This year’s edition of Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA), Europe’s biggest consumer electronics show, showcased some interesting product announcements and trends that will set new standards across the consumer electronics ecosystem. New product technologies on display at the show held in Berlin from September 2 to 6 included bigger screen size OLED and Mini LED TVs, bigger and better soundbars, foldable laptops and bendable TVs, digital charging cases, and smartwatches with more features, among others.

The chief focus of the show this year revolved around major consumer electronics segments like smartphones, smart TVs, TWS, tablets, home appliances and smartwatches. Big players such as LG, Sony, Lenovo, Huawei, Asus, Jabra, Fitbit and TCL launched new and amazing products at the event to enhance user experiences. We give below the major CIoT announcements at IFA 2022:

Foldable laptops by Asus and Lenovo

Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED

• Asus launched the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED, a foldable laptop that has a 17” screen when expanded and a 12.5” screen when folded.
• The device comes with an Asus ErgoSense Bluetooth keyboard and touchpad to make it easy to work with.
• Once the magnetic keyboard is on screen, you can use it as a regular laptop. When expanded, it can have an expanded tablet.
• The devices are equipped with a 1080p OLED display, 12th generation Intel Core i7 processors, Harman Kardon-certified quad speakers with Dolby Atmos support, Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports.
• Priced at $3,499, the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold is an expensive laptop.
• The laptop will be beneficial for people who travel a lot and need a large screen, or those who work in creative fields. The device can also be used for entertainment, as it supports both Dolby Atmos and Vision.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold 2022

• Lenovo launched the 2022 version of its ThinkPad X1 Fold (review), an upgrade from the 2020 version. The latest version has smaller bezels, a 16.3” screen when unfolded and a 12” screen when folded.
• The folding laptop comes with a 1080p OLED display and has Windows 11 OS.
• The device comes with a detachable keyboard, which when attached turns the device into a 12” laptop.
• The laptop is equipped with 12th-generation Intel Core i7 processors, with up to 1TB of storage and up to 32GB of RAM.
• The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold is priced at $2,499 for the base variant and $2,999 with a keyboard and a pen.

New smartwatches, smart bands and smart glasses from leading brands

Garmin Venu Sq2 and Venu Sq2 Music

• Garmin launched two new smartwatches — Venu Sq2 and Venu Sq2 Music edition.
• Both the smartwatches come with a 1.41” AMOLED screen, Gorilla Glass 3 protection, 5ATM water resistance and support for both Android and iOS.
• They also support contactless payments through Garmin Pay and have smart notifications for text, email and other alerts.
• Both have the Health Snapshot feature which lets users have a two-minute session and record health metrics such as heart rate, heart rate variability, blood oxygen level, respiration, and stress.
• The Venu Sq2 is priced at $249.99, whereas the Venu Sq2 Music is priced at $299.99.
• The Venu Sq2 Music offers built-in storage for offline music playback from streaming services. It can store up to 500 songs.
• Both smartwatches are compact and lightweight. They are among the best in terms of features and come in a low price range.

Huawei Watch D

• Huawei launched the Watch D, already launched for the Chinese market earlier this year.
• The watch comes with IP68 certification, AMOLED display and over 70 sports modes with a battery life of around seven days.
• The Watch D has advanced health monitoring features, such as blood pressure, ECG, skin temperature and blood oxygen tracking.
• The Watch D will be priced at €449 in Europe.
• The Watch D is more expensive than its competitors, but with additional health features, it could stand out.

Fitbit Inspire 3, Versa 4 and Sense 2

• The Fitbit Versa 4 is a smartwatch thinner and lighter than the Versa 3. It also has a tactile button, making it easier to operate. The Versa 4 will have a revamped Fitbit OS with Google Wallet, and Google Maps with turn-by-turn directions. The watch has 40 sports modes, and Sleep Profile to analyze sleep.
• The Fitbit Sense 2 is a lighter and thinner version of the Sense series. It has continuous EDA (cEDA), which measures skin perspiration response and signs of stress, and is used in conjunction with the Heart Rate Sensor.
• The Inspire 3 smart band is Fitbit’s entry-level and lowest-cost device. It has a color display, blood oxygen monitor and Fitbit features such as Active Zone Minutes and sleep tracking, and supports 10 days of battery life.
• It has an improved display and newer features. The mechanical button offers improved functionality. The Inspire 3 will offer more choices to the consumer in the entry-level smart band market.

