Phew, I’ve just landed after a very long trip to IFA 2024, and this was a true celebration of technology. The world’s largest consumer electronics show — and the only one anyone can pay to attend — has recently faced some questions about its place in the annual calendar. Still, there was no better way to respond than IFA 2024.

It was not just a celebration of the best new products but also of IFA’s impact. This year was special: the first year under new management also coincided with the 100th anniversary of IFA. Yes, this show has been around for 100 YEARS. Let that sink in for a moment. It was also a personal milestone; my memory is somewhat hazy, but I believe this was my 15th year attending IFA.

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I digress: this year’s show will be remembered for years. You’ll notice that Windows and PCs form a big part of this list, and for good reason: Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm unveiled the next-generation chipsets that will almost certainly power your future laptops.

With that covered, let’s explore the products that stood out at IFA 2024! I’ll cover these products in more detail soon, so stay tuned!

Best of IFA 2024: Computing

There’s no better way to kick off this year’s recap than with our huge list of award winners running Windows. These make up a third of all of our awards, which is something we never expected to write a year ago!

Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus

Best PC chipset (tie)

To say that Qualcomm revolutionized computing earlier this year would be an understatement. After a decade on a Mac, the Snapdragron X Elite rekindled my interest in Windows for the first time, and the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x has replaced the MacBook Air as my couch-surfing laptop of choice.

The Snapdragon X Elite brought ARM-based power and efficiency to Windows PCs, resulting in the same impact the Apple M-series had on the Mac a few years ago. There was only one slight problem: these were all priced at over $1,000.

The Snapdragon X Plus 8-core changes this. It brings the same benefits in power and efficiency to the sub-$1,000 laptop price point. It’s a game changer that will ensure you don’t need to spend four figures to get the incredible battery life it offers. While the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core isn't as powerful as the X Plus 10-core or X Elite, it’s a phenomenal chip that will help companies rethink what an affordable PC offers.

Intel Lunar Lake

Best PC chipset (tie)

Qualcomm revolutionized Windows PCs earlier this year, but it was always known that Intel would respond. At IFA 2024, we finally saw the big reveal of Lunar Lake, Intel’s answer to the Snapdragon X Elite.

Crucially, it retains the x86 architecture, which means compatibility with the millions of programs and software features that have been a mainstay of Windows for years. Unlike the Snapdragon X Elite — which may have some compatibility problems with x86 apps that haven’t been updated — Lunar Lake should work out of the box and offer the same benefits.

We’ll finally have Intel laptops with excellent performance and battery life. The latter has been a huge problem with all Intel-based laptops for years, and instead of single-digit battery life, Lunar Lake means we can hypothetically reach 20+ hours of battery life.

Lunar Lake laptops will likely be fairly pricey, but make no mistake: This is the second stage of the AI PC revolution, and Intel is here to play.

Lenovo AI Twist PC

Best Concept

Lenovo always has something interesting to show regarding innovation and concepts. We’ve previously seen a rollable PC, a concept phone that wraps around your wrist, and several foldable laptops.

At IFA, Lenovo showed off a concept that excited us for an accessible computing future. The AI Twist PC can open and close its lid with a simple voice command, follow you around as you take video calls, and even perform a beautiful synchronized demo with a ballerina.

Check out the video below for more!

Asus Zenbook S16

Best designed PC

Most computers are metal slabs, focused on small bezels and delivering maximum power and efficiency in an ever-thinning body. They all look and feel similar, but Asus showed us an exciting computing future.

The new ZenBook S16 is available in 14- and 16-inch models and includes all of the above features. It goes one step further by ensuring you can feel the tech that forms the most stunning design we’ve seen in a long time.

Dubbed Ceraluminum, it’s technology you can feel. Rather than dye-casting metal, it puts the aluminum in a bath of minerals and water and blasts it with high-pressure jets. As more pressure is applied, the color naturally changes, each unique. As far as design goes, this laptop is stunning!

Asus ProArt PZ13

Best for portable creativity

Suppose you’re interested in Microsoft's AI PC future, which it has been touting for months. In that case, you will have come across products like the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x and other laptops offering many benefits but are crucially traditional laptop form factors.

There’s also the Surface lineup, which offers a detachable 2-in-1 form factor, but now there’s a new option: the Asus ProArt PZ13. It's here, and it might be my new favorite tablet. It’s powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus and designed for creatives on the go.

It has a gorgeous OLED display and the processing power required for most editing tasks on a tablet. The best feature, however, is undoubtedly the full-sized SD card slot, which will transform how you edit and create on the go.

