For the Latest in Tech Trends, Follow MakeUseOf’s IFA Coverage (Sep 4-8)

IFA is Europe’s equivalent to CES in Las Vegas. MakeUseOf will report from the Berlin-based consumer electronics show from September 4 to 8. You can expect to see new TVs, laptops, headphones, smartphones, drones, and smart home products.

What Is IFA?

Originally launched in Berlin, Germany in 1924, IFA (Internationale Funkausstellung; international radio exhibit) is one of the world’s first technology exhibitions and Europe’s biggest trade show today. Every year, IFA presents the latest consumer technology, including product launches from leading electronics brands.

Unlike CES, IFA is open to the public. You’ll see a diverse audience roaming the show floors. Like other exhibitions, IFA forbids the sale of products during the show. It’s a family friendly technology show with a fair-like atmosphere. And it’s settled in Germany’s political and cultural capital.

If you’ve always wanted to attend CES but never got in, give IFA a shot.

What Will MakeUseOf Cover at IFA?

This year, MakeUseOf is sending James Bruce, Ian Buckley, Joe Coburn, James Frew, Tina Sieber, and Kannon Yamada to report from IFA. As members of the press, we get early access to the convention and will start reporting on September 4.

You can expect us to visit and report from the following exhibitions:

• Home & Entertainment Electronics
  Traditionally, LG Electronics, Samsung, and Sony occupy entire halls at IFA, and we’ll be sure to pay them a visit.
• Audio Entertainment
  The audio brands exhibiting at IFA include Audio-Technica, Pioneer, and Sennheiser, to name a few. Bose is not represented, this year.
• My Media
  The halls dedicated to media will include booths of Acer, Asus, DJI, Lenovo, Logitech, Microsoft, and Razer.
• Communication
  Amongst a selection of lesser known European companies, we’ll definitely check out Huawei.
• IFA NEXT
  This is IFA’s segment for innovative products and start-ups. We’ll explore the latest robots, drones, and other novelties.
• Home Appliances
  We don’t typically cover white goods at MakeUseOf, but this year we’ll explore how home appliances are tying into smart home systems.

One brand consistently skipping shows like CES and IFA is Apple. While they’re not exhibiting, we expect their omnipresence, along with Google and Amazon (Alexa).

Apart from the brands mentioned above, we’ll keep our ears open and our eyes peeled for exciting announcements, puzzling features, and cool gadgets. Bookmark this article or our IFA coverage page and check back between September 4 to 8 to see the best new products we’ve discovered at IFA.

Read the full article: For the Latest in Tech Trends, Follow MakeUseOf’s IFA Coverage (Sep 4-8)