IFA 2024: Unveiling the Future of Technology with Cutting-Edge Laptops and Gadgets

These Are My Favorite New Laptops From IFA 2024

Quick LinksAcer Project DualPlay Asus Zenbook S 16 Honor MagicBook Art14 Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition Tecno Megabook T16 Pro Ultra IFA is one of the biggest tech shows of the year, held every September in Berlin, Germany. The MUO team is on the ground once again to find the best new gadgets of the year, and these are the most interesting new laptops we found at IFA 2024. Acer Project DualPlay PC gaming handheld consoles have been gaining popularity in recent years, with the launch of the Asus ROG Ally. In fact, several new gaming handhelds were revealed at Computex 2024, and they're slowly creeping into the territory of the gaming laptop. Nevertheless, these devices have some disadvantages, like a small screen, lack of a full-size keyboard (crucial for many PC titles), and dismal battery life. So, Acer solved this problem with the Project DualPlay concept laptop. This gaming laptop features everything you look for as a gamer -- a large display, RGB lights, and a full keyboard setup. But it also has one thing that no other gaming laptop has: a built-in wireless controller that turns the Project DualPlay into a portable (but not quite handheld) gaming console. When you remove the wireless controller (which also houses the laptop's trackpad) from its dock, the laptop also deploys two five-watt pop-out speakers for a more immersive gaming experience. It also offers some serious multiplayer gaming, as you can remove the two sides of the wireless controller and share it between two players, ala Nintendo Switch. It's no wonder Acer's Project DualPlay featured in our list of the best new tech at IFA 2024. Asus Zenbook S 16 Asus launched a heap of new laptops at IFA 2024.The pick of the bunch is its new Zenbook S 16, a decently-powerful mid-range laptop that brings some nice upgrades to the long running product line. What I found most interesting is that Asus has spent four years developing an entirely new material that it calls Ceraluminum -- a combination of ceramic and aluminum into a single compound. The result is a surprisingly strong material that also looks good and weighs very little; the holy trinity for a laptop case. The Zenbook S 16 uses AMD's new Ryzen AI 9 935 CPU (with an integrated Radeon 880M GPU), 24GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD. It has a 16-inch 2880x1800 pixel touchscreen that looks fantastic, and the whole unit is powered by a decently sized 78Wh battery. It's not the largest battery in the world, especially considering this is a 16-inch machine, but it'll keep you going for most of the day (depending on what you're doing). In addition, the Zenbook S 16 weighs a relatively modest 1.5kg (3.4lbs), which is on the light side for a laptop of this size. Honor MagicBook Art14 New processors like Qualcomm's Snapdragon X and the latest generation of Intel and AMD chips have allowed laptop makers to make incredibly thin and light laptops that do not compromise on performance. And although Honor might not be the first name you think about when talking about PCs, it's taking its expertise in making premium smartphones and using it to build sleek laptops. One such example is the MagicBook Art 14, which launched at IFA 2024. This device is one of the lightest and thinnest 14-inch laptops you can buy today, with a 1 cm thickness (a little over a third of an inch) and a weight of 1 kg (or about 2.2 pounds). But even with these dimensions, it does not skimp on performance. You still get an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor with integrated Intel Arc graphics, a nice 14.6-inch touch display with a 3.1K resolution, and a 60-Wh battery for extended use away from an outlet. It also comes with a complete set of ports, including Thunderbolt 4, USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, and even a 3.5-mm jack, which goes to show that you do not need to sacrifice ports in the name of thinness and portability (yes, I'm looking at you, Apple). Now, the final MagicBook Art 14 feature you have to know about is the detachable webcam. Instead of hiding the webcam under a key or in the bezel, Honor has created a removable webcam that slots into the Art 14 case. It connects magnetically to the top of the laptop frame and is instantly recognized by the laptop. It's really quite remarkable and is a great privacy-focused feature that helps set the MagicBook Art 14 apart from the competition. Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition Lenovo has long collaborated with Intel for its laptop offerings, and the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition is one such product of this partnership. This laptop is powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) laptop chips, allowing you to experience the best in terms of performance, efficiency, and even AI features. You can spec the Yoga Slim 7i up to 32GB of 8533MHz RAM and 1TB of SSD storage, making sure that it's capable of handling everything you throw at it. Furthermore, its 70-Wh battery should be more than enough to allow you to accomplish your work for the day. Aside from this new processor, the Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition also gets Smart Modes, allowing the laptop to adapt automatically to what its user is doing. For example, if the laptop detects that you're into deep work, it could activate Attention Mode, blocking distracting websites to help you focus better. It also has Smart Share, where the laptop uses AI features to detect your compatible smartphone and automatically share images between them by simply tapping your phone on the laptop's screen edge. Tecno Megabook T16 Pro Ultra Tecno's Megabook laptop series goes from strength to strength, and the upgraded Megaboot T16 Pro Ultra is one to watch out for. The Megabook T16 Pro Ultra packs in Intel's latest Core Ultra 7 CPU, up to 32GB LPDDR5 RAM, up to 1TB PCIe 4.0 storage, and a substantial 99.99Wh battery. Intel's Core Ultra gives the T16 Pro Ultra on-device AI integrations, such as the Copilot key to use Microsoft Copilot, all working offline. There's also an integrated AI image generator, which is pretty handy, though you shouldn't expect photorealistic images -- it's more for making interesting images in a pinch. Also worth noting is the Megabook's screen. It comes equipped with a 16-inch, 16:10, 2.5K resolution panel with 400 nits brightness and 100% sRGB coverage, and it looks fantastic in all light levels.