Tecno Geekom Mega Mini Gaming G1

Best PC Innovation

Think water cooling in PCs, and you imagine big machines that require a lot of power, take up a lot of space, and are out of reach for those with limited space. At IFA 2024, Tecno partnered with Geekom to completely shatter this perception. I don’t have a gaming desktop, but the Mega Mini Gaming G1 is so cool that I want one now.

The G1 features RGP lighting and transparent panels on three sides, making it a gaming PC that looks the part. The internals will ensure it also performs the part, as it has 13th-gen Intel Core Raptor Lake processors paired with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU.

I can’t get over just how cool the water cooling is, and this will undoubtedly be a very popular addition to the gaming PC space.

Acer Predator Project DualPlay

Best Gaming Concept

Acer is well-known for making excellent gaming laptops at various prices, but its latest concept device could be its most spectacular gaming laptop… if it ever gets made.

The Acer Predator Project DualPlay is designed to solve one of the biggest challenges with a gaming laptop: the need to pair a controller. With this concept, instead of firing up a gaming laptop and connecting a wireless controller, you can use the one built into the device.

Yes, that’s right: a wireless controller that acts like a trackpad until you design to start gaming. It’s unique and different, and the concept feels so right that it’s a surprise no one has done it sooner. We say done, but remember: this is just a concept. We hope Acer makes this a reality, as it would be ridiculously cool.

Best of IFA 2024: Mobile, Tablets, Health & AI

From laptops to mobile technology, a category that features a variety of form factors and technologies that many of the biggest mobile companies prioritize.

Almost every stand had an AI story — it’s the new 5G if you haven’t heard — but a few stood out in impressive ways! Similarly, there were phones galore and an entire hall dedicated to fitness, but only a few products were truly set apart! Let’s dive in!

Honor Magic V3

Best smartphone

A few phones were announced at IFA 2024, but none like the Honor Magic V3. It’s the thinnest foldable available right now, has an outstanding camera, excellent performance, a bigger battery, and much more.

The Honor Magic V3 is impressively thin — just 4.4mm when unfolded and 9.3mm when folded — about the same thickness as a regular phone. The 7.92-inch main OLED display is fantastic, while the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 paired with 16GB of RAM ensures excellent performance.

In our testing, the 5,150 mAh battery performed well, and 66W charging means it’s fast to charge. There’s also 50W wireless charging, which is faster than the wired charging on many phones. The 50MP main camera, 50MP telephoto, and 40MP ultra-wide camera are also very good.

Compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, the OnePlus Open, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, the Honor Magic V3 proves that foldables can have everything. A full review will be published in the newsletter in the coming days, but after two weeks, we like it. It's safe to say that the Magic V3 is a worthy award winner.

Plaud AI NotePin

Best personal AI product

We love a good AI product that’s truly helpful. Notice the word good, meaning companies like Humane need not apply. Thankfully, the Plaud NotePin shows how AI can be useful, and it might be the best standalone AI product we’ve seen this year.

The Plaud NotePin is a handy standalone AI notetaker from which any professional can benefit. The bundle has a few accessories, so you can wear it on your wrist, around your neck, or even attach it to your top like a lapel mic. This means it’s easy to always have it on you and effortless to record quickly.

It records with just a tap and uses AI to transcribe every word said. If you’re a real estate agent, it’ll allow you to recall everything a person is looking for. For doctors, note-taking just became so much easier, and for teachers, you can now record every lesson you give and provide a transcription afterward.

I love my original Plaud Note, but this NotePin is a game-changer. I’ve been using it for a few days, and I love it. Check out my interview with the CEO below!

Honor AI Deepfake Detection Feature

Best AI innovation

Many people fear AI, and rightfully so: AI has already proven capable of generating life-like images, spoofing people, and sowing mistrust in whether what you see is real.

Honor may have a solution for this. It is the first company to launch an AI-powered Deepfake detection feature that works in video calls to ensure the person on the other end isn’t spoofing you or the video hasn’t been spliced together.

There’s a particular irony to this, as AI would have been used to create those deep fakes, but it’s a great idea that I’m surprised wasn’t done sooner. Honor was first, but it won’t be the last, and based on the demos at IFA, this feature will be a blessing for many people. You can get it with the Honor Magic V3 now.

RingConn Gen 2

Best Smart Ring

If you’re following our Impact of Technology newsletter, you’ll know that we love smart rings. The RingConn Gen 1 was already one of the best smart rings, thanks to its great value-for-money proposition.

