It's been 93 years since Albert Einstein opened IFA (or the 'Great German Radio and Phonographic Exhibition', as it was then known) for what was the European trade show's sixth outing. Quick maths will tell you that the event is now in its 99th year, and it's come a long way since 242 attendees ogled technology for twelve whole days during the inaugural show.
In the first week of September, from Friday 1st to Tuesday 5th, many of the biggest names in consumer electronics – LG, Samsung, Hisense, TCL and Sennheiser, to name just a handful – will once again descend on the Messe Berlin exhibition centre to show off their latest and greatest wares. Brands who are not officially attached to IFA typically use the period to get in on the act of launching new products, too, so there will be plenty going on.
What Hi-Fi? will be reporting live from the showfloor in Berlin to keep you posted on all of the announcements, but in the meantime, despite many brands remaining tight-lipped until the event week, here's a glimpse into what we can expect...
- What is IFA 2023? Internationale FunkAusstellung Berlin is one of the biggest (and oldest) global annual trade shows for consumer electronics and home appliances.
- IFA 2023 dates: Friday 1st to Tuesday 5th September
- IFA 2023 location: Messe Berlin, Germany
Who, and what, can we expect from IFA 2023?
Honor
Honor launched its latest foldable, the Magic V2, for the China market last month, but it looks as though it will be going global very soon. The world's thinnest and lightest foldable phone looks set to take centre stage during the company's IFA 2023 keynote 'Unfold Tomorrow' on 1st September, so hopefully we'll get pricing and availability details then. What's more, it could treat us to a sneak peek of a second, as-yet-unannounced foldable phone...
JBL
JBL is historically prolific around IFA time, and we have reason to believe this year will be no different. The US brand has announced that its JBL Fest event in Las Vegas in late September will feature its first range of wi-fi-powered home speakers, presumably to take on the likes of Amazon and Google at the affordable end of the smart speaker market, so – fingers crossed – we could get first details of those at IFA 2023.
Majority Audio
We don't yet know a huge amount about Majority's plans at IFA 2023. What we do know is that they will be present at the event, leading us to suspect that something interesting could be cooking in the proverbial oven. A new soundbar? An internet radio or stereo system? Who (at the moment) knows?
Samsung
Samsung is holding a press conference on 31st August, though we aren't sure whether new products will be launched. Last year it focused on showcasing its vision for a smarter world via its SmartThings ecosystem and, like LG, launched an OLED gaming monitor.
Sennheiser
Sennheiser is expected to launch a more compact and affordable version of its iconic Ambeo soundbar, the fittingly named Ambeo Mini. Leaks have been rife in the past day or so, with product pages from retailers going live seemingly prematurely before an official announcement from the German brand. Sennheiser may well be saving that official reveal for IFA. Sennheiser representatives have readied us for "brand new products" (plural!) so we might have a new headphone model, too.
Toshiba
Toshiba won't be the only TV manufacturer revealing new screens in September, but it might be the brand to launch some of the most affordable, best-value models this IFA. At last year's show, it unveiled its first-ever Quantum Dot TV, with its 65-inch model priced at only £550.
Urbanista
Urbanista is a bit of an off-the-wall sort of audio brand, specialising in trendy designs and, more recently, innovative products utilising light as their predominant source of power. Following its Los Angeles over-ear headphones and Phoenix earbuds, the light-powered Malibu portable speaker is the latest Urbanista product to utilise innovative Powerfoyle light-reactive technology courtesy of Exeger. Set to feature at this year's event, let's hope for the Malibu's sake that the lights are turned up bright and there isn't a blackout across Berlin.
More to follow...
IFA 2022 highlights
2022 was seemingly the year of the Dolby Atmos soundbar, with B&O, JBL, Sony and Sennheiser all releasing models, the best of that bunch turning out to be the five-star Sennheiser Ambeo Plus. Tesla made a splash with its QLED TV launch, while LG revealed a Flex OLED gaming monitor based on its formidable C2 TV.
JBL and Philips proved just as prolific as usual, too, the former raising eyebrows for its flagship Tour PRO 2 wireless earbuds with the world’s first smart charging case, and the latter stealing gazes with its OLED and Mini-LED Ambilight TVs.