MakeUseOf's Best of IFA 2024 Awards

Quick LinksHonor Magic V3 Honor MagicPad 2 Tecno Megabook T16 Pro Ultra Withings ScanWatch Nova Brilliant SwitchBot K10+ Pro Combo Acer Project DualPlay Anker Soundcore Space One Pro UGREEN UNO Series 100W Charger MSI Claw 8 AI+ TCL 50 Pro NXTPAPER 5G IFA brings tons of new tech to check out every September, and we're on the ground once again this year to go hands-on with what's available at the show. Here are our selections of the best products from IFA 2024 -- and why they caught our attention. 1 Honor Magic V3 The Honor Magic V3 debuted at IFA 2024 as the world's slimmest inward foldable smartphone, demonstrating how much the foldable smartphone format has matured over the past few years. Honor even invited a world-leading table-tennis player to use it as the paddle in a game hosted at the event. Even if you've hesitated to buy a foldable, the Honor Magic V3 should catch your eye. Despite the slimmer design, the Magic V3 features a 7.92-inch internal foldable screen, with an eye-catching 6.43-inch external display. Both displays are bright, but the external display really pushes the envelope here, with its 5000 nits peak brightness one of the most dazzling screens around. In addition, both screens have a 120Hz refresh rate and can display one billion colors, and come Dolby Vision equipped. Honor has also given the Magic V3 a larger 5150mAh battery with 66W wired charging and rapid 50W wireless charging, while powering the unit is Qualcomm's powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset with up to 16GB RAM and 1TB storage. It's a corker. 2 Honor MagicPad 2 Alongside the Honor Magic V3, Honor also launched its new MagicPad2, a 12.3-inch ultra-thin tablet. Measuring just 5.8mm thick and weighing a slight 555g (20oz), Honor's new MagicPad2 can be considered the go-to alternative for those shunning an iPad in favor of an Android-based experience. Its screen is particularly eye-catching, featuring Honor's Eye Comfort Display and a 144Hz refresh rate, complete with 4320Hz PWM dimming to maximize comfort while in use. The MagicPad2 is powerful under the hood, too. Powered by Qualcomm's impressive Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip, it also packs a substantial 10050mAh battery to boot. The Snapdragon chip also enables Honor's AI-powered Magic Portal, allowing the tablet to learn about your workflows and help optimize your productivity. 3 Tecno Megabook T16 Pro Ultra We've long been fans of Tecno's Megabook laptop series, and its upgraded Megabook T16 Pro Ultra is a performance beast compared to the previous version (launched at MWC 2024). The Pro Ultra now comes equipped with deeper AI integrations through its Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU, up to 32GB LPDDR5 RAM, up to 1TB PCIe 4.0 storage, and a whopping 99.99Wh battery. The 16-inch, 16:10, 2.5K resolution screen looks incredible, and with 400 nits brightness and 100% sRGB coverage, it's easy on the eyes, too. 4 Withings ScanWatch Nova Brilliant Instead of a wrist-worn computer, Withings specializes in creating great-looking smartwatches that also help track health and fitness data. The latest from the company, ScanWatch Nova Brilliant, is a high-quality addition to the lineup. The 39mm case is made for smaller wrists, while the watch itself sports a sapphire glass face. Along with its elegant look, the hybrid smartwatch sports a variety of health features. It can take an ECG, display your blood oxygen, track workouts, and more. Instead of being tied to a charger nightly, the watch can go for up to 30 days on a single charge. The ScanWatch Nova Brilliant will be available in November and retail for $599.95. It's available in silver or bicolor silver/gold options. 5 SwitchBot K10+ Pro Combo No amount of dust and dirt in your home can hide when you're using the SwitchBot K10+ Pro Combo. Along with a smaller robot vacuum that can handle smaller spaces, the system comes with a lightweight cordless vacuum so you can clean the floor and out-of-the-way places like windows and ceilings. Both vacuums automatically empty into a base station that needs emptying roughly every 70 days. The system is compatible with multiple smart home platforms, including Matter, when using a compatible hub. The system will be available in November for $799.99. 6 Acer Project DualPlay Gaming laptops have long offered the best of both worlds for many people -- high-performance computing on a relatively portable device. However, the proliferation of handheld gaming Windows PCs from mainstream brands like the Asus ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go means the gaming laptop is slowly losing its luster. That is, until the arrival of the Acer Project DualPlay laptop. This concept device combines the best parts of gaming laptops and handheld gaming consoles -- you get a relatively large display (compared to the seven- to eight-inch screens on handhelds), a full keyboard, and a trackpad. But what makes the Project DualPlay unique is that you can detach the trackpad and use it as a wireless controller, turning your gaming laptop into a portable console (although not quite handheld). As an added bonus, you can detach the left and right sides of the controller like a Nintendo Switch, allowing you to experience two-player games on your laptop like never before. And when you release the handheld controller of the DualPlay laptop, its 5-watt pop-out speaker comes out from the body, allowing you to have a more immersive gaming experience all in the form factor of a laptop. 7 Anker Soundcore Space One Pro Soundcore is well known for its line of high-quality audio products for budget-conscious buyers. And the Space Pro One introduced at IFA 2024 looks to be another hit. To help block out noise, the headphones feature six microphones to detect and cancel noise in real time. When not in use, the headphones quickly fold up in a compact form factor that reduces their size by 50 percent. You can enjoy up to 60 hours of music playback before needing to recharge with USB-C. A five-minute charge can produce up to eight additional hours of playback in a pinch. They're also remarkably comfortable, slipping around your ears and creating a snug seal without feeling tight. The fit helps the ANC and music playback, and it's clear than Anker has spent time upgrading the original Space One headphones. The headphones are available now for $199.99. An optional travel case is an additional $34.99. 8 UGREEN UNO Series 100W Charger Ugreen is known for its innovations in the charging space, and the Uno Series 100W charger bears the markings of its expertise. Despite being a relatively small device, this charger lets you juice up four devices with its three USB-C ports and one USB-A port. It also has a small LED screen that shows the status of the charger through different cute facial expressions, similar to the Ugreen Nexode RG chargers we've reviewed. The high output of the Uno Series 100W charger means you don't have to spend a lot of time tied up to an outlet. For example, if you're only using one port at a time, it could power an empty 16-inch MacBook Pro from empty to 43% in half an hour. And even if you use all four ports simultaneously, you can still get 45 and 30 watts on the top two USB-C ports, which should be more than enough for most phones. 9 MSI Claw 8 AI+ We're always excited to see what the world of gaming handheld consoles is launching next, and IFA 2024 brought with it the official launch of the MSI Claw 8 AI+. Although this was technically revealed at Computex, it was behind glass, and no one could touch or play with it. This time out, we've had some much-needed hands-on time with MSI's new unit. The new handheld has a larger screen than its predecessor, featuring an 8-inch display for a more immersive gaming experience. It's also the first Windows 11 gaming handheld to feature an Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processor. The second generation processors promise more power and deeper AI integration. Other upgrades include its larger 80Wh battery, the addition of another Thunderbolt 4-supported USB-C port, and a smaller wall-mounted charger. MSI has also refreshed the handheld's design to set it apart from the competition. 10 TCL 50 Pro NXTPAPER 5G More devices should be like TCL's 50 Pro NXTPAPER 5G. It doesn't just look good -- it also serves multiple purposes, working as a smartphone and an e-reader, with built-in functionality to switch between modes. I also like the new inclusion of the NXTPAPER Key, a handy little switch that makes it incredibly simple to switch into Max Ink Mode, turning the screen into full-reader mode. There's also a nice transition between them. The TCL 50 Pro NXTPAPER 5G's 6.8-inch S-IPS screen has a 1080x2460 resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate, which is great for the eyes. It comes with a 5100mAh battery, 512GB storage, and 8GB RAM. The only downside is the slightly underpowered Dimensity 6300 chipset, but as a device focused on productivity, reading, and so on, it's unlikely to cause an issue.

