Smart Home
JBL’s new speakers will ~literally~ turn your house into a club
Meet your next party essentials!
JBL just turned up the volume (literally).
At the JBL Experience, the global audio brand unveiled its latest lineup of party speakers and portable essentials.
The launch event was a full-sensory celebration, with surprise appearances by Michael Sager and Jackie Gonzaga and a genre battle between DJs that had the crowd vibing all night.
It’s party time!
JBL launched its most powerful battery-powered speaker yet. The PartyBox 520 is built for large gatherings, featuring a splash-proof IPX4 design, a rugged handle, and sturdy wheels so you can roll the party anywhere.
It offers up to 15 hours of playtime, fast-charging, and replaceable batteries to keep the music going nonstop. With AI Sound Boost and Auracast, you get crystal-clear audio and the ability to sync with other JBL speakers wirelessly.
JBL also unveiled the PartyBox Encore 2 and Encore Essential 2, which pack powerful performance in a more portable form.
With Bluetooth 5.4, ergonomic handles, and long-lasting battery life, they’re made for music lovers who are always on the go. The Encore 2 even includes wireless mics for karaoke battles, while the Essential 2 brings dynamic lighting to every beat.
A quick 10-minute charge gives you up to 80 minutes of playtime.
The JBL PartyBox 520 retails for PhP 42,999. Meanwhile, the PartyBox Encore 2 is priced at PhP 24,999 while the Encore Essential 2 comes at a more accessible price tag at PhP 18,999.
Small size, huge sound
JBL has also unveiled the Flip 7. It has been upgraded with an interchangeable finger loop, carabiner hook, and IP68 water and dust resistance.
Expect deeper bass, clearer highs, and up to 16 hours of playtime with Playtime Boost. It also supports Auracast for multi-speaker pairing and is powered by Bluetooth 5.4 for smoother wireless streaming.
Then, there’s the Charge 6 that takes versatility up a notch. With a detachable handle strap, AI Sound Boost, an upgraded woofer, and Auracast pairing, this speaker means business.
It offers an incredible 28 hours of battery life, plus it doubles as a power bank to charge your phone while playing your favorite tracks. Ideal for all-day, all-night playlists.
The JBL Flip 7 retails for PhP 7,999 while the JBL Charge 6 retails for PhP 10,999. Both units comes in different colorways, such as Black, Blue, Funky Black, Pink, Purple, Red, Sand, Squad, and White.
Wake up better
One of the things that really piqued our interest is the JBL Horizon 3. More than an alarm clock, it helps optimize your sleep cycle and wake routine with ambient sunrise alarms, ocean wave soundscapes, and intuitive lighting.
It’s also a powerful Bluetooth speaker with JBL stereo sound, dual passive radiators, FM radio, and now works with the JBL One App for easier control over alarms, EQ settings, and light modes. Designed with minimalism in mind, it’s a sleek and smart addition to any nightstand.
The JBL Horizon 3 retails at PhP 7,699.
IFA 2026
LG’s AI Home vision comes to life at IFA 2026 with innovative showcase
For a smarter, more connected experience
LG Electronics went all-out at IFA 2026, showcasing various offerings across different portfolios to highlight its AI Home vision of a smarter and more connected experience.
LG presented the next evolution of this AI Home vision, with focus on bringing together AI-powered appliances for a connected experience.
Visitors at IFA 2026 were able to explore LG’s immersive AI Home spaces, spanning living, kitchen, and rest zones.
For its 2026 LG AI TV lineup, the company highlighted its new α11 AI Processor Gen3, the most powerful AI TV engine yet.
This drives LG’s refined picture quality-enhancing technologies. This processor brings advanced picture quality enhancements to LG’s ultra-large Micro RGB evo TVs.
The processor features faster, more precise video processing with a 5.6-fold improvement in NPU performance, plus improvements in CPU and GPU capabilities.
The 2026 AI TV lineup also incorporates a number of user-centric AI features, including Voice ID, A Chatbot, and AI Concierge.
Immersive media entertainment offerings featured the LG OLED evo AI. But at the center of the Media Entertainment Zone is the Wallpaper OLED TV with True Wireless called the LG OLED W6.
LG is also expanding its gaming monitor offerings with the world’s first UltraGear monitor supporting both FHD resolution and a 1,000Hz refresh rate.
AI Home vision
At the heart of the AI Home vision is the newly-introduced ThinQ Claw. This new text chat-based AI agent experience further enriches and expands the company’s AI Home offering.
ThinQ Claw interprets updates shared by the user within the context of their personal life. This enables the agent to recommend or help initiate appropriate actions aligned with personal preferences.
All interactions are protected by the LG Shield security framework which helps protect connected appliances, services, and customer data.
Moreover, the AI Home Zone highlighted Homey, a smart home platform developed by Athom, which LG acquired in 2024.
Homey allows users to manage diverse products from different manufacturers and service providers in one place.
Innovation in tune with you
Speaking of AI Home, LG showcased actual offerings to help visitors visualize the connected ecosystem better.
At the booth entrance is the LG AI Orchestra which unfolds a 16-meter by 4-meter kinetic LED installation, where LG CLOiD serves as conductor of a connected ecosystem.
In the AI Home Zone, there’s the LG ThinQ ON AI home hub and LG ThinQ platform, alongside the expanded Fit & Max Solution.
The Energy Leadership Zone also put the spotlight on LG’s high-efficiency core technologies for its appliances.
There’s the Dual Inverter Heat Pump and inverter compressor solutions. The exhibit included a washing machine that uses up to 70% less energy.
