IFA returns in 2022 with the best tech releases, most of which are novel and peculiar. Here are the best of the bunch from the biggest tech show in Germany.

Best Smartphone: Honor 70

The HONOR 70 captures what the midrange market needs. Being a well-rounded device in terms of performance, battery life, and gaming prowess, along with a superior set of cameras makes it easily a smart choice for a daily driver.

It can be easily someone’s GadgetMatch, especially if photography and videography are a priority for the user.

Best Innovation: LG OLED Flex

LG’s 2022 OLED TV lineup is nothing short of amazing. With their brand spanking new OLED Evo tech, their TVs offer the same deep black and image clarity we’ve come to know and love. But it takes a leap in brightness making it even better. For the extra oomph and wow factor, LG decided to put all of that tech in a curved panel. Wild. Just wild.

With the LG OLED Flex, not only do you get the best of LG (OLED Evo, Game Optimizer, Multiple picture modes), but you also get it in a curved panel that’s great for working with up close and personal.

Best Foldable Laptop: ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold OLED

So, ASUS looked at foldable smartphones and thought “Hmm… why don’t we make it BIGGER?” The ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold OLED is the first of its kind at its size. Unfolded you get the massive 17-inch display in a body that’s not exactly for one-handed use. It can be propped up in multiple modes: PC, Laptop, Book, and Tablet.

It’s a first-generation device so expect some kinks here and there. One might think that this isn’t the most practical thing in the world. But that’s not the point. ASUS is experimenting with something new and this one certainly fits that bill. Plus, it’s also quite the conversation starter.

Best Smart Kitchen: LG MoodUP Fridge

LG lit up the mood at IFA 2022 with its MoodUP Fridge, targeting younger demographics who like to blend cutting-edge technology with intuitive features and bolder designs. The fridge pushes for customizability with its color-changing LED door panels. It can easily change the kitchen’s mood and aesthetic, and with its flexible design, anyone can achieve a stylish, integrated kitchen within their reach.

Best Product Design: LG Aero Furniture

LG is expanding its Object Collection with the LG Aero Furniture, a table that doubles as an air purifier. At a time when we have to be more mindful of our health while maintaining a certain aesthetic, a piece of furniture pulling double duty is a novelty that we aspire to have in our homes.

After all, Aero Furniture uses multi-stage filtration, combining an Ultra-fine Filter, a Dust Collector Filter, and a Deodorization Filter in one. Moreover, it comes with UVnano technology that reduces viruses and bacteria by up to 99.99 percent.

Best Conventional Laptop: Lenovo ThinkBook 16p Gen 3

While not the best-looking laptop announced at IFA 2022, the Lenovo Thinkbook 16p Gen 3 features best-in-class hardware: AMD Ryzen 9 H-series processors, NVIDIA RTX 3060 GPU, up to 32GB of dual-channel LPDDR5 RAM, up to 2TB of dual-SSD storage, a pair of Dolby Atmos speakers, Full HD web camera with IR, sufficient 71Whr battery, and a 15.6” 2.5K IPS with 165Hz refresh rate plus HDR400 VESA Certified.

And with IFA 2022’s sustainable technology in mind, this laptop is also certified to be eco-friendly with EPEAT Gold rating plus certifications from Energy Star and TCO 9.0.

Best TV: TCL X925 Pro 8K Mini LED

Other than its slim and sophisticated-looking mechanical design, it also packs the latest and greatest TV innovation like OD-Zero Mini LED, Quantum Dot, better 8K upscaling, 120Hz VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), IMAX-enhanced feature, and many more.

Even audio quality wasn’t compromised with its 160W Channel 5.1.2 surround sound system consisting of 25 speakers in total. This is probably the TV in our wildest dreams.

Best Smart Appliance: LG Styler ShoeCare & ShoeCase

If you’re one of the legit sneakerheads, you would totally cop these two. Unlike traditional shoe racks and shoe boxes where you place your dirty shoes after using them, these new shoe care products by LG are equipped with TrueSteam technology that guarantees clean sneaks all the time.

The LG Styler ShoeCare ensures utmost care and protection for different types of shoes like leather, suede, and even sports footwear. Meanwhile, the Styler ShoeCase is the best way to ShoeCase (I mean showcase) your limited-edition sneakers – either bought retail or from the pesky resellers we all seem to hate. Best of all? It protects your shoes from humidity and UV light which will make your sneakers last longer than usual.

Best Gaming Monitor: Odyssey Ark

As far as gaming monitors go, the Odyssey Ark from Samsung seems the most far out. It’s the world’s first 55-inch 1000R curved gaming screen. It also happens to be 4K with 165Hz refresh rate. But really, one look at this thing and you’ll how much it stands out from literally everything else.

You also have to have a pretty deep desk to make sure you’re now being swallowed hole by this colossal piece of tech. It has an Ark Dial which lets you adjust its orientation. This gives us Cockpit Mode where the curved screen is positioned vertically. Yes, it’s as insane as it sounds.

LG Electronics showcased a diverse range of latest smart life solutions in its booth at IFA 2022 in Messe Berlin.