Amazfit GTR 4, GTS 4 and GTS 4 Mini

• Amazfit launched the GTR 4 and GTS 4 smartwatches.
• The GTR 4 features a 1.43” AMOLED screen, whereas the GTS 4 has a 1.75” AMOLED screen. Both the watches are 5ATM resistant and feature 150+ sports modes.
• Both the smartwatches have a new feature called BioTracker 4.0 optical sensor, which offers improved heart rate tracking, and an upgraded GPS for more accurate route tracking. Besides, they have more than 150 sports modes and can be connected via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
• Both the GTR 4 and GTS 4 are priced at €199.
• Amazfit also launched the GTS 4 Mini, a smaller and cheaper version of the GTS 4. The GTS 4 Mini has a 1.65” AMOLED display, 120+ sports modes, and health and fitness tracking capabilities, such as heart rate and SpO2. The watch is priced at €99.
• The GTR 4 and GTS 4 have a dual-band GPS antenna which improves the route tracking capability. Besides, the two have features like fall detection and offline voice assistant that will attract users.

TCL NXTWEAR S

• TCL launched the NXTWEAR S smart glasses which offer enhanced comfort and conveniences. The smart glasses have a dual 1080p Micro OLED display, front and correction lenses.
• The wheel on the left temple can be used to adjust volume, whereas the one on the right can be used to adjust brightness and 2D/3D mode switch.
• The NXTWEAR S will be available from Q4 2022 in selected regions.

Lenovo Glasses T1

• Lenovo launched the T1 smart glasses, which let users connect devices like PCs, tablets and smartphones with USB C and watch content on a bigger screen. The glasses have a Micro OLED display, swappable noise clips, adjustable arms, and support prescription lenses.
• The glasses have 1920X1080 resolution with a 60Hz refresh rate and are TUV Low Blue Light certified to reduce strain on the eyes. The glasses also have inbuilt speakers.

TWS category saw some interesting launches

Jabra Elite 5

• Jabra launched the Elite 5, a mid-range offering and placed between the Elite 3 and Elite 7 Pro.
• The Elite 5 features hybrid noise cancellation and is powered by the Qualcomm QCC3050 chipset. It also has an IP55 rating, 6mm drivers and support for Google Assistant and Alexa. Other features include the 6-mic call and wind-noise suppression technologies for a better call experience.
• Another interesting feature is Spotify Tap Playback, which allows users to launch Spotify and pick up from where they left off with a single button press.
• The Jabra Elite 5 is priced and £149.

JBL Tour PRO 2

• JBL launched the Tour PRO 2, a TWS with the world’s first charging case having a touchscreen display.
• The case features a 1.45” LED touchscreen to manage music, customize earbuds, receive calls and manage notifications. The TWS features a 10mm driver, ANC and JBL Spatial Sound.
• The Tour PRO 2 comes with a 10mm audio driver and is Bluetooth 5.3 compatible. It lasts 10 hours, and 40 hours with the case.
• The charging case is the first of its kind in the industry. It lets users control most of the functionalities of the case, instead of touching their smartphones.
• The JBP Tour PRO 2 is priced at €249.

Tablets saw new models from leading brands

HONOR Pad 8

• HONOR launched the Pad 8. It has a 12” 2K display and runs on Android 12.
• The tablet is powered by the Snapdragon 680 4G, 7250mAh battery and a Type-C port.
• The device makes it possible to operate phone and tablet on the same screen. The smart multi-view feature allows up to four windows at the same time.

Huawei MatePad Pro 11

• Huawei launched its newest tablet, the MatePad Pro 11. The tablet has an 11” OLED display with120Hz refresh rate and 2560×1600 resolution. It also features Huawei Pencil, Huawei Notes and multitasking.
• The tablet has six speakers and four mics, a dual rear camera with a 13MP main camera and an 8MP wide-angle camera, and a 16MP front camera.
• The MatePad Pro 11 will run on HarmonyOS 3, with a configuration of 8GB RAM and 128GB storage.
• The tablet is priced at €649. Early-bird offers include free Huawei M-Pencil Elegant Edition and a folio cover.

Nokia T21

• Nokia launched its newest tablet, the Nokia T21, at IFA 2022. The tablet has a 10.4” 2K display with a 60Hz refresh rate. It has 128GB of internal storage which can be expanded to 512GB. The rear and front cameras are 8MP.
• The tablet comes with two years of Android updates and three years of security updates.
• The Nokia T21 is a compact size tab that will attract those looking for a smaller-screen device.