High-efficiency refrigerators, dryers, and dishwashers designed to deliver strong performance while using fewer energy resources were also displayed.
LG SIGNATURE, Fit & Max lines
At LG’s more premium experience area, the LG SIGNATURE refrigerator was the center of attention.
This refrigerator brings LLM-based conversational AI to premium kitchens, offering a look at the expanding role of AI appliances as part of LG’s AI Home vision.
A 6.8-inch LCD display also supports LG’s AI-powered cooling management.
Another next-generation LG SIGNATURE offering is the Downdraft Hood kitchen hood, which captures smoke and odors directly at the cooking surface.
Optimized airflow and motor control then support effective extraction with quiet operation.
Other refrigerators include the LG Fit & Max French-door refrigerator with a Zero Clearance design.
This features Dual FRESHConverter+ for optimized food preservation, with independently controlled compartments that can be set to different preset temperature modes.
Also under the Fit & Max portfolio is the Fit & Max dishwasher which combines a seamless built-in design with a 1-Hour Wash & Dry cycle for efficient everyday use.
It uses QuadWash Pro for micro-bubbles to help detergent penetrate food residue. Hybrid Air Dry, meanwhile, improves air circulation to shorten drying time.
IFA 2026
Xiaomi makes IFA debut, showcasing ‘Human x Car x Home’ ecosystem
Xiaomi continues to invest in AI for everyday experiences
Xiaomi officially made its debut at IFA 2026 in Berlin, Germany with over 3,300 square meters of exhibition space.
The company brought together more than 380 products, forward-looking technologies, and real-world demonstrations.
The exhibition was organized around three major areas: AI Tomorrow, AI Today, and “Human x Car x Home”. Together, these areas took visitors from future-facing concepts to intelligent experiences that are readily available.
The entire showcase also demonstrates how AI can coordinate devices and services across different environments to create more intuitive everyday life experiences.
AI Tomorrow, for instance, explores the future of intelligent mobility through Xiaomi Vision Gran Turismo. This highlighted new possibilities at the intersection of automotive design, performance technology, and digital experiences.
AI Today, meanwhile, showcased the Xiaomi SU7 Max and home environments. These included the kitchen, living room, bedroom, and study areas. The section demonstrated how AI can coordinate personal devices, cars, and smart home products around everyday scenarios.
Moreover, Xiaomi’s “Human x Car x Home” portfolio brings together more than 380 products across seven categories:
- cooking and food storage
- home cleaning
- air management
- audiovisual entertainment
- safety and security
- personal devices
- smart mobility
The smart ecosystem is a user-centered intelligent ecosystem that connects such products. They use AI and Xiaomi HyperOS to enable devices and services to work together across the entire ecosystem.
Mijia expands in Europe
At IFA 2026, Xiaomi also announced the large-scale expansion of its smart home brand, Mijia, in Europe.
The brand brings together human-centric intelligence, proven quality, and essential design to create smart home experiences that feel more natural, intuitive, and dependable.
Mijia currently covers over 2,000 products across more than 130 product categories, all connected through a shared ecosystem.
Advancing AI, investing in long-term R&D
As AI continues to evolve, Xiaomi believes AI should go beyond just answering questions on the screen and understand real-world context better.
The aforementioned ecosystem provides an important foundation for this transition. By connecting multiple devices around the same user, the ecosystem provides a foundation for AI to understand context across different scenarios and coordinate multiple devices to complete tasks.
This core concept was showcased in detail at IFA through real-world scenarios involving simple tasks.
Furthermore, Xiaomi is investing more than EUR 24 billion for global R&D from 2026 to 2030, recognizing the importance of the European market.
This investment spans AI, OS, in-house semiconductor capabilities, smart vehicles, robotics, and smart manufacturing.
IFA 2026
TCL showcases expanding AI technologies at IFA 2026
For a more connected living environment
TCL showcased its expanding lineup of AI technologies at IFA 2026. These offerings span the home entertainment, mobile devices, smart appliances, and connected living solutions areas.
TCL also showcased its TCL NXTHOME vision of bringing smart displays, home appliances, and intelligent design into a complete living environment.
Included in the showcase is the flagship TCL X11L SQD-Mini LED TV. This TV is powered by a Super Mini LED Backlight, Super QLED layer, and the WHVA 2.0 Ultra Panel. It is also paired with Audio by Bang & Olufsen.
Alongside this is the TCL X3A OLED+ Gaming Monitor which brings high-contrast and dual-mode ultra-high refresh rates to gaming.
For audio, there’s the TCL Q95K Soundbar which creates a more immersive environment with an 11.1.4-channel audio.
Onto smaller screens, TCL presented the TCL P80 Series smartphone for the first time. This series is headlined by the TCL P80 Ultra, which combines a 50MP 3x periscope telephoto camera, 1.5K display, and a slim, lightweight design for everyday use.
Devices under the series feature TCL’s NXTPAPER technology. It is also used on the TCL TAB A1 Plus NXTPAPER, which brings a paper-like viewing experience to a 12.2-inch display.
When it comes to smart appliances, TCL also brought the TCL FreshIN 3.0 Ultra air conditioner for a closer look.
This AC delivers efficient performance, Smart Voice Control, and real-time air-quality monitoring.
There’s also the TCL AI SuperDrum Laundry Tower P9 Ultra which uses Generative AI Wash to sense load size, fabric type, and dirt level before automatically adjusting water temperature, detergent dosage, and cycle time. This makes the wash session more optimal.
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