How-To Geek's Best of IFA 2024 Award Winners

The reMarkable Paper Pro Is a Color eInk Tablet You Can Write On Are you curious what was worth a look at IFA 2024? We were there, and while there was a lot choose from, here are all the gadgets we thought stood out as the best of IFA this year. Not sure what IFA is? The Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin is an event held every year in Berlin, Germany. Since it started in 1929, it's become essentially the European equivalent of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in the US every January. While it's located in Europe, vendors from all over the world come to IFA to show off their latest wares. Intel Core Ultra 200V Series Intel revealed its new generation of laptop processors at IFA: the Intel Core Ultra Series 2, also known as Core Ultra 200V. The new chips are supposedly a decent upgrade from last year's Meteor Lake hardware, with Intel promising "up to 3x the performance per thread" and "up to 80% peak performance uplift" compared to the last generation. The main improvement here is up to 120 TOPS of performance across the CPU, integrated graphics (iGPU), and neural processing unit (NPU). That's a lot of power for local AI tasks, like Windows Copilot+ PC features or running your own LLM. The new processors will be in many laptops coming over the next few months. Snapdragon X Plus SoC It took a few tries, but Qualcomm and Microsoft are finally ushering in the era of ARM-based Windows PCs, with improved battery life and power efficiency as important selling points. The first wave of Windows laptops with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chipsets arrived a few months ago, and Qualcomm introduced a new lower-end option at IFA. The new Snapdragon X Plus 8-Core chips allow PC manufacturers to build Windows laptops with long battery life without breaking the bank -- Qualcomm expects they will be used in laptops with prices as low as $700. One ASUS Vivobook with a Snapdragon X Plus is already available for $900. The chips have an 8-core ARM CPU, an Adreno GPU, and a built-in NPU for local AI and machine learning tasks. It should give you great performance for typical productivity tasks and light gaming, assuming your software is compatible. ASUS NUC 14 Pro AI Last year, Intel announced it was giving up on the ubiquitous NUC line of mini PCs, but that was followed by ASUS announcing it had the license to manufacture NUCs in the future. Fans of the NUC series can say hello to a new entry: the ASUS NUC 14 Pro AI. It isn't the first ASUS-branded NUC (those arrived at CES 2024), but is the first one that's AI-branded. Internally, it sports the just-announced Intel Core Ultra 9 288V processor which combines the CPU, GPU, and NPU into one efficient little device. The NUC 14 Pro AI also uses the speedy LPDDR5x standard of RAM, and its design allows for tool-less upgrades. Unfortunately, we don't know yet what the price will be or when the NUC 14 Pro AI will arrive in stores TCL 50 Pro NXTPAPER 5G No tech show would be complete without smartphone manufacturers jockeying for the most interesting feature, but one particular standout this year was TCL's 50 Pro NXTPAPER 5G. The 50 Pro NXTPAPER 5G features a screen that is capable of switching between three separate display modes: Normal, Color Paper, and Max Ink. On normal mode, the screen looks like what you'd expect on a modern smartphone, but with the press of a button, the entire display transforms into an E-Ink-like display. E-Ink displays (or displays that replicate them) can reduce eye strain, make for a more pleasant reading experience, and dramatically extend your battery life -- TCL claims you can get a whopping 7 days of use out of the phone while it is on Max Ink mode. Besides the display, the 50 Pro NXTPAPER 5G has a dedicated ultrawide and macro camera in addition to the main camera, 33W fast charging, and a midrange processor from MediaTek, the Dimensity 6300. The phone also features expandable storage, up to a whopping 2 terabytes. It is slated for a release to European and Latin American markets for 299 Euros, or about 330 U.S. Dollars. North American cellular networks will have limited compatibility with devices designed for European markets. You'll want to manually compare which bands your carrier uses to the ones the phone uses if you intend to try and use it in North America. SwitchBot Air Purifier Table SwitchBot took a place in our IFA picks last year for its innovative S10 robot vacuum design. This year, they've debuted several devices, but one that stood out to me (Jordan) was its Air Purifier Table. It's exactly what the name suggests: an air purifier that's also a table. They're not the first to think of this concept, but we've had generally positive SwitchBot products, like the S10 and the Hub 2, so we expect this to be one of the better options for furniture-purifier hybrids. Maybe it stood out to me just because between my tech projects, my cooking, and my physical media collection, I'm constantly running out of surfaces to place things on. Aside from being a table, though, it can also accept fragrance in its processing and emit ambient light. You can buy the Air Purifier Table now from SwitchBot's website for $270. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition The ThinkPad series of laptops is a longtime staple in the portable computing space, and Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition releases later this month with a starting price of $1,299. The Aura name refers to its AI capabilities. As is often the case with manufacturers in 2024, most of what Lenovo is calling AI features sound more like sensible automation than anything else. For example, it can automatically connect you to your VPN when you connect to an insecure Wi-Fi network, which sounds convenient whether it actually involves machine learning or not. Internally, the X1 Carbon Gen 13 sports the just-announced Intel Core Ultra 200V series chip which boasts 120 TOPS across the GPU, CPU, and NPU. It also claims a "30% average performance" boost and a battery that lasts all day, but we're yet to see how that plays out in actual benchmarks. Also worth noting is the Dolby-certified speakers and 2.8L OLED display. Galaxy Book 5 Pro 360 Samsung's new Galaxy Book 5 Pro 360 is the company's latest powerful laptop with a 16-inch 3K super-resolution screen and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. Powered by Intel's new Core Ultra processors, which were also announced for IFA, it offers impressive performance and long-lasting battery life. The laptop also features a 10-point multi-touch screen and an S Pen for direct screen interaction. As mentioned, one of the exciting things about the Galaxy Book 5 Pro 360 is the brand new Intel Core Ultra processors. Intel claims they have 4X the NPU power compared to previous generations. For better or worse, this will be put to use for Galaxy AI and Copilot. The laptop also features an Intel Arc GPU and supports Wi-Fi 7. With a slim design and a battery life of up to 25 hours, the Galaxy Book 5 Pro 360 is expected to be available in the US, Canada, France, Germany, and the UK starting in September. Samsung did not share pricing details. ASUS ProArt PZ13 While there are lots of laptops and tablets floating around IFA, including many familiar models only with upgraded CPUs, the new ASUS ProArt PZ13 looks refreshingly nice. In fact, its stylish design and slew of features could give the Surface Pro a bit of competition. You'll enjoy a large 13-inch 3K OLED touchscreen display, the Snapdragon X Plus eight-core processor, 16GB of RAM, and plenty of storage all in a device weighing just 1.87 lbs. Pull out the stylus, then enjoy AI-powered tools like StoryCube for asset management, a nifty ProArt Creator Hub, and a six-month CapCut subscription for video editing. It's a well-rounded Windows tablet coming soon for creative folks, but US pricing is currently unknown. XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro Portable Projector XGIMI had a lot of cool projectors to show off at IFA 2024. We reviewed and loved the Horizon Ultra last year, which is getting a more affordable successor, but it's XGIMI's upcoming portable options I (Cory) am excited about. The new XGIMI MoGo 3 Pro is a coffee cup-sized portable projector packed with tech. It's powered by Google TV, the base rocks Harmon Kardon speakers, and it's capable of projecting a 120-inch screen at 1080p. As expected, it has automatic keystone correction, focus adjustment, along with an included 130-degrees tilt stand. It's small, lightweight, and portable, making it easy to turn any location into movie night. Ugreen Uno Charger 100W There are many USB-C wall chargers, but not many of them have a fun design. The Ugreen Uno 100W is a new compact charger with four USB-C ports and one USB Type-A connector, complete with an animated face that changes based on the current charging status. Ugreen revealed a few other charging accessories alongside the main multi-port wall charger, all with a similar face screen. You can check out our Uno Charger 100W review for more information.

