Unscripted walk through IFA 2026

IFA 2026 in Berlin, and it’s really already been a year again. Today I’m walking across the show completely unscripted so that you don’t have to, because it’s really crowded. For me it’s day 3, the dark circles and eye bags get bigger every day, and even the best makeup doesn’t help anymore. Here are my stops in order.

TCL: P80 Pro and P80 Ultra as test units

TCL treated itself to a rather small booth this year. I had an appointment there and got a small private presentation of the new devices. The highlights include the P80 Pro and the P80 Ultra with NXTPAPER technology. On the side you use a slider to set whether you want to use Max Ink Mode or Paper Mode.

• Max Ink Mode: a reading mode in which the whole display is grayed out. It’s much more pleasant for reading, and notifications are restricted.
• Paper Mode: a bit more toned down and easier on the eyes, with flicker reduced.

I love this extremely matte display with the very thin bezels. It doesn’t reflect at all anymore and is really good for reading. The P80 Pro and the P80 Ultra differ mainly in battery capacity and in the camera. I got both devices as test units, and the reviews are coming soon on my channel.

TCL also shows a huge range of TVs, for example a 163-inch micro-LED TV. I’ve already made a video on the SQD Mini LED TVs. I’ve been testing TCL TVs for years and use them at home. If you want really good display technology at a fairly low price, you should take a look. By the way, none of this is sponsored, I just think it’s a cool brand.

Xiaomi: debut with cars, smartphones and a foldable

Xiaomi is making its IFA debut this year, with a small, understated booth. Mainly the cars are shown, for example the SU7. I hope they come to us in Germany soon. On the booth you can also see the large product range: home appliances, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, washing machines.

In the smartphone and tablet area, the new devices are on show:

• Xiaomi 17 Pro: Not released in Germany, which I think is a shame. It has a display on the back, so you can film with the main camera and see yourself on the display at the same time.
• Xiaomi 18 Fold: The foldable was announced at short notice and has Leica branding on the camera. It has a similar form factor to the Galaxy Fold 8. I’m a self-confessed foldable fan and always have a foldable as my daily driver. The device was behind glass, and I couldn’t try it out. If I get a test unit, there will be a video on it.

Anker: Soundcore, 3D printing and battery-friendly charging

With Anker I’m always surprised how many divisions the brand has. My impression is that the booth gets bigger every year.

• Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Max: I already know the case with a display from a video of my own.
• Soundcore Sleep 4 Pro: Sleep earbuds that are completely flat and are not supposed to get in the way when you’re lying down. Good for anyone who listens to music at night or, like me, still watches a YouTube video.
• Soundcore AeroClip 2 Pro: I hadn’t seen them in the color shown yet.
• 3D printers: Devices you can use to print things at home. Interesting for anyone who wants to design and sell something themselves. You can print cool textured things with them.

At a press appointment I also learned that with phone chargers it’s no longer about speed but about battery-friendly charging. The devices use AI to recognize what is being charged and charge accordingly in the best way. There’s also a power bank with an integrated fan so it doesn’t get hot and the battery is spared. More and more of these devices have a display and recognize the connected devices. I think that’s smart.

Creator Hub and impressions of the show

In the Creator Hub, creators get a bit of space, with a studio, a coffee counter and a pretty plundered refrigerator. Otherwise there was also a VR headset for skiing at the show and a bumper car ride that was hugely popular. All that’s missing is the really bad music, and then you’ve got a fairground feeling. By the way, I’m walking around with a paper map because the show app doesn’t work on my phone. That’s exactly my kind of humor.

Projector and AI air fryer

At a projector manufacturer, the projector lenses were shown along with the result. The device is super slim, stands right in front of the wall, is very space-saving, and the picture quality impressed me.

By chance I then ended up at Severin. There, small and inconspicuous, stands an AI air fryer with a camera. It recognizes what is to be fried and suggests the right program. With it there are no more burnt or raw fries. I have an air fryer myself, but with me it’s either not done, burnt or dried out. Here I find AI really useful, and I would get the device right away.

Verdict

A trade show is great for concepts and new things. But I’d be glad if AI and technical innovations were closer to everyday life and more tangible, and not always immediately overwhelming. An air fryer that tells me which program to choose makes sense to me, and I want it in my everyday life. Of course I haven’t seen anywhere near everything. My feet are burning, my social battery is empty, and the impressions from the show give an outlook on what I’ll be dealing with in my next videos.