IFA expo takes tech
beyond AI

If AI were a brand, people would be forgiven for assuming there was only one exhibitor at the IFA (Internationale Funkausstellung) tech expo that kicked off in Berlin on Friday. It was startling to discover there were more than 2,000 exhibitors, with a vast proportion trumpeting AI as the most important feature of their products.

The largest and most influential consumer electronics trade show in Europe, IFA attracts a few hundred thousand visitors every year during September. With startups jostling for attention alongside the biggest brands in the world, it makes for a fascinating juxtaposition of minnows and giants. The former all aspire to become the latter, and sometimes the fairy tale comes true.

This year, for example, Huawei spin-off Honor, once a humble sub-brand, was one of the most visible names at IFA as it unveiled the V3 foldable phone (see main story) and other major innovations. The likes of Samsung and LG, Korea’s sprawling tech conglomerates, were also looking over their collective shoulders at a steady flood of new Chinese companies muscling their way onto the world stage. These range from portable energy storage business Ecoflow to new vacuum cleaning innovators Eureka, who all target just a small slice of the big players’ pies.

AI by its very nature was expected to dominate the smart home systems on display, for example showing that kitchen appliances can do more than just follow commands — they will anticipate our needs, but hopefully not restock our fridges before getting permission.

However, many brands are looking beyond AI, not only for the next nigh thing in tech, but also the next big thing in user expectations. For that reason, it sustainability in consumer tech has evolved from being a buzzword to becoming a critical factor driving innovation. Companies are increasingly trumpeting their green credentials – if not as enthusiastically as their AI merits – and beginning to showcase real solutions to the environmental impact of their products.

The phrase we are hearing more and more loudly at IFA is “circular economy”, which focuses on avoiding waste, enhancing recyclability, and using sustainable materials. Will it have enough impact to offset the carbon footprints of everyone who flew to Berlin? Yes, if the European Commission has anything to do with it. Just over a year ago it adopted the European Sustainability Reporting Standards, setting standards for environmental, social, and governance issues. The biggest names are likely to be the first to present products aligned with the new standards.

Entertainment got a boost at IFA, especially with  gaming-related announcements. It is a focus that previously would have been left to gaming-specific shows, like the giant Gamescom that takes place in Cologne just days before IFA. That is such as big pie, however, there are plenty left-overs for IFA to lap up. In particular, great expectations were harboured for the likes of cloud gaming, mobile gaming, and esports.

Then again, equally great expectations have rarely been met for “immersive entertainment”, or virtual reality, or metaverse, or extended reality, or any of the other synonyms for ”expensive headsets”. Acer did unveil Project DualPlay, a gaming laptop with a touchpad that is becomes a removable wireless gamepad with joysticks and buttons. Shades of the Switch meets Legion Go? Perhaps, but it is still just a concept.

Health remained an obsession of gadget developers, who have tended to flood IFA with the latest answer to anything from hearing loss to relationship issues. As a result, health “wearables” have evolved into “medical-grade devices”. Pulse monitoring? That is so IFA 2018. Now it is standardised ECG,  blood pressure tracking, and even blood sugar monitoring. Some raved about an inner-ear scope that helps check for earwax, but some things are best left to a specialist. 

The most fascinating innovations in this niche are less about the devices and more about the human mind. From devices that monitor stress levels or offer relaxation techniques to ones aimed at emotional well-being, your therapist may soon be in your phone.

* Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on social media on @art2gee.