The Best of IFA 2024

BERLIN -- While initially aimed at innovations in radio broadcasting, the IFA technology showcase has continuously expanded its horizons, and its forward-looking direction was front and center at its 100th anniversary in the Messe Berlin exhibition hall this year. Even its name, which once stood for Internationale Funkausstellung (International Radio Exhibition), was touted as standing for Innovation for All during the introductory keynote. Big names like Google, LG, Samsung, and more had a large presence in the sprawling convention center. AI was top of mind for nearly every company that held a keynote and was explicitly referred to upward of 90 times during Samsung's hourlong press event. We got a chance to take in all of the festivities from Berlin itself, attending the events and watching the showcases. Our list of favorites from the show includes innovations from established companies and newcomers alike. While they might not all make it to market, we're looking forward to testing as many of these new technologies as we can ahead of next year's show. Unlike any other robot vacuum we've seen to date, the Roborock QRevo Curve has wheels that can lift either side of the robot to get over an obstacle, or it can lift both together to traverse an especially high threshold. While not explicitly designed for stairs, I imagine this is at least the first step in that direction, if you'll pardon my pun. The climbing robot looked cool in action during a controlled demo at IFA, but the QRevo Curve does more than just lift itself. It also has an obscene amount of power at 18,500Pa, as well as an anti-tangle brush roll, a FlexiArm side brush for corner coverage, and a DuoDivide main brush that comes with the promise of 100% hair removal with zero tangles. Dreame showed off a concept for a robot that climbs steps as well, and Shark has one that lifts its rear to make sure its mops don't touch your carpet. -- Andrew Gebhart The Reolink Atlas PT Ultra is the first battery-powered outdoor security camera to offer continuous recording that we've seen. With a sizeable 20,000mAh battery, it can last up to a week on a charge when set to record for 12 hours a day. It records in 4K with color night vision, auto tracking, and a 350-degree pan alongside a 90-degree tilt for more thorough coverage of your yard. It even has local storage and can differentiate people and vehicles with its alerts. -- AG The Soundcore Space One Pro headphones from Anker are the successor to last year's excellent Space One. These over-ear headphones rely on six mics and the company's new Adaptive ANC 3.0 algorithm to cancel out even more noise (up to 45dB). They benefit from a redesigned headband and earcups that are 50% smaller than the older model while still providing all-day comfort. A 700mAh battery provides enough life for 40 hours of listening with ANC on or 60 hours with it off. 40mm drivers cover a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz. In addition, the headphones have Bluetooth 5.3; support the AAC, SBC, and LDAC codecs; and work with Google Assistant and Siri. Best of all, they're reasonably priced at $199.99. -- EZ DJI's Neo is its smallest, lightest, and most affordable drone to date. It weighs just 4.8 ounces, so you don't need to worry about FAA registration, and it lets you use your smartphone as a remote control. The stabilized 4K/12MP camera is perfect for snapping selfie pics and videos for social media, and the 18-minute flight battery recharges via USB-C for fill-ups between photo ops. The Neo is priced aggressively at $199. It's also available in a three-battery kit for $289. -- Jim Fisher A smartwatch built on AI, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 offers training guidance on preparing for a marathon or the running event of your choice. While that feature is somewhat common, the T-Rex 3 steps into its own with guidance for strength training as well. Tell it what muscle group you want to build, and the watch can create a plan to help guide you. Beyond AI, the T-Rex 3 offers up to three weeks of battery life. According to Amazfit, it can even withstand 13 days of heavy use, which puts it well beyond the capabilities of other AI-enabled smartwatches like the Galaxy Watch 7 and the Pixel Watch 3. It also has a 1.5-inch AMOLED display, military-grade durability, and works with Android and iOS phones, making for an impressively well-rounded model that we're excited to test. -- AG Launched quietly in the weeks leading up to the show, the Bebird EarVision Complete and EarVision Pro made their big debut at IFA. Think of them like flexible Q-tips with a camera at the end. They're connected devices that you stick into your ear to monitor what you're doing via the camera feed in the app as you scoop out all that gunk with proper visual guidance. If it sounds a little gross, it is, or it was for me at the show, but perhaps it wouldn't be as gross to check out the inside of my ear after using it a couple of times. The EarVision Complete comes with accessories so you can scoop or pluck various ear junk, and the EarVision Pro features a more advanced gyroscope. You can also use either one to precisely apply ear medicine. -- AG We've recently seen wearable AI devices that haven't panned out, but the Plaud Notepin simplifies things nicely while still being uniquely useful. The thin wearable can transcribe conversations for you in real time, and is smart enough to distinguish and label different speakers, according to Plaud.AI. I got a chance to try it on at the show, and it is pleasingly small and unobtrusive. The case comes with a pin, a necklace, and a wristband for the device. After it transcribes a conversation, the built-in AI can summarize and take notes for you as well. You can preorder the Notepin now on the company site for $169. It's expected to ship in November. Note that some of the advanced AI features will require a monthly fee, which also gives more storage space for transcriptions. -- AG Honor's latest folding phone, the Magic V3, is one of the thinnest in the world at only 9.2mm (0.36 inches) thick. It's also one of the lightest at 7.97 ounces, which means it's easy to carry around and use. It has two large and bright screens, Snapdragon power from Qualcomm, a trio of capable cameras, and, of course, the latest AI from Google. Add in the appealing design and multitasking capabilities of the inner display, and Honor has demonstrated that it is thinking forward with its flagship smartphone. -- Eric Zeman We covered Intel's "Lunar Lake" laptop processors in detail back in June at the Computex show in Taipei, but Berlin's IFA was the real launch party for these cutting-edge chips. Intel revealed the nitty-gritty around its new Core Ultra 2 processors just before IFA opened, detailing nine discrete chip models that will feature in laptops this fall from the usual OEM suspects. All Core Ultra 2 CPUs feature much-muscled-up neural processing units (NPUs), have the main system memory integrated onto the chip die, and tout a redesigned region of low-power cores that greatly increase efficiency. (Plus, the main processing cores will be dropping Intel's long-standing Hyper-Threading technology.) The aim? To make laptops run longer-and to parry blows from Qualcomm's emerging Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus processors, which have proven impressively efficient and long-running in the first wave of Copilot+ machines they have starred in this summer. Lunar Lake looks like it will add muscle to Intel's preceding "Meteor Lake" family in all the right places; we'll see when we test the first units soon. Laptops using the new chips launch on Sept. 24. -- John A. Burek Intel's more powerful and Copilot+ PC-ready Lunar Lake processors have enabled Lenovo to craft an even thinner and lighter ThinkPad X1 Carbon than the 12th-generation model. Shaving one-hundredth of an inch off the Z-height down to 0.58 inches isn't too significant in the scope of ultraportable laptops, but a weight reduction of three-tenths of a pound down to 2.18 pounds sure is. However, the promised performance boost and AI capabilities impress more than anything. In addition to unlocking 100% of Microsoft's Copilot functions in Windows 11, the beefed-up neural processor paved the way for Lenovo's Aura, a suite of AI-boosted tools designed to make using the laptop easier without sifting through menus to toggle settings based on use case. -- Joe Osborne With a focus on AI PCs, gaming laptops were less of a focus at IFA, but Acer's Nitro Blaze 7 ensured gamers still have something to be excited about. Joining other Steam Deck-likes from