Our eight best new features to remember from IFA 2023
IFA 2023 was calmer than previous editions, it must be said. But that didn’t stop us from unearthing some truly stunning new products.
The IFA, the annual high mass of electronics, has just closed its doors. For those who followed the event closely or from afar, this 2023 edition offered a palette of contrasting feelings. From the usual greatness to the surprising absence of certain giants, including the unavoidable rise of Chinese brands, let’s look back at the strong and weak moments of this edition.
Before we dive in, let’s put the IFA in context. This Berlin event is one of the largest global gatherings dedicated to electronics. Every year, almost 200,000 visitors, including professionals, journalists and curious members of the general public, crowd the aisles to discover the latest innovations in TVs, PCs, connected home technologies, batteries, electric bikes, smartphones, tablets And the list continues. It is a true temple dedicated to technology.
Noticeable absences and a rise in Chinese power
The first thing that strikes you during this 2023 edition is the absence of certain heavyweights in the sector. Sony, a historic player and always eagerly awaited, had, for the first time, no stand. A silence that did not go unnoticed. In the same spirit, LG Electronics, although present, had not deployed any French spokesperson on site. And what about the total absence of Huawei, another titan of electronics?
However, where some see empty space, others see opportunity. Chinese brands, in particular, have seized this opportunity. Honor has, for example, occupied a prominent place, strengthening its presence and visibility. And he wasn’t the only one: many Chinese brands, some already recognized and others looking to make a name for themselves, were present in force.
A 2023 vintage without major revelations
If the IFA is generally an opportunity to discover innovative products in preview, this year, the majority of the announcements turned out to be a repetition. Many products had already been presented during CES 2023 or MWC 2023. But technology enthusiasts rest assured, a few surprises still brightened up the event.
Xgimi Horizon Ultra
The Horizon Ultra, with its elegant design and advanced features, has captured our attention. Equipped with an Android TV 11 system, this 4K video projector offers native Ultra HD definition, made possible thanks to “wobulation” technology.
But the Horizon Ultra doesn’t stop there. Compatible with Dolby Vision, the projector promises surgically precise colors with an impressive 95% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space. To achieve this, Xgimi cleverly combines an LED light source and a laser source, thus achieving a light output of 2,300 ANSI lumens.
Honor Magic V2 and V Purse
With the notable absence of major smartphone brands, Honor had free rein. The Chinese manufacturer presented its new folding smartphone, the Honor Magic V2. Its main advantage: its thinness of 4.7 mm when unfolded.
The Shenzhen giant also presented a concept smartphone, the Honor Magic V Purse. As the name suggests, this is a folding smartphone that aims to mimic a handbag.
Air conduction
The IFA invented air conduction. It’s a revolution (no). Jokes aside, Shokz and JBL have given pride of place to new headphones incorporating small speakers at the entrance to the ear canal.
But what’s the point? In the case of the Shokz OpenRun Pro, this allows bass to be provided over bone conduction. For JBL Soundgear Sense headphones, it’s more about not being too harsh on users’ ears.
Lenovo Legion Go
Imagine a Steam Deck on which you could detach the controllers. This is what the Lenovo Legion Go offers. Under the hood, it is very similar to an Asus ROG Ally, but also has a QHD+ screen.
The right controller can be detached to serve as a mouse and everything runs under Windows 11.
LG StandbyME Go
Go products are definitely popular! LG brought back to IFA… a suitcase. And in this suitcase, we find a television, LG obliges. Its name, the StandbyME Go. It is a 27-inch Full HD+ 60 Hz screen with a battery life of 3 hours.
The concept targets two categories of people: die-hard campers and pros who want to achieve a demonstrative effect.
Urbanist
Urbanista is a Swedish audio product brand that quickly positioned itself as “green”. She already has to her credit closed headphones (Los Angeles) and true wireless headphones (Phoenix) which are recharged by solar panels. The company comes full circle with the Malibu, its first portable speaker based on the same principle.
As you might expect, it charges using solar panels placed on its upper side (a USB-C port is still present). According to the manufacturer, it offers a battery life of around 30 hours, which can reach 45 hours when exposed to the sun or a strong light source. It is IP67 certified, so whether it falls into the water or finds itself buried under the sand on a beach, it should remain functional. It is announced for September at a price of 169 euros.
SwitchBot K10+
SwitchBot has made a big impact with its S10, a robot vacuum cleaner with three different bases. The manufacturer is once again standing out with the K10+, a robot vacuum cleaner dedicated to small spaces. Thus, it promises the same intelligence as the best products on the market, but concentrated in a robot the size of a large dinner plate, a good twenty centimeters in diameter, compared to 35 to 40 cm for classic products.
It also comes with a very reasonably sized self-draining base and you can wash the floors by adding a disposable wet wipe, which will be moistened during the cleaning cycle by the water tank integrated into the robot. The mop stores in the cover of its base and its installation is very simple. If you’ve given up on the idea of a robot vacuum cleaner because your home is too small, you may have your savior here. All that remains is to wait to find out its price and availability, announced without further details for the end of the year.
Unistellar
Observing the stars is a passion that requires a certain technical mastery and observation conditions. A pleasure that many refuse in the face of the difficulty of setting up. The manufacturer of digital telescopes Unistellar is changing the situation with its eQuinox 2 and the eVscope 2. The first is designed to promote observation in an urban environment and the second promises a unique immersion. Both control each other via your smartphone or tablet (iOS and Android), you point on a sky map what you want to observe and the telescope will automatically position itself. The display is then done on your smartphone or tablet and you can learn a lot about the astral bodies that you will discover or admire.
eVscope 2 owners will also be able to admire the stars through an optical eyepiece as with a traditional telescope. During this IFA, the Marseille manufacturer took the opportunity to present a filter dedicated to observation in broad daylight, and even that of the sun. We remind you that the latter must never be observed directly with the eyes at the risk of burning your retina… All this has a price: 2499 euros for the eQuinox 2 and 4499 euros for the eVscope 2. The Smart Solar Filter is available for pre-order at price of 248 euros.
