Turning heads. All eyes on IFA 2024!

Marking its centenary year, IFA Berlin 2024 drew its curtains yesterday. Showcasing tech over a hundred years is no small feat. This year too, the expo showcased numerous products that nod to what our future looks like, when it comes to personal gadgets. While the expo showcases diverse brands and gadgets, we’ve hand-picked those that are more likely to be launched in India, and hence hold more relevance for our readers.

Smartphones & tablets

The Honor Magic V3 stole the show at IFA Berlin this year in its category. The super-lightweight foldable weighs only 226 grams. For comparison, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold weighs 257 grams. The device is super slim with 9.2 mm thickness when folded and 4.4 mm when open. It runs on Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, offers 12 GB RAM and a sizeable 5150 mAh battery.

Laptops

The new HP OmniBook Ultra Flip foldable PC sports a 14-inch OLED display in a convertible touch-based form factor. Weighing just under 1.4 kg, the device’s display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass and can be pushed back on a 360-degree hinge to use as a tablet.

HP OmniBook Ultra Flip

There’s also the Honor MagicBook Art 14, powered by the new Snapdragon X Elite chipset. With a 14.6-inch FullView 3K touch display, the laptop weighs only 1 kg. It also comes with inbuilt AI Deepfake detection. The technology is said to use complex algorithms to help users “accurately identify manipulated content, distinguishing between genuine media and deceptive alterations”.

Honor Magic V3

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition is super-portable at less than 1 kg with a 14-inch display. Created in a multi-year collaboration with Intel, it has a suite of smart features. There’s ‘Shield’ for privacy alert and privacy guard to help protect against unwanted snooping, and automatic launch of preferred VPN application upon connecting to any public Wi-Fi network. ‘Attention’ helps reduce distractions and prioritise focus on the task at hand by allowing users to set attention timers and silence notifications. ‘Collaboration’ enhances virtual meeting experiences by optimising video performance and preset preferred settings, such as background blur or low light enhancer. ‘Wellness’ focuses on digital health with posture alerts and reduces eye fatigue by reminding users to take breaks.

Gaming

Acer Nitro Blaze 7

Handheld gaming consoles are in! The new Acer Nitro Blaze 7 sports a 7-inch 1080p IPS display and joins the niche league of handheld consoles launched this year. Built with an AMD Ryzen 7 processor, the device packs in 16 GB of memory and offers up to 2 TB of storage space. The only downside might be the rather limited 50 Whr battery, as anyone who’s hooked to gaming would know a device like this needs to pack in way more charge!

MSI Claw 8 AI+

Also throwing its hat in the ring is MSI Claw 8 AI+. It’s said to be the first Windows 11 gaming handheld with Intel Core Ultra processors. With an 8-inch display that offers up to 120 Hz refresh rates, the device features an extra Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port. The battery capacity has been bumped up to 80 Wh, and there’s a lighter wall-mounted charger in the box. To sweeten the deal, the device also includes a one-month trial of Xbox Game Pass, allowing users to enjoy popular AAA games for free.

Tecno Mega Mini Gaming G1 

With a slightly self-contradictory name, the Tecno Mega Mini Gaming G1 made a splash by being the world’s smallest water-cooling PC with a discrete graphics card. The device features the Intel Core i9-13900H processor, offering turbo speeds of up to 5.4 GHz. Equipped with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, it is said to deliver sharp graphics and immersive gameplay. Additionally, the G1 offers a smart performance mode where you can choose between Beast, Smart and Eco modes to suit your gaming intensity.

Smartwatches

Designed for the modern explorer, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 smartwatch combines military-grade durability and cutting-edge outdoor navigation features. If you’ve read some of our earlier Amazfit watch reviews or used one, you’d know that the battery life on these beauties is legendary and often leaves the battery life on premium flagship watches to shame. This particular model sports a 1.5-inch AMOLED display that reaches 2,000 nits of peak brightness. The Zepp OS-based software includes free offline maps, contour maps with turn directions and upgraded strength training modes primed for indoor workouts.

Stellar standouts

Acer Predator Project DualPlay

A laptop with a hidden gaming controller. What could be more futuristic than this? Acer showcased a concept device where the “trackpad” pops up to become a full-fledged gaming controller. The detachable wireless controller lets up to two players play on the same system simultaneously. Powerful stereo speakers and RGB lighting ensure immersive gameplay on this super cool device!

Plaud NotePin

Shaped like a pill, this new device can be worn as a pin, necklace or even like a watch. Driven by AI, the device can record any conversation and transcribe it automatically. It recognises 59 languages and uses AI to create summaries, break up conversations as speakers take turns and also lets you look through older transcribed conversations for specific information.

EcoFlow Power Hat

Charge as you go! This nifty hat is equipped with solar panels at the wide rim and has inbuilt ports where you can charge your devices. While traditional solar panels require adjusting to ensure optimal sunlight exposure, there is no such issue with the Power Hat. The foldable, portable hat features both USB-A and USB-C ports for easy charging. The accessory promises to charge a smartphone in about 3-4 hours.