Asus, Lenovo, and MSI, Acer's Blazer 7 handheld is a full-fledged Windows 11 machine for gaming. It touts a 7-inch 144Hz 1080p screen, 16GB of memory, up to a 2TB SSD, and customized software to manage your library across applications. Not to be left out of the AI-ready craze entirely, this machine runs on AMD's Ryzen 7 8840HS AI processor, and while AI use cases for its neural processing unit may be tough to find right now, it will at least still provide modern speed, and likely better performance than some competitors. With these devices, it's difficult to tell how enjoyable the experience is until you've held one yourself, but it's another option we'll keep our eye on in this growing space. -- Matthew Buzzi Made for pros on the go, the Asus ProArt PZ13 is a creative's dream, with a portable, totable tablet design, touch and pen support for drawing and handwriting, and a design that can survive it all. Armed with a Snapdragon X Plus CPU, it's also a Copilot+ PC with AI-enhanced features to complement the OLED screen and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity. The slim tablet has an IP52 durability rating that makes it great for use indoors and out, and with 21 hours of battery life, it'll keep going all day long. Asus sweetens the deal with a six-month trial of CapCut video editor, making this a great option for creators on the move. Accessories like the Asus Pen 2.0, soft keyboard cover, and magnetic cover stand add functionality to the sleek machine, but they are sold separately so budget accordingly. -- Brian Westover A 2-in-1 laptop that converts into a tablet? Old hat; Lenovo's done that in countless Yoga laptops. A laptop that uses a central pivoting hinge to rotate 360 degrees? Meh-that was once a trademark trait of Fujitsu laptops. Unique, however, is a 2-in-1 that will do all that at the sound of your voice. The ThinkBook Auto Twist is a PC convertible that opens, closes, and pivots on command. (It'll even "dance," showing off all its motions with the right prompt.) Lenovo showed off the technology as a proof of concept, but what we were most intrigued by is the Auto Twist's "camera follow" mode, which engages the motors to pivot the screen left and right and tilt it up and down to follow your face. It could be a boon for presenters or teachers giving a talk to remote attendees or students. Don't expect this behavior in a specific ThinkBook configuration in the near future, but Lenovo may incorporate aspects of this technology into future machines. -- JAB See More of the Best From IFA 2024

Best of IFA 2024: Our 11 top gadgets from this year's show

IFA 2024 gave companies from around the world the chance to show off their latest wares. As expected, there was a host of AI-driven products, but the event also featured items such as portable chargers, innovative laptops and desktops, cool new fitness tech, smart home appliances and more. While Alef Aeronautics' flying car didn't make an appearance, the European-focused tech show still brought the goods. Several of the Tom's Guide team attended this year's IFA to go hands-on with some awesome upcoming products from the likes of Samsung, Anker, Honor, Lenovo, Acer, Qualcomm and others. There was no shortage of items meant to enhance and enrich one's life, but we've found the veritable cream of the crop that comprises our Best of IFA 2024 list. Read on to see our editors' favorites for laptops, chargers, smartphones, wearables, kitchen tech and more. What happens when one of the best gaming laptops and a Nintendo Switch get busy in the bedroom? It's a question I never thought needed answering, but in doing so, Acer has created one of the coolest things I've ever seen in Project DualPlay. How it works is so simple on paper, you'll be thinking "why has no-one else thought of this yet?" Simply push a button towards the top of the laptop, and the touchpad pops up and disconnects from the base. Turn it over and you've got a full controller so you don't have to be limited to that keyboard and mouse when on-the-go. But what about couch multiplayer? Well, those controllers are magnetically connected, so you can pull them apart a la Switch and get your fill of that split-screen fun! I hope this becomes more than a prototype, because I really think Acer is onto something. The Lenovo Auto Twist concept is, essentially, a face-tracking, Windows 11 Pro laptop with a motorized hinge. Revealed as part of Lenovo's Innovation World event adjacent to IFA 2024, the Auto Twist is one of the more interesting ideas in the computing hardware realm we've seen this year. Although it's merely a proof of concept, the device is quite aptly named. The 13.3-inch display twists and rotates and tilts all automatically. With vertical 180-degree and horizontal 270-degree movement (at 30 degrees and 20 degrees per second respectively) the Auto Twist can capture panoramic photos, track your face during video calls, and open with voice commands. You might be asking yourself, "but why?," and we'll say, it's cooler in person than it might sound. IFA 2024 saw the announcement of various "AI laptops" featuring the new Snapdragon X Plus 8-core or Intel Core Ultra 200V processors. This latest wave of AI-focused notebooks promises to deliver exceptional performance and power efficiency. Since we're unable to test these laptops, it's hard to say which is the best in terms of power and efficiency. However, we can and have selected the one which stood out the most for its external features. Yes, it's the Samsung Galaxy Book 5 Pro 360. In all fairness, the new Pro 360 is virtually identical to its predecessor, the Galaxy Book 4 Pro 360. That's not a negative, however, given how this new laptop retains the same light and thin design we've come to appreciate. The AMOLED touch display returns, promising vivid image quality when watching videos. And since this is a 2-in-1 laptop, you can also use it as a Windows 11 tablet if you want to sketch, take notes, or read a digital comic. Samsung makes some of the best Windows laptops out there and the Galaxy Book 5 Pro 360 seems poised to be another stellar device. If its Lunar Lake CPU lives up to the company's promise of a 25-hour long battery life, this could very end up on our best laptops list. Because of that, we've awarded it with Best Laptop of IFA 2024. The next gaming handheld to step up to the plate is the Acer Nitro Blaze 7 -- a device I predicted way back in January! So what makes this my favorite over the MSI Claw AI 8? Well, it comes down to two fundamental differences. First, the Nitro Blaze 7 feels more comfortable in the hand with a better curvature to the back for a proper hand grip. And second, the chipset choice is more logical here. Don't get me wrong, it's still a full blown laptop CPU, but based on what we saw benchmarking the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, the Ryzen 7 8840HS in the Blaze seems to be more performant. So I'd be confident in the potential here for sure, as a gaming handheld that may be able to stand up to the incoming Ryzen Z2 models in early 2025 (given the fact this does have AI capabilities to run the next generation of FSR frame generation). Put simply, this is now my new favorite Android tablet -- copying a bit of the iPad Pro's homework while being available at half the price. Don't get it twisted. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset is not going to hang with the M4, and the Android tablet app selection is paltry compared to the iPad. But Honor has done some incredible work to paper over those cracks, and even manages to bring some AI smarts that are actually helpful. It all starts with that gorgeous OLED panel that is just as bright as the iPad Pro, and even manages to have a faster refresh rate for games. On top of that, the tablet apps Honor has built are just enough for your day to day productivity, and the AI Defocus Display is a revolution in protecting your eyes from myopia. Read more in my full review of the Honor MagicPad 2, where you can see just why this is a stellar choice. We've seen a proliferation of foldable phones in recent years, proving they're not gimmicky devices. While the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold are undoubtedly best-in-class smartphones, they're admittedly bulky when folded. Thankfully, the Honor Magic Fold V3 is here to prove that thin foldable phones are indeed possible. However, there's a huge catch for certain folks. As we said in our Honor Magic Fold V3 review, this device combines design elements from the best foldable phones and best smartphones, which makes it simple and fun to use either open or closed. Right now, it's the thinnest foldable