IFA 2025 is officially opening its doors in Berlin from September 5th to 9th, but as is tradition, companies have already started dropping their biggest announcements. The annual European trade show has long been seen as the continent’s answer to CES, and this year is no exception: AI-driven home gadgets, ultra-thin laptops, over-the-top speakers, experimental kitchen tech, and bleeding-edge gaming gear are all taking the spotlight. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the most notable reveals so far, with some context on where they fit in the wider tech landscape.
Samsung set the tone early with the Sound Tower ST50F and ST40F, its latest in the long-running party speaker category. Unlike the relatively understated designs of recent years, these models bring back a full lightshow aesthetic, with a racetrack-shaped LED strip across the front and additional illumination around the tweeters, base, and even the carrying handle. Users can choose between six dynamic light patterns and five mood presets. It’s a reminder that Samsung, which popularized this category over a decade ago with its Giga line, is still willing to double down on spectacle for the social audio crowd. Whether the sound quality matches the visual excess remains to be heard, but the move signals a return to high-visibility hardware in the portable speaker space.
Not to be outdone, JBL is expanding its PartyBox line with the new 720 model, priced at $1,099. This is the company’s largest battery-powered speaker yet, tipping the scales at seven pounds heavier than its 710 predecessor. The dimensions have also grown slightly, with the key change being a bump in subwoofer size from 8 to 9 inches for deeper bass. Unlike the 710, the 720 can run on two swappable rechargeable 600 batteries, giving it up to 15 hours of playtime without being tethered to a power outlet. This shift to battery power makes the 720 far more versatile for outdoor use, though real-world endurance will likely vary depending on how much of its lighting and bass modes users enable.
On the smart home front, LG is pushing its vision of “ambient computing” with the FURON AI Agent. The company imagines a proactive home where lights switch on as occupants move, doors unlock automatically, and coffee starts brewing before anyone reaches the kitchen. This type of anticipatory automation has been a long-standing goal in smart home development, but execution has often been clunky and inconsistent. The rise of AI agents capable of parsing natural language and image recognition could, in theory, smooth these gaps. The bigger question is whether users will be willing to trust AI systems with constant household monitoring. LG is pitching the FURON platform as a step toward seamless interaction, but adoption will depend on reliability and privacy assurances as much as convenience.
Acer, one of IFA’s most consistent exhibitors, arrived with a flood of announcements. The Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is its first to use MediaTek’s Kompanio Ultra 910 processor, the same chip that impressed reviewers in Lenovo’s Chromebook Plus 14 earlier this year. That laptop earned praise for offering strong performance and long battery life without a fan, though Acer’s convertible 514 does include active cooling. The model sports a Gorilla Glass-covered 14-inch touchscreen, with resolution options of 1920 x 1200 or 2880 x 1800, and support for USI 2.0 styluses. While IPS displays won’t offer the same vibrancy as OLED, the versatility of a convertible design paired with stylus input makes this model attractive to students and professionals who need a balance between performance and portability.
The Swift Air 16 is another standout. At just 2.18 pounds (IPS) or 2.43 pounds (OLED), Acer claims it is lighter than even Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Air, making it the lightest 16-inch laptop on the market. It also includes more ports than Apple’s ultraportables, potentially addressing one of the Air’s most common criticisms. With a starting price of €999 and a planned November launch in Europe, the Swift Air 16 is a direct challenge to ultrathin laptops from both Apple and LG (whose Gram series has long been the benchmark for lightness). However, its slightly thicker chassis—0.63 inches for the IPS model and 0.65 inches for the OLED—means it won’t feel as svelte as Apple’s Air lineup, which is under half an inch thick. The tradeoff may be acceptable for those who prioritize screen real estate without sacrificing portability.
Acer is also showing off its design ambitions via its recently acquired Japanese brand, Amadana. The 27ART0 P1 desktop monitor, only 8mm thick, emphasizes minimalist styling and will be available in EMEA markets for €169. The 16-inch portable 16APM1QJ, weighing just 1.4 pounds and priced at €119, continues that design-first ethos. Neither model has a confirmed US launch. For higher-performance displays, Acer is debuting the Predator X27U F8, a 26.5-inch OLED with dual refresh rate modes: 1440p at 540Hz and 720p at 720Hz. Priced at $1,300 and arriving in Q1 2026, it’s designed squarely for competitive gamers who prioritize ultra-high frame rates over resolution, even if that remains a niche audience.
Gaming laptops also feature prominently in Acer’s lineup. The new Predator Helios 18P AI introduces Nvidia’s RTX 5090 GPU alongside Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285HX processor, paired with an 18-inch 4K Mini LED display running at 120Hz. The system includes two Thunderbolt 5 ports among a larger selection of I/O, highlighting the shift to next-gen connectivity standards. Starting at €4,999, the Helios 18P sits at the very top of the portable gaming market, effectively serving as a desktop replacement. Meanwhile, on the professional side, Acer has unveiled the Veriton GN100 AI Mini Workstation. At $3,999, it combines Nvidia’s GB10 “Grace Blackwell” processor with 128GB of memory, 4TB of storage, Wi-Fi 7, HDMI 2.1b, Ethernet, and four USB-C ports, packed into a compact form factor. With nearly every major PC maker offering an AI mini-desktop at this point, Acer’s entry reflects an industry-wide belief that these boxes will become fixtures in creative and research workflows.
In the kitchen, Ooni’s Volt 2 pizza oven introduces “Pizza Intelligence,” a sensor-based heating system that automatically adjusts the top and bottom elements to reduce cold spots and temperature swings. It supports pizzas up to 13 inches across and is compact enough for countertop use, though indoor pizza ovens still face practical challenges around smoke ventilation. The branding may oversell the feature, but adaptive heating could make results more consistent for casual cooks.
Dolby, meanwhile, is pushing the next evolution of its HDR standard with Dolby Vision 2. Building on the foundation of Dolby Vision IQ, this version introduces “Content Intelligence,” which adjusts picture quality based not only on content type but also on ambient lighting and playback device. Features include “Precision Black” for improved dark-scene clarity and bi-directional tone mapping that allows creators to take fuller advantage of a display’s capabilities. The update could help premium TVs stand out as panel hardware improvements slow down, though it will depend heavily on how widely Dolby Vision 2 is adopted by both manufacturers and content providers.
Finally, in the category of unexpected IFA oddities, Dangbei has previewed the Smart Fish Tank 1 Ultra. Billed as the first AI-powered aquarium, it promises automated feeding, real-time water monitoring, and studio-grade lighting designed to mimic natural environments. The company also teased the S7 Ultra Max, a liquid-cooled 4K projector with a claimed 6,200 ISO lumen output. If the projector does launch globally, it would be one of the brightest consumer models available, though pricing and availability remain unconfirmed.
IFA 2025 reflects two major currents in consumer tech: AI integration across nearly every product category, and a push to make hardware either thinner, lighter, or louder. But as with many trade show reveals, the real test will be how these devices perform once they reach users outside the polished demo booths in Berlin. Some, like Dolby Vision 2 or LG’s FURON AI, could set long-term industry standards. Others, like AI-managed aquariums or 700Hz gaming monitors, may fade as novelties. For now, the show provides a revealing look at where manufacturers believe consumer interest—and spending—will go next.