Technically announced just before IFA, RingConn picked this show as the global debut of the RingConn Gen 2. It’s slimmer, lighter, and thinner and packed with tons of technology. It also monitors Sleep Apnea, has a huge suite of health metrics, and comes in four colors.

We tried it at IFA, and it is fantastic in many ways; the competition — including Oura — should be very worried.

HMD Fusion

Best Smartphone Innovation

Remember the LG G5 or the Moto Z4 and Moto Mods? At IFA 2024, modular smartphones returned as HMD — the company that formerly made Nokia-branded smartphones — returned with the Fusion device. It’s wacky and wonderful!

I love the name, and I dig the product. The HMD Fusion features a range of interchangeable covers that can add useful features, from rugged protection or wireless charging to a ring light to improve streaming and selfies.

All of the covers are attached using the Smart Pins on the rear. In every sense of the word, the HMD Fusion is infinitely customizable. You can 3D print your exchangeable covers using the Open-Sourced kit. Support for easy repairs is similar to the HMD Skyline, meaning users can easily access the battery, screen, and other parts. You can also buy spare parts via iFixit for the next seven years.

If you’ve wanted to build or customize a phone at a hardware level, the HMD Fusion could be your phone. It’s a different take on customization and modular interpretation, but it could be the best.

Best of IFA 2024: Accessories, Home & More!

IFA 2024 features everything from mobile, computing, and personal health to audio, fitness, smart home, and home appliances. No, we didn’t check out 50 different washing machines, but for everything else encompassing all 27 halls, here’s the best of the rest at IFA 2024!

DJI Neo

Best Drone

DJI is the best name for creators, and the company’s Pocket 3 is essentially our go-to camera for all things video. At first, it was during trade shows, but it’s fast becoming the go-to in the studio. Now, DJI has made a drone that will be the perfect accompaniment.

The DJI Neo is the smallest and lightest drone we’ve ever tried, and at 135 grams, it’s the ideal companion to throw in your bag. It’s also not expensive, costing just $199 for the basic kit and $289 for the Combo kit. You might be thinking, well, what’s the catch? Despite the price and lightweight, it’s also incredibly capable.

The DJI Neo is palm-sized and can take off and land on your palm. The guards' design means there’s little risk of the propellor blades hurting you (but still… don’t stick your finger in them)! The 4 K camera is mounted on a single-axis gimbal, and it comes with six modes prevalent across the range of DJI drones. The battery offers up to 17 minutes of flight time in optimal conditions.

Whether you’re a hobbyist, a creator, or someone with a passing interest in a drone, this is the perfect drone to get you started. For context… it’s so portable that it weighs 90 grams less than the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

HaloAsis A1 Holographic Lyric Speaker

Best Home Entertainment Innovation

Karaoke and house parties will never be the same again, thanks to the HaloAsis A1 Holographic Lyric Speaker. The name won’t stick, but the product certainly will. Without delving into the technical details — which you can find in the video below — the A1 Holographic Lyric Speaker is loud and proud of being the ultimate house party speaker.

A clever array of three LED strips allows for holographic projections that let you do everything from display the time to sync with the lyrics of your favorite song in Spotify (or other apps) and display it on the screen. I love this speaker and can’t wait to try it further! It launches early next year and isn’t to be missed!

Govee COB Strip Light Pro

Best Smart Lighting

Govee wasn’t the first on the scene in smart lighting, but this company now has a cult-like following, and I’m a big fan. I’ve owned over 50 Govee lights throughout my various apartments, and at IFA 2024, the company unveiled a new set of lighting technologies that will revolutionize the smart lighting category.

The Govee COG Strip Light Pro features 1,260 LEDs per meter, which means you can unleash a range of lighting effects that haven’t been possible until now. It also means you have precise control, and the days of white LEDs between color and blocky color strips are long behind us. This is going to make those stunning Govee effects even better.

Many of Govee’s lights also use LuminBlend, a 16-bit custom chipset designed to match precision color. In actual practice, each light can process RGB single colors to 16-bit precision. There are 65,536 colors in 16-bit, and LuminBlend allows Govee to be precise with each. The next generation of lighting has never looked so good!

Belkin Everyday Keyboard Case

Best iPad Accessory

Like many people, we buy a Magic Keyboard case for every new iPad. This quickly becomes very expensive, but at IFA 2024, Belkin showed us a new iPad keyboard case that could be better than Apple’s. The Belkin Everyday Keyboard Case with Cradle for the iPad Air and iPad Pro doesn’t have the catchiest name, but it is a catchy product.