out there, which is certainly a major selling point. And like the aforementioned foldable phones, the Honor Magic Fold V3 packs a slew of AI features that work across many of the phone's apps. Though it's not the best for taking photos and software support is limited, there's a lot to like here. The main drawback is that, for now, the Magic Fold V3 is not available in the United States. That's disappointing considering how many in the good ol' U.S.A. would have loved a foldable Android 14 phone like this. But if you live outside the U.S., it shouldn't be difficult to get your hands on this incredible phone that handily wins our Best Smartphone of IFA 2024 award. While the number of phones that support Qi2 are still limited, a bunch of Qi2 accessories have been released over the course of this year. During IFA 2024 we've seen a larger number of Qi2 products announced, including Anker's adorable macaron-sized charger that can actually power three devices at once. The Anker MagGo 3-in-1 unfolds to reveal three individual charging pads: a 15W Qi2 pad for phones, a 5W pad for wireless earbud cases, and a 5W pad reserved exclusively for an Apple Watch. It's definitely steered towards Apple users, providing a conveniently portable means of charging an iPhone, AirPods and smartwatch all at once. It costs $90 and arrives on September 15. We all agree that kitchen appliance cables are an eyesore, right? The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) is aiming to eliminate unsightly countertops with a new wireless power transfer protocol known as Ki. At IFA, the WPC demonstrated Ki's electromagnetic induction abilities in the form of a custom-installed marble countertop, though the power transfer is possible through any countertop material that's not metal. When compatible appliances (in this case, it was a blender and kettle) are placed on top of the invisible "hobs," they work just as they would if plugged into an outlet. Since the countertop look is left to the customer, one could integrate discreet markings that indicate the power transfer terminals or adopt a uniform finish for the most futuristic effect. Either way, Ki is a high-tech kitchen solution that's a spectacle to behold. Although the Govee AI Sync Box 2 that can support 8K video was technically announced back at CES 2024, during IFA, the affordable smart lighting brand revealed that it's finally shipping out. Speaking to Govee at the show, it shared that people have been waiting patiently for the HDMI 2.1-equipped sync box to ship, and the timing couldn't be any more convenient. Philips Hue just revealed its second-generation Play HDMI sync box, and while it's an exciting launch in itself, Govee seems positioned to deliver a very similar experience for about $100 less. The Govee AI Sync Box 2 uses Govee's AI syncing technology to read gaming monitors and TV pictures to adjust the light display accordingly. It's a bit more intelligent than the Govee solutions that require sticking an alien antenna-like apparatus to the edge of your screen. It'll be interesting to test out the performance ourselves and live up to the promises, but from early impressions, it sounds like a great solution for upgrading your smart home. Many of the best smartwatches either run Apple's watchOS software or a variation on Google's Wear OS platform. But the Amazfit T-Rex 3 comes with an alternative -- Zepp OS 4, which includes new AI personalization features like Zepp Flow, backed by OpenAI's GPT-4o. But as soon as you put it on your wrist, the large stainless steel bezels, bright display and four physical buttons mounted to the side make it clear that this is a rugged watch designed for the outdoors. It has dual-band GPS support for precise location tracking, a Readiness Score (similar to the Training Score you find on the best Garmin watches) and the battery can last up to 27 days, which blows the Apple Watch's single-day battery life out of the water. Plus, it has in-depth sleep monitoring and analysis tools, although wearing such a large watch to bed isn't the most comfortable experience, especially if you compare it to something sleeker like the Oura Ring. Priced at $449, the XGIMI MoGo 3 is quite a bit more affordable than the similarly-shaped Samsung Freestyle, making it a more attractive option for portable entertainment. As a bonus, it comes with a built-in stand. It's about as compact as a water bottle, making it easy to slip into your bag and take anywhere. One of the standout features is its 450 ISO lumens brightness, ensuring clear and vibrant images even in less-than-ideal lighting conditions. The XGIMI MoGo 3 is equipped with dual 5W Harman Kardon speakers with Dolby Audio support, plus it includes a new ambient light mode that syncs with your music. For those on the go, the MoGo 3 Pro is also compatible with a 65W power bank via its USB Type-C port, so you can keep it running when you're away from an outlet. If you're planning to use it extensively without access to power, XGIMI is offering a compatible 20,000 mAh PowerBase Stand for $99, which extends playback time by up to 2.5 hours.

Best of IFA 2024 awards - our 12 favorite tech reveals at the show

From hybrid gaming laptops to AI home robots to elite turntables, IFA brought innovations of all kinds Team TechRadar has been roaming the roomy halls of the IFA 2024 tech show, to hunt down the best tech here, particularly focusing on the tech we've never had a chance to see before. There's a really broad church of tech here at IFA, and we've seen everything from robovacs with fluffy tails through to a projector with a game-changing subwoofer included in the package. We've discovered a ton of stuff we like, or that demonstrates interesting new ideas - but we've asked our writers and editors on the ground to pick their true favorites of the show, based on their experience on the ground. We can't promise that all will turn out to be classics when tested under the scrutiny of a full review, but these are products you absolutely need to keep your eye on. The new Honor foldable might be the thinnest commercially available inwards-folding phone in existence at just 9.2mm when folded, but it still manages to pack in a punch with an impressive suite of cameras, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and 120Hz OLED displays inside and outside. It absolutely wild to hold it in hand and feel how thin it is, knowing it hasn't skimped on power. On top of that, it'll only cost you £1,699 (unfortunately it's skipping the US and Australia for now) which is a fair amount less then its equally well-specced rivals, so it's no wonder we think this is the most impressive smartphone at IFA 2024. If you want to know more about this award-winning foldable you can check out our in-depth Honor Magic V3 review. This is TCL's flagship mini-LED TV for next year, and it's a spectacular piece of screen. It was actually revealed several months ago, but this is the first time we've been able to see it on display, and it looks just fantastic. With a claimed brightness of 6,500 nits, it's TCL's brightest set so far (passing the mere 5,000 nits of last year's flagship) and its colors look so beautifully bold in person, without coming across as over-saturated or unnatural. It's also got clearly fantastic control of contrast, with the 85-inch model pictured above featuring over 10,000 dimming zones, according to TCL's specs. It's capable of inky black tones without any notable blooming (at least, that we could see on the show floor) from bright areas. We were able to see it next to a TCL C855, and there's a clear extra step up in color reproduction - so given how highly we rated the C855, the X11H looks very exciting. These affordable and super-stylish speakers are absolutely packed with audio tech, despite being fairly small and easy to fit in a room. You can wire in, as you'd expect for a pair of stereo speakers, but there's also Bluetooth, USB-C audio input, and HDMI ARC so you can use them instead of a soundbar. They even include a Vocal Boost mode to tweak their sound for TV use, if that's how you deploy them. They come in several colors, but the beautiful orange finish is what caught our eye, and with the stark, minimal look, they're eye-catching without being over-the-top. Priced at $599 / £499, they're ultra modern, ultra-useful, and very resonably priced. These are surely the speakers to watch for hi-fi fans on a budget. The Technics SL-1200 range has been going for a long time, so it would take something very special to claim to be next real upgrade over it... but this turntables seems very special indeed. With a brass platter and Technics' ΔΣ-Drive (Delta