Lenovo Tab P11 (2nd Gen) and P11 Pro (2nd Gen)

• Lenovo launched two new tabs at IFA 2022 — P11 (2nd Gen) and P11 Pro (2nd Gen).
• The P11 Pro (2nd Gen) is an 11.2” OLED display tab with 120Hz refresh rate and Dolby Vision support. The P11 Pro comes with a detachable keyboard with a built-in trackpad, and an optional Lenovo Precision Pen 3. The tab has quad JBL speakers and Dolby Atmos.
• The P11 (2nd Gen) is an 11.5” 2K display tab with a 120Hz refresh rate. The tab has quad speakers with Dolby Atmos. Along with the tab are available optional Lenovo Precision Pen 3 and keyboard pack.
• The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro (2nd Gen) is priced at €499, whereas the Lenovo Tab P11 (2nd Gen) is priced at €299.

Smart TVs saw bigger OLED/Mini-LED displays and bendable TVs

LG OLED Flex and LG OLED evo Gallery Edition 97”

• LG launched the OLED Flex, a 42” OLED TV and the world’s first bendable OLED display, which can be bent from a flat to a curved screen using a button on the remote.
• LG is targeting the gaming segment with this TV, as curved screens are more suitable for gaming. The TV has a host of features for gamers, such as Dolby Vision support, 4K resolution with 120Hz refresh rate, variable refresh rate, and ultra-low latency mode.
• LG also launched the world’s first OLED TV with a 97” display. The TV will be a part of its C2 series.

TCL Mini LED TVs

• TCL launched the EISA Premium-awarded Mini LED TV C835 series, a 4K Mini LED TV with Dolby Atmos for an immersive sound experience, and the EISA Best Buy-awarded QLED TV C735 series with 144Hz refresh rate for a better viewing experience.
• TCL also launched the C935 series, a premium Mini LED series with 1,920 local dimming zones and 2.1.2 channel up-firing speakers.
• The company also launched the world’s largest Mini LED TV at 98”.
• The new offerings from TCL will help it to increase its share in the Mini LED segment and offer more choices to consumers.

Toshiba QA5D, UF3D and UK4D

• Toshiba launched QLED TV sets and TVs with Fire TV at IFA 2022.
• The QA5D series is Toshiba’s first QLED TV series, offering better picture quality. The TVs have Toshiba’s TRU Picture Engine technologies, which offer enhanced picture quality. The TVs also have Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision and run on Android.
• The UF3D series is Toshiba’s first with Fire TV in the UK and is ideal for someone who prefers Alexa. The series also has Toshiba’s TRU Picture Engine, Dolby Vision and Atmos.
• The UK4D series is powered by Toshiba’s own operating system, and also comes with Alexa. The series has frameless models. It also supports Toshiba’s TRU Picture Engine and Dolby Atmos and Vision.
• Toshiba also announced that models launched in 2019 would have the TikTok TV app, giving more entertainment choices to the consumers.

Other notable product launches

• Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Chromebook: Lenovo also launched the IdeaPad 5i Chromebook, a 16” Chromebook with 2.5K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, giving a smooth scrolling and video-viewing experience to the user.
• TECNO Megabook T1: TECNO launched its first laptop at IFA 2022, the Megabook T1. It is an ultra-thin laptop that is 14.8 mm thick with a 15.6” display and weighs 1.48 kg. The entire body is made of aluminum and has a fingerprint sensor over the power button. The device has a 70wh battery supporting up to 17.5 hours, and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity.
• LG launched the MoodUP refrigerator with color-changing LED door panels. With the LG ThinQ app, users can choose from 22 colors for the upper door panel and 19 colors for the lower door panel. The refrigerator also has a Bluetooth speaker.
• B&O launched the Beosound Theatre soundbar. It has 12 drivers and 800W of power and supports 7.1.4 Channel Dolby Atmos. The Beosound Theatre has a new three-dimensional sound directivity, which is a combination of direct, side- and up-firing speakers. Besides, the soundbar can be wall-mounted or floor-standing.
• JBL launched the Bar 1000, a 7.1.4 Channel Dolby Atmos-supported soundbar and wireless subwoofer. The Bar 1000 has two battery-powered detachable speakers which work in concert with four upward-firing speakers attached to the sound system.
• Sennheiser unveiled the AMBEO Soundbar Plus, a compact and affordable version of the AMBEO Soundbar Max. It is a 7.1.4 Channel system, has nine drivers, with two upward-firing ones, and supports Dolby Atmos.

Conclusion

The focus of the tech companies was on improving customer experience. The new products offer various new features, such as bendable and foldable displays in TVs and laptops, enhanced health trackers in smartwatches, expanding choices in tablets and Chromebook, and a better audio experience with new soundbars. Home appliances are becoming more connected, and visually appealing to soothe the people and the environment.

In the wearables segment, there has been an increased focus on health-related aspects. The new launches in smartwatches and smart bands at IFA 2022 bring more health-related features. Also, the inclusion of new AI capabilities to measure health more accurately in real-time is likely to provide a boost to this segment.

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