IFA 2019: The launches, the events and everything that matters

IFA, or Internationale Funkausstellung, is Europe's biggest tech show. Held in Berlin over the first few days of September, it's one of the most significant spots on the calendar for product launches.

The show started in 1924 as a radio convention and now, hosted in the huge Messe Berlin complex, it's one of the world's largest tech shows. Unlike many such shows, IFA is open to the public, meaning anyone can go an marvel at the latest and greatest technology.

When is IFA 2019?

IFA 2019 is held in Berlin from 6-11 September. These are the dates that the show is open to the public at Messe Berlin.

However, the press days - when information about new products is released - fall on the days before, with Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 September the big days that announcements are expected. In some cases, manufacturers release information in the weeks before the show, before revealing those new products to the public.

What to expect and all the important announcements from IFA 2019

IFA has now started with the first announcements and press conferences taking place on Wednesday. We'll be updating this feature will all the announcements that matter to keep you in the picture.

Acer at IFA 2019

Acer used IFA 2019 to make a range of announcements. There's updates to a number of laptop lines with the Acer Swift 5 now getting discrete graphics options to give it more gaming power. For the more serious gamer there is the Predator Triton 300, offering serious specs in a portable gaming laptop while keeping the price in check.

Acer has also run out a range of Chromebook updates, providing plenty of options no matter what your notebook demands are.

Asus at IFA 2019

Asus usually updates ZenBook models at IFA and often is one of the first to make announcements. Asus has impressed with new ZenBook models in 2019 already - as well as the Zenfone 6 - but currently there's no information about what might be showcased in Berlin. We expect that Asus will globally launch the ROG Phone 2.

Dell at IFA 2019

Dell has used IFA for XPS updates - as well as releasing new Chromebooks. It's already announced an updated Dell XPS 13 ahead of the show, with various different configurations, all of which run Intel's new U-series Comet Lake 10th-generation processors. We're expecting some more announcements at IFA itself though.

Fitbit at IFA 2019

Fitbit often comes to IFA with a new device and this year will be no different with the company unveiling the Versa 2 smartwatch offering built-in Alexa ahead of the show. The device will be on display at IFA 2019, with more information about a new subscription service called Fitbit Premium. 

Fossil at IFA 2019

Fossil will have a full showcase of devices at IFA 2019 and we'd expect new models to be announced before the show. We've already had the Fossil Gen 5 smartwatch but Fossil covers a lot of brands and we're expecting to see the Fossil Sport 2, alongside watches from Kors, Diesel and Armani at IFA.

Garmin at IFA 2019

Garmin will likely present a couple of devices at IFA 2019. Six devices recently appeared online, including a new watch called Venu and the Vivoactive 4, 4S and new Vivomove 3 range, with many speculating we will see them at IFA. The company has also officially announced the Fenix 6 at the end of August, which will be at IFA 2019.

Harman Kardon at IFA 2019

Harman Kardon often has a full range of speakers to showcase at IFA - previously revealing the Citation family of devices, as well as headphones and speakers from other brands, like JBL. It has a press conference scheduled for Thursday 5 September so we expect to find out more then.

Huawei at IFA 2019

Huawei has had an interesting year, with the spat with the US and China seeing the company caught up in the tussle. Huawei has assured us that it's business as usual and we fully expect them to make a big show of IFA 2019 - to not only showcase new devices, but to reassure its customers. Richard Yu, chairman of devices business, is confirmed to give the opening keynote of the IFA conference programme, so we're expecting some fireworks.

There's little information about what to expect in terms of products, but there's been talk of a 5G TV from Huawei as well as anticipation for the Mate 30 series. Apparently Huawei had been planning to launch a Google Assistant speaker, but that had to be cancelled following the spat with the US. We will definitely see the next-generation of Kirin chipset announced though - which will then likely appear in the Mate 30 series and next year's P40 series. 

Lenovo at IFA 2019

Lenovo use IFA to update Yoga notebooks and we'd expect more of the same. There's no confirmation of what we might see, but we know that Lenovo will be out in Berlin. There's rumour that Lenovo is looking to launch 5G laptops with all-day battery life, so IFA might be a launch avenue for those.

LG at IFA 2019

LG usually announces everything before anyone arrives in Berlin, so we'll have a good idea of what the company is showcasing out in Berlin by the end of August. For now, the K50S and K40S mid-range smartphones have been announced, along with 4K UHD Cinebeam home projectors and the confirmation of new Dual Screen phones.

Nokia at IFA 2019

HMD Global - who own Nokia - has confirmed it is holding a press conference at IFA 2019, suggesting something will definitely be announced at the show. There's been a pretty substantial leak of the Nokia 7.2 with a triple rear camera that is expected to be launched at IFA but we might see a few more devices too.

Panasonic at IFA 2019

Panasonic has its European headquarters out in Germany and usually has a big presence at the show. It already has a wide-range of TV models coming to market, so it might be that there's something on the Lumix side to be updated. It might, however, fall back to talk about smart cities and batteries. Panasonic usually has a press conference on Thursday morning.

Philips at IFA 2019

Philips often launches twice and having shown off a number of new televisions already, it might just use IFA to confirm availability of some of these models - expect plenty of talk about Dolby Vision and HDR10+. But Philips is also in the process of reinvigorating core models in the Philips Audio range - so we suspect some new launches here. Philips is likely to have a press conference on Thursday lunchtime.

 

Razer at IFA 2019

Razer has announced the Blade Stealth 13 and Blade 15 at IFA 2019, bringing more power to the party. The Blade Stealth 13 is pitched as the world's first gaming Ultrabook - as it's thin, light and very portable, but still has loads of power. The new Razer Blade 15 makes the entry-level more affordable for those who want a gaming notebook without spending big bucks.

Samsung at IFA 2019

Samsung announced has already announced the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+, Galaxy Tab S6 and Galaxy Watch Active 2 so all those devices will be on show at IFA, though the company is likely to have something else to showcase too. Samsung usually has the biggest stand to push QLED, with 8K and HDR10+ often being the focus. It's press conference is scheduled for Thursday 5 September morning.

Sennheiser at IFA 2019

Sennheiser has been confirmed as audio partner for IFA 2019 and we suspect that means it's going to be making a splash. With the Ambeo Soundbar announced at CES 2019, Sennheiser looks like it's expanding its range. We could see some interesting new launches out in Berlin.

Sonos at IFA 2019

While Sonos never has a stand at IFA 2019, the company typically holds an event offsite, revealing new products or software features. This year, there is an event planned for 4-5 September. We're expecting to see the rumoured portable Sonos Bluetooth speaker appear, as well as possibly a new Connect. It unveiled the Sonos Amp at IFA 2018.

Sony at IFA 2019

Sony loves updating its phones and there's talk about an Xperia 2 model that could see the light of day. Sony often has a larger presence at the show - it's been the launch location for various TV models as well as seen updates to the flagship 1000X headphones over the past few years. Sony has also confirmed it's holding a press conference on Thursday 5 September, so something will be launched.

Qualcomm at IFA 2019

It's the year of 5G and Cristiano Amon - president of Qualcomm - is confirmed as a speaker in the IFA conference programme. You can expect to hear more about the next wave of 5G devices, those to launch with the X55 modem that will be arriving in 2020.

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