Sigma Drive) motor control to remove even the smallest chance of vibrations, this is made for serious discerning audiophiles who want the great build and sound of Technics' famous turntable range. Even compared to the fantastic Technics SL-1200GR2, it should be even more revealing of detail in your records, even richer and more dynamic, and even longer-lasting. An investment piece - and it's priced like it, coming in at $2,999 / £2,799. We look forward to seeing how it matches up against the best turntables. Acer Project Dual Play is one of the most innovative gaming laptops I've ever seen, especially because it understands the needs of gamers who want a powerful gaming PC on the go. By embedding a wireless controller into the laptop itself (the back of the controller serves as a trackpad when seated inside the laptop), a simple two finger press along the top of the keydeck to release the controller is all you need to switch seamlessly between a traditional laptop into a gaming console. Even better, the controller lets you pull the right and left controls off the main controller housing, similar to Nintendo Joy-Cons for the Switch. This creates two mini-controllers that you and a friend can share to play co-op or competitive games together. As a concept device, there's no telling if a laptop like this will ever make it to market, but seeing it in action shows us what kind of innovation is possible in this space, and we couldn't be more excited for the future. Acer is the latest computer maker to get in on the PC gaming handheld market this week with the announcement of the new Acer Nitro Blaze 7, the first PC gaming handheld powered by AMD's Ryzen 8840HS SoC. As the name implies, the Blaze 7 will feature a seven-inch, 1080p touch IPS panel with a 144Hz refresh rate and 100% sRGB coverage, driven by the 8840HS's Radeon 780M graphics, with support for AMD Radeon Super Resolution and AMD FreeSync Premium. Additionally, the Blaze 7 will include a 2TB SSD for an expansive game library on device, 16GB LPDDR5x memory running at 7500MT/s, and will feature Wi-Fi 6E support. There's also two USB4 Type-C ports, one on the top and one on the bottom, which should help make the device easily dockable, unlike other handhelds. The Blaze 7 will run on Windows 11, which is a pretty terrible platform for a handheld, so the Blaze 7 will feature a game library app called Acer Game Space to help navigate your game library. We don't know anything about pricing or a release date yet, so we can't say where the new handheld will land in the market, but wherever it does, it's sure to have an impact thanks to its solid specs and design. After its very successful Kickstarter launch the RingConn Gen 2 smart ring made its first public appearance at IFA 2024, and if you haven't got it on your radar already it needs to be. This affordable smart ring might only cost you $299 (£234 / AU$460) - or $209 (£164 / AU$322) if you get in on the Kickstarter pre order deal - but it promises impressive features including a 10 to 12 day battery life (depending on the size of your ring), "90.7%" accurate sleep apnea tracking, and integration with Apple Health and Google Fit to help with monitoring your health and fitness goals.. There's no subscription fee either, so you won't have to continually pay a fee to access all of the RingConn Gen 2's features, something which can't be said for some of RingConn's biggest rivals in the smart ring world. Who said smartwatches couldn't be beautiful? The Withings ScanWatch Nova Brilliant not only looks great with a sleek shape, titanium bezel, durable sapphire glass, and either a silver or gold finish, it's also packed with a whole host of health features. This includes the new Cardio Check-Up tool, an in-app service that offers a clinical review of your heart health from board-certified cardiologists within 24 hours - all without you needing to leave your home. We already thought the regular ScanWatch Nova was and excellent hybrid smartwatch and its "exceptional digital brains" (which you can read about in our four-and-a-half-star Withings ScanWatch Nova review), and this new model looks set to take things up a notch. DJI unveiled its smallest and lightest 4K drone ever at IFA, the Neo. It weighs a mere 4.76oz / 135g and can take off from the palm of your hand to shoot stabilized 4K videos with AI subject tracking and DJI's Quickshots flight moves, or 12MP photos. Seriously, it's tiny, and thanks to propellor guards you can safely maneuver into and around tight spaces. The Neo has been compared to the HoverAir X1 'selfie' drone that we highly recommend, but what's so impressive about the Neo is just how easy it is to get started and elevate your aerial videos and photos, not to mention the wide ranging ways it can be controlled. The simplest option is selecting your desired shooting mode on the Neo's mode button for which you don't even need a remote. Alternatively you can pair it with your phone using DJI's Fly app, or level up to one of DJI's remote controllers and FPV goggles. Neo can even be voice operated. Once you get airborne, the Neo can track you and stick close, keeping you center of the frame for aerial selfies, with six automated flight moves in its arsenal: Boomerang, Helix, Circle, Rocket, Dronie, and Spotlight. We've been super impressed in our hands-on time and you can find out more in our DJI Neo review. The Neo is a unique offering in DJI's lineup, and it's also the drone king's cheapest; just $199 / £169 / AU$299, or it's £299 / AU$539 for the Fly More Combo kit which isn't available in the US, but where there's a Combo kit instead for $289. This is not first small, rolling smart home robot we've seen - remember Amazon Astro? - but it has the most personality, and is the first one that actually made us go "Ohh, maybe that's worth getting". For a start, it's so expressive - not only does it have great animated eyes, but when it's responding or talking to you, it can wobble with enthusiasm or look gentle by rotating its handle on top. But with ChatGPT-4o powering its ability to understand and respond, it feels like something much more flexible and useful than other smart home assistants. And it self-navigates around your home, using cameras and other sensors to avoid accidents. And make no mistake, this is a smart tool as well as a toy or companion. It acts as a smart home hub, and won't just respond to commands, but can react to things - it's possible to ask it to follow your kids around the house, and when bedtime comes, it'll dim the lights there without being told. And the kinds can ask it for a bedtime story then, and they'll get one that actually works... The Laifen Mini is the latest in the brand's growing range of haircare devices, shrinking down the Laifen SE into a more compact and travel-friendly form factor in a range of very cute colorways. We loved the original Laifen Swift when we tested it back in 2022, praising its powerful motor, beautiful design and affordable price point. Now, Laifen has added to its haircare technology with a new child lock mode and a heat-cycling setting that shifts between hot and cool to help lock your hairstyle in place without you constantly manually fiddling with settings. Out of the box, it comes with a travel case and a magnetic standard nozzle, but there aren't further options for attachments just yet. It's fantastically lightweight at 299g, wonderfully quiet (at least, from our quick test on a noisy show floor) but still packs a 110,000 RPM motor and 19/ms airspeed that'll see your hair drying with record speed compared to conventional hair dryers. The Qrevo Slim is a new robot vacuum from Roborock, featuring some seriously cool next-generation navigation technology and a neat form factor well-suited to finally venture into the dusty depths beneath your furniture. At just 8.2cm tall, it's even slimmer than some vacuum roller heads, an impressive feat that once felt impossible for robovacs. Its shorter frame is enabled by a five-year collaboration between Roborock, Infineon, pmd, and OFlim resulting in an innovative navigation breakthrough; "dual-light 3D ToF technology" forms "a high-density laser array with over 21,600 sensor points and a 38,400Hz sampling frequency", combined with an intelligent RGB camera to find its way around your home. What does that mean when you remove the vacuum-spiel? Essentially, it uses the same technology as EVs for autonomous driving, using its sensors to capture precise height and depth information and better obstacle recognition. It also offers 11,000Pa of suction, a FlexiArm side brush and mop for getting close to the edges of rooms, and a self-cleaning dock.