One of the best parts of this case is the anti-slip, anti-scratch material around the keyboard and trackpad. This makes it far more comfortable to type for long periods, which is a particular problem when using the Magic Keyboard. In addition, unlike the Magic Keyboard case, you can detach your iPad from the keyboard and keep it protected.

It won’t launch in the US this year, but for users in the EU, it’ll cost half (or less) the price of Apple’s keyboard case. Comfy, stylish, protective, and affordable? Sign us up!

AmazFit T-Rex 3

Best Smartwatch

The Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, and Pixel Watch 3 feature up to three days of battery life. This means you need to charge at least twice a week, if not more, and in a month, you’ll charge between ten and twelve times. What if you could get a rugged outdoor smartwatch with almost a month of battery life?

At IFA 2024, AmazFit delivered exactly this. The T-Rex 3 features a rugged design and a display with 2,000 nits brightness. It’s rated at 27 days of battery life during the typical use, and dual-band GPS offers detailed maps. Over 170 sport modes and 400+ alternative faces make for a stunning overall watch that feels fantastic in the hand.

It isn’t an Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch Ultra, but the T-Rex 3 might be the next best thing for most people.

TwelveSouth Plug Bug

Best Charger

Hands up if you’ve lost a charger before. 🙋‍♂️🙋‍♂️🙋‍♂️ I had to check how many of these emojis I could add, but it's safe to say I’ve lost at least 10+ chargers in the past couple of years. This is especially annoying when you travel like I do and lose your favorite charger. I’ve already lost one on this trip alone!

Twelve South has an absolutely genius solution: a fast charger with Apple Find My built-in.

The Plugbug is an incredibly popular charger, and the latest version is bound to be the most popular yet. It’s available in two styles: a 50W with two USB-C ports and a four-port one that can pump out 140W of power. The latter is ideal for Mac users.

The PlugBug integrates into the Find My network, so you’ll never lose a charger again. Twelve South founder Andrew told me years ago that they build products that solve a need they have as Apple users, and this is the case with the new PlugBug!

Roborock Qrevo Curv

Best Robot Vacuum

Do you use a robot vacuum and mop at home? If not, why not? And if you do, you’ll know that one of the biggest problems is when there’s a small obstacle, especially if you have a slightly taller threshold at the bottom of your door.

At IFA 2024, Roborock showcased the solution and ushered in an era of robot vacuums that not only mop and vacuum but can also climb stairs. It will be fascinating to see how long it will be before robot vacuums can climb the stairs for us!

Check out the video above for more on the Qrevo Curv, and stay tuned for a full review!

Anker SOLIX X1 Hybrid Energy System

Best Energy Power Solution

Rolling blackouts and power outages caused by bad weather have begun to occur more frequently in recent years, and if you live in an area where this is prevalent, keeping an emergency power supply has become a necessity.

Anker’s SOLIX lineup has long been part of many people’s home readiness plans, and the new SOLIX X1 Hybrid Energy System is likely to feature even more heavily going forward. Its modular design makes it particularly useful, allowing you to scale the system as your needs change.

No two homes are the same, and if you’re like me, you’ll need a lot more power than a less tech-centric user. You may also have a big family or dwelling requiring much power. The Anker SOLIX X1 can be scaled to a battery capacity between 5 and 180 kWh and output power from 3 kW to 36 kW. It’s a great solution that can adapt to individual needs and is a worthy winner.

Ugreen Uno

Best portable charger

Ugreen is one of the best companies for powering your devices, and at IFA 2024, the company unveiled a product that could be its best yet. There were many new announcements at IFA, but the one that caught our eye the most was the Uno Magnetic Wireless Power Bank 10,000 mAh 15W.

Excluding the name, this is a great product with a few key things that stand out. It’s equipped with 15W magnetic fast charging and is Qi2 certified, so when we eventually see Qi2 devices roll out—other than the iPhone 16 series—we’ll also have a way to fast charge them on the go.

This power bank also features two-way USB-C fast charging, so you can quickly recharge devices that aren’t Qi or Qi2 certified. The best part, however, is the built-in foldable metal stand to prop your phone up simultaneously. I can’t wait to get my hands on this!

And there you have it: 21 products and technologies that stood out at IFA 2024. It’s been the craziest IFA I’ve had in a very long time, and the iPhone 16 launch two days ago, right in the middle, didn't help (more on that tomorrow)!

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube for much more! We're still editing and publishing; over 30 videos and posts are in the queue!

Congratulations to all the companies that won! We can’t wait to see what you have to show us at CES 2025!

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