $99. Both devices work with both iOS and Android.
Finally! Ring is bringing the smarts of its popular video doorbell to apartment dwellers in the form of a new apartment intercom. Although it only offers audio, Ring Intercom simply attaches to the existing intercom inside an apartment, so you can answer the front door and buzz someone in from your phone – wherever you are. It’s set to launch in Europe first, with global markets to follow.
The Garmin Venu Sq 2 smartwatch is a stylish redesign of the company’s original Venu Sq with a slightly larger and brighter 1.4-inch AMOLED screen. This new fitness tracker also boasts an 11-day battery life, almost double the previous six hours, which is a whole lot of battery for a smartwatch with built-in GPS, 25 sports modes and health tracking features. The included Health Snapshot records several health-related metrics during a two-minute period including pulse ox, respiration and heart rate.
We also like the (slightly more expensive) Music version, which can store up to 500 songs on the watch — so no phone is needed for listening to tunes while you exercise or run.
Withings Body Comp
The Withings Body Comp scale adds even more features to the already impressive lineup of body assessment metrics of the Body Cardio version.
While it looks identical to the Body Cardio, additional sensors in the Body Comp deliver new data which include a Nerve Health Score (taken by analyzing sweat glands in the feet) and the ability to measure visceral fat, in addition to the existing muscle mass, fat mass, bone mass and of course, your overall weight. The metrics are designed to help users monitor and understand their risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases like heart attack, stroke and diabetes. Withings’ latest smart scale is set to launch on Oct. 4.
In a bizarre and enlightening move, LG has lined its latest refrigerator with LED light panels that can change the top, bottom, right and left quadrants different colors on command through an app. Make a statement or just change shades to match your menu — anything is possible with this smart kitchen appliance. And as an added bonus, the built-in Bluetooth speaker syncs with your devices and lights up the panels to the beat of your music.
While we await the arrival of the long-rumored AI Apple Glasses, Lenovo one-upped them with its T1 glasses. Coming out sometime this year, the Lenovo glasses have built-in speakers and connect to a PC or mobile device via a USB-C port. Content from your device is displayed in the glasses, making it seem like you’re viewing texts, emails and videos on a huge HD OLED screen. You can play video games or watch movies and feel like you’re in the theater without leaving home. Lenovo is targeting China first and will bring the T1 glasses to other markets in 2023.
Until now, Eve Home’s smart products have only been compatible with Apple HomeKit products. Yet, as we’ve seen when other brands’ smart home devices work only with Google Home, Amazon’s Alexa or Samsung, all those different standards tend to lead to confusion.
At IFA 2022, Eve Home announced it will support the upcoming Matter standard, meaning its products will soon work with devices from other ecosystems. Matter is a new smart home connectivity standard that’s been in the works for a few years. The main players include the big tech companies, Apple, Samsung, Google and Amazon, which are working to find a single standard that allows different devices and ecosystems to talk to each other. Once it rolls out, hopefully at the end of this year, companies can apply for Matter certification which is great news for consumers who will have a much easier time getting their devices to work together. For instance, Eve Home’s smart products, like the popular MotionBlinds, smart switches, sensors and plugs, will work as easily with a Google Assistant or Amazon device as it does with Apple’s HomeKit.
With energy prices on the rise worldwide, and power outages from natural disasters caused by climate change, there was lots of talk about renewable energy and conserving resources. Solar power and generators were everywhere at IFA 2022, with companies like Ecoflow and Jackery showing off portable power stations and portable solar panels. Jackery’s Solar Generator 1000 Pro is a high-capacity 100W USB-C unit that runs on 230V AC power. When attached to four 200W solar panels, it will fully charge in 1.8 hours. While it’s ideal for camping or long road trips, energy-conscious consumers and those who live in areas with extreme weather will also find the solar generators provide much peace of mind.
EcoFlow debuted its Delta 2 power station which has an 1800W AC output and can be recharged to 80% in under an hour, and can also be charged via optional solar panels.