Best of IFA 2024: Android Police's awards for one of tech's biggest trade shows

Europe's other tech trade show is here. Berlin's IFA may not quite have the clout it did back when Sony regularly used it as a launchpad for Xperia hardware, but that hasn't stopped almost every major tech brand around from turning up this week to display its wares. Smartphones have been thin on the ground, but fortunately Honor took that as a challenge, bringing the world's thinnest foldable in the form of the Magic V3. We've also seen HMD's new modular phone, a couple of Android tablets, and the latest generation of TCL's e-ink-adjacent NXTPAPER hardware - not to mention a host of drones, power banks, and all sorts of oddities besides. Acer and Lenovo both got weird with laptop concepts too. Acer designed a detachable touchpad that doubles as a wireless gaming controller, while Lenovo's Twist AI has a display that can open, close, or rotate following voice commands - useless in almost every practical sense, but admittedly quite cool. Not everything that launches at tech trade shows is a winner, but some things have to be. Eight of them, to be precise, to make up Android Police's Best of IFA awards for 2024. Honor Magic V3 There's thin, then there's really thin Thought Google's Pixel 9 Pro Fold was thin? Honor's Magic V3 is over a millimeter thinner, and comfortably the thinnest folding phone in the world right now, thin enough that we're pretty sure foldables don't need to get any slimmer. We said this about the Pixel too, but it's the sort of foldable that you really do forget is a foldable. When shut it feels just like a standard smartphone - it's about the same weight as an S24 Ultra, and any extra heft is almost imperceptible at this point. Related Foldable phones need to get better, not just thinner Honor's Magic V3 is thin enough for me 1 Honor hasn't gotten there by cutting corners either. You'll still find a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 inside, plus a big battery and a pair of 120Hz LTPO OLED displays. The chunky rear camera packs 50MP main and telephoto cameras, plus a 40MP ultrawide, and while it's no match for the best camera phones, it's no slouch either. As usual for Honor, there's no US launch on the cards. But everywhere else, this is one to look out for. Honor Magic V3 Honor's Magic V3 is the thinnest folding phone in the world, measuring just 9.3mm when folded. Thin doesn't mean underpowered, as Honor fitted the Magic V3 with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and 12 or 16GB of RAM. It features stylus support, a gorgeous 7.92-inch AMOLED internal panel, and a 6.43-inch OLED outer display. Despite how thin the Magic V3 is, Honor still fits a versatile camera system, making it an impressive piece of tech. Acer Nitro Blaze 7 Gaming on the go Acer has been a conspicuous absence from the burgeoning gaming handheld scene, but has finally arrived with the Nitro Blaze 7 - named for its display size, given that this is the first of its kind, not the seventh. This is a Windows 11-powered handheld, making it a direct rival to the Asus ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go, rather than any of the Android-based alternatives. That brings with it certain power though: an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS and up to 2TB storage and 16GB RAM. That 7-inch panel is LCD rather than OLED, but will run at a buttery smooth 144Hz refresh rate, though we'd be surprised if it ran the most intensive games quite that fast - the PC version of Horizon Forbidden West chugged along a little in our demo. What we don't have is pricing or a release date, so it's hard to say for sure how tempting the Nitro Blaze 7 will be once it's on sale. It doesn't look to be breaking new ground in terms of its design or the core specs, but a little more competition in the market is no bad thing. Acer Nitro Blaze 7 The Acer Nitro Blaze 7 is a new PC gaming handheld offering a Ryzen 7 8840HS chip, along with a 7-inch 144Hz variable refresh rate touchscreen IPS panel, and 16GB RAM. The price is still unknown, but we already know it will forgo touch pads and rear buttons, which could mean a competitive price. Honor MagicPad 2 Premium design, premium specs Once upon a time, no-one made Android tablets any more. Now they're back in vogue, and almost every phone OEM offers its own tablet too. The MagicPad 2 isn't Honor's first - what gave it away? - but it's an impressively premium device that could well tempt buyers away from Samsung's Galaxy Tab range in the markets where it's launching. The 12.3in display is probably the highlight. It's spacious, but at 144Hz and 3K it's also technically impressive, bolstered by 1,600 nits of peak brightness and the latest generation of Honor's now-customary eye care technology. A big battery and a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 ensure this is more than just a pretty slate, so it should serve as either productivity hub or streaming screen depending on your preference. Honor MagicPad 2 The Honor MagicPad 2 isn't lacking in specs, with a powerful Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 under the hood. It also features a premium build, leading to a gorgeous 12.3-inch 3K display with 1,600 nits max brightness, ensuring your content pops off. With its big battery and high-performance chipset, the Honor MagicPad 2 is about more than just binging Netflix, it's a serious working machine. DJI Neo Ultraportable drone The Neo is DJI's dinkiest drone yet, weighing in at less than five ounces. It's designed to be compact and ultraportable - so much so that DJI isn't even including a remote. You shouldn't need one though - you can control the drone entirely using your phone, or quick-start it in one of six different flight modes just by tapping a button on the body. The camera can shoot 12MP stills or 4K stabilized video, lasting up to 18 minutes on a charge. It's basic and compact, so you can get flying and filming without too much hassle - though you can connect it to other DJI remotes, microphones, and even goggles, so there's nothing to stop you from making it more advanced. DJI Neo The DJI Neo is the ideal lightweight drone, weighing just five ounces. It's compact but capable of taking 12MP still photos or 4K video. It doesn't include a remote, but you can use your smartphone or other Neo accessories to control it, like remotes, microphones, or even goggles. It can fly for up to 18 minutes on a single charge. $169 at Amazon Withings Scanwatch Nova Brilliant Fitness tracking in style We loved Withings' Scanwatch Nova, a premium take on its Scanwatch 2 with a metal dive watch aesthetic. It's a big and bulky timepiece though, which is where the new Nova Brilliant comes in. This is a sleeker design in a 39mm size, with a design that feels closer to jewelry. Available in silver or gold, it's built out of stainless steel with a titanium bezel, sapphire glass face, and metallic link band, and the final package feels like the most premium Withings watch yet. There's nothing too new in the tracking - the usual fitness features, temperature tracking, and heart health you'd expect from the company - but despite the smaller size this should still run for up to 30 days without needing a top-up, and it'll look damn good doing it. Withings Scanwatch Nova Brilliant The Withings Scanwatch Nova Brilliant is a step up from the Scanwatch 2, with premium build materials and an elegant look. The Nova Brilliant features a titanium bezel with fluted accents, a two-tone case and bracelet, and a sapphire crystal, making it more durable for daily wear. It includes all the fitness features you'd expect from Withings, just in an aesthetically pleasing package. HMD Fusion Customize your phone Remember Moto Mods? Someone at HMD sure does. The sometimes-Nokia licensee has followed up its Barbie flip phone with a fresh take on a modular Android device, the HMD Fusion. This is essentially a budget Android phone with a set of official cases - dubbed 'Fusion Outfits' - that enable extra functionality like wireless charging or a ring light. The Fusion is also designed to be user-repairable, much like the recent Qi2-enabled Skyline. A US launch is confirmed for later this year, though the European pricing of €249 ($275) tells you about how much power this thing packs. The fact that the four initial 'Outfits' include a rugged case and a clip-on gaming controller - two things that the accessory market has had covered for a while - makes us worry that HMD may be a little short on ideas for the Fusion. But if it can get a little weird and match some of Motorola's wackiest ideas - a projector! - then the Fusion could have legs. HMD Fusion The HMD Fusion brings back modular cases to smartphones. It features modest budget specs, but the Fusion has multiple cases for you to add, such as adding features to the phone or changing its look entirely. There is even a gaming controller mod, giving you superior gaming performance on the go and better control of streamed console games. TCL 50 NXTPAPER 5G Easy on your eyes IFA has seen the debut of two new phones in TCL's NXTPAPER line, though we don't know for sure if either will make it to American stores. The big upgrade in the 50 NXTPAPER 5G and its Pro sibling is that both borrow a feature from the company's tablets: a dedicated button to switch the display to 'Max Ink Mode', which not only cranks up the device's e-ink capabilities but also mutes notifications and saves battery life - perfect if you want to lose yourself in a book or get your head down and focus on some work. These are simple enough Android phones otherwise, with MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chips, 5,010mAh batteries, and 108MP main cameras. Weirdly, the only reason to go Pro is the jump from an 8MP to a 32MP selfie camera, so if these do ever make it to the US then we'd probably stick with the standard version. TCL 50 NXTPAPER 5G The TCL 50 NXTPAPER 5G brings some of the company's tablet NXTPAPER features to smartphones. Its "Max Ink Mode" turns on all the display's eye-comfort features but also silences notifications and improves battery life, allowing you to focus on what you're reading. In addition, you get the benefits of a traditional smartphone. Ugreen Uno Series Why not have a cute charger? Tech rarely tries to be cute, but Ugreen has leant into kawaii with its new range of Uno accessories. Building on last year's popular Nexode chargers, the Uno range packs a TFT screen with emoji expressions into a larger set of products: plugs, power banks, Qi2 chargers, and even a USB hub. The best of the bunch is probably the 10,000mAh power bank with Qi2 charging built into a magnetic plate that swivels up, doubling as a portable charging stand. The range also includes a 100W wall charger for when speed is of the essence, plus a couple of cheaper and slimmer power banks that prioritize portability. Does your next power accessory need a cute robot face built in? No. But don't you want it to anyway? Ugreen Uno The Ugreen Uno adds cute to charging your devices. It's a 10,000mAh power bank with Qi2 charging capabilities, providing a versatile charging solution. The Uno also features a TFT panel, displaying cute emojis while you charge. The charging plate also swivels upwards, giving you a charging stand, ideal for when you want to use your phone as a bedside clock.