IFA 2022 live: The latest devices from the biggest tech show
We're on the ground at IFA — here's what's happening
And we're kicking off! Welcome to the live blog, where I'll be posting what I can find throughout the (many) halls of IFA 2022. There's a lot to explore, and to put it into perspective, we're nearly halfway through the day and I've already done over 10,000 steps. But there's still plenty to see.
Oh, and check out @laptop_mag on Instagram for more on-the-ground coverage.
Before I get into the Qualcomm keynote, this is the first thing I spotted while walking along the halls: AI Cats. These ones are from Maicat.ai, with the robotic cats boasting face- and voice-pattern recognition, OLED eyes, a speaker, and 20 actuators so they can act "naturally."
Oh, and those weren't the only AI cats prowling about...
As for the Qualcomm keynote, here's a recap of everything that went down:
President and CEO Cristiano Amon talked about the next step in Snapdragon chips with Dr. Won-Joon Choi announcing the next chapter in the Qualcomm and Samsung partnership. More Galaxy smartphones, tablets, and PCs will be using Snapdragon power — celebrating the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4's Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1.
Qualcomm is making a big push towards connectivity, too. X70 is the best 5G modem in the industry, the Qualcomm CEO states. And that Wi-Fi 7 is already here, which (obviously) includes faster speeds with multiple connections at once.
This includes 320Mhz (2 x 160Mhz channels), twice as fast as Wi-Fi 6, with 5Gbps speeds. All this also translates to better efficiency, meaning Snapdragon-powered devices aim to deliver better battery life. Oh, and satellite communications, something one of our writers really wants.
Audio-wise, we're also getting lossless music streaming and crystal clear audio thanks to a partnership with Bose.
Qualcomm and Meta announced a multi-year deal, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg himself (kind of) showed up with a short video clip explaining how upcoming Quest devices will use custom-made Qualcomm chips for a bigger VR experience. However, we're still a while away, Zuckerberg states.
I don't know much about cars, but this Lego Technic Ferrari I cam across looks to be my kind of vehicle. More to show off rather than drive, of course. Unless it can drive? Either way, a nice set piece among all the other tech around the place.
Got to check out the devices Honor is showing off this year, including the Honor Magic 4 Pro 5G with a sleek edge-to-edge LTPO display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 100W charging, and a "50MP+50MP+64MP Triple Camera System." Along with the well-designed cases on show, it was quite a looker.
Oh, and there's the Honor Pad 8. This sleek-looking Android tablet boasts a 12-inch, 2K display, and the company is talking up its eight loudspeaker "DTS+Honor Histen Sound" system. It looks like it's been made for streaming movies, TV shows, and all kinds of content, and I would not say no to watching House of the Dragon on this slab.
Honor has a keynote later today, so I'm sure we'll learn more about its devices on show and (possibly) something the brand is hiding up its sleeve.
Told you there were more AI cats running about. Where are all the AI dogs at?
I struggled to get a good angle of the 49-inch Ultra Curve Gaming Monitor from TCL, because it's very wide. But I'd made space for it on my desk, if though it definitely wouldn't fit.
It sports a 3840x1080 resolution with a 144Hz frame rate, and despite these specs, it still offers a 1ms response time. That, and 90% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage and HDR 400. That gameplay looked super smooth.
Also came across this Acer Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition, which we've already had a hands-on with. However, that one had a Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GPU and Intel Core i7-12700H processor. This one sports a RTX 3080 GPU and Intel Core i9-12900H CPU, so you better believe it offers crazy performance.
We already love the gaming laptop's powerful gaming and overall performance, bright and vibrant display, and its smooth 3D experience. However, we were let down by its mushy keyboard and clunky design. Still, if you like power, you'll love the Helios.
The Samsung Odyssey Ark is a different breed of gaming monitor, and seeing it up close when placed vertically says it all. It's the "world's first" 55-inch 165Hz curved gaming screen with Quantum Matrix and Sound Dome tech.
As you can see in our Odyssey Ark first look, there are better use cases in vertical mode than just playing Fortnite in the one I saw. As a side note, I'm pretty sure that display would touch my office's ceiling.
Now, this could come in handy once we head into the colder months. Inko's Portable USB Heating Pad comes in different colors and sizes, and its stain-resistant thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is soft, light, and portable. It only needs 7.5W of power, and can be placed anywhere. As in, becoming a makeshift seat warmer for when you're working at your desk and don't want to turn any heaters on (save that cash)
It comes in Rose Wood, Midnight Blue, Urban Gray, Amber Brown, and Forest Green. Plus, you can nab one on Amazon (if it's available).
The Honor keynote is about to kick off! And it's a full house. We've already checked out some of the brand's devices, and even have a hands-on with the Honor 70. So, what else is up its sleeve?
CEO George Zhao is greeting us with a video talking about the efforts Honor has made for innovation and change.
This includes the both it's foldable lines, and Zhao announced that they will now be available in Europe! Honor is expanding its reach.
MagicOS 7.0 is set to drop in the fourth quarter of this year, meaning those with an Honor phone will be getting a update very soon. It's all about connectivity, allowing users to drag files across Honor phones, tablets, and laptops, and even using the laptop's trackpad to control Hone phones and tablets. "No boundaries between devices," indeed.
President of Honor Europe Tony Ran is now on stage, and he's going through the Honor 70, from its design to its cameras. And those cameras come with a unique, dual-ring design, just so it can stand out from the crowd. That, and its "Diamond Pattern."
For a deeper look at the Honor 70, we've got you covered.
We're now seeing the Honor MagicBook 14, offering a 14-inch display, 2.1K resolution, 100% RGB color gamut coverage, and comes packed with a 12th Gen Intel Core H-Series processor, along with GeForce RTX GPU power. It also has 70W charging power for good measure.
It's priced from €1,099, which works out to be around £950/$1,100.
As for the Honor Pad 8, it will be priced from €329 (around $329/£285) for the 4GB+128GB model. That means it's competitively priced.
And that's the final keynote of the day! There's a few days of IFA 2022 left, and it includes a Huawei keynote and more. In the meantime, check out all our other IFA 2022 news, including Lenovo's Glasses T1, Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold, and Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED.