The centerpiece of LG’s showcase was the new 97-inch OLED evo Gallery Edition TV, greeting visitors who entered the booth.

Taking things to a massive scale, the award-winning 88-inch LG Signature OLED TV 8K as well as the 136-inch 4K Micro LED were also present — two entertainment solutions which feature first-class picture quality.

Flex Arcade zone

Aside from LG’s latest products, visitors were also treated to a retro-style gaming experience in the Flex Arcade zone.

Here, they were allowed to try out both new console games and old-school classics on LG’s OLED TVs — including the first-ever flexible 42-inch OLED TV Flex.

This provided a great way of showcasing the TV’s 20 curve options, as it its tailor-made for gaming on an entirely new level.

The UltraGear Gaming Monitor Play zone also gave fans a glimpse of the latest gaming solutions.

Lifestyle zone

Meanwhile, the LG OLED Object Collection, audio solutions such as the XBOOM 360 wireless speaker, LG’s all-in-one shoe care solution, LG Styler ShoeCase and ShoeCare comprised the Lifestyle zone of the room.

AI washer and dryer models, and a table-type air purifier (a furniture and air care appliance hybrid), were also on display during IFA 2022.

HONOR has just hosted its keynote at IFA 2022. Entitled “Embracing the Connected Future,” HONOR laid out its plans. A Dual Flagship Strategy, a preview of MagicOS 7.0, an intelligent collaboration OS, and more.

Dual flagship strategy

For the first time, HONOR is introducing its foldable smartphones to international markets. Together with an all-around flagship smartphone, the foldable will also make its way to Europe and other regions around the world.

Joining the announcement is the unveiling of MagicOS 7.0, a new OS designed to provide a seamless experience. It’s based on Android as well as PC and IoT operating systems, allowing devices running a different OS to connect to MagicOS devices at a system level.

The OS will also allow users to control an HONOR laptop, smartphone, and tablet with just a single keyboard and a mouse. Moreover, it will come with functional features that will make your connected experience efficient. MagicOS 7.0 will be officially announced later in 2022.

Commitment to cross-device functionality

HONOR is expanding its partnership with Microsoft, bringing Phone Link to international HONOR device users. The feature was previously available to HONOR device users in China alone.

In case you’re unfamiliar with Phone Link, it connects select HONOR smartphones to Windows PCs, enabling the ability to view notifications, make and receive calls, and use mobile apps on Windows.

Currently, the HONOR Magic4 Pro is the first international HONOR smartphone to support the feature. The HONOR 70 will support Phone Link as well, after an OTA update.

A vlogging smartphone

Taking the lead in bolstering HONOR’s product portfolio is the HONOR 70. The latest addition to HONOR’s high-end N series, which is also the successor of the HONOR 50, debuts as a masterpiece device for vlogging enthusiasts.

It’s a stylish device with video-centric features such as Solo Cut mode, Person Re-identification technology, and Dual Video streaming. It also takes pride in its 54-megapixel Sony IMX800 Super Sensing camera with a large 1/1.49-inch sensor.

The HONOR 70 will be available in select European markets. It will retail for EUR 549 for the 8GB/128GB variant, and EUR 599 for the 8GB/256GB variant.

Powerhouse notebook

Joining HONOR’s expanding product portfolio is the all-new HONOR MagicBook 14. It’s the first HONOR laptop that features an OS Turbo, delivering significant upgrades in battery life and power efficiency.

It runs on a 12th-gen Intel Core i5-12500H processor, with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 dedicated graphics card, and supports a 75Wh battery that promises up to 17 hours of battery life.

It’s slated to arrive in select European markets by September 18, 2022, with pre-orders starting September 2, 2022. The Honor MagicBook 14 without the dedicated graphics card retails for EUR 1099, while the RTX-infused ones cost EUR 1299.

Premium-looking tablet

Completing the brand’s global product portfolio is the HONOR Pad 8. It’s an affordable, well-rounded tablet that caters to productivity and entertainment needs of students and young professionals.

It sports a 12-inch 2K FullView display, with eight built-in loudspeakers for a promise of an immersive multimedia experience. It also runs on Magic UI 6.1 with Google Play services.

The HONOR Pad 8 is also arriving in select European markets, retailing for EUR 329 [4GB/128GB] and EUR 349 [6GB/128GB].

The next digital revolution

HONOR is preparing for the next digital revolution, unlocking immersive experiences and harnessing the technology through Spatial Audio, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Augmented Reality (AR).

Gateway to the Future

Unveiled during HONOR’s IFA keynote session, “Gateway to the Future” is HONOR Talents’ initiative to enrich cultural heritage through the power of technology.

The company collaborated with ARLOOPA to challenge two renowned artists — Yunuene and Timo Helgert — to reimagine the iconic Wasserschloss building located in Hamburg’s Speicherstadt, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The AR experience is now live on-location in Speicherstadt and will be available for viewing via the ARLOOPA app.

Spatial Audio

HONOR comes with a Spatial Audio solution to allow headphones to produce wide, cinematic 3D sound effects. It aims to create the sense of immersion required for AR and VR experiences.

The solution delivers surround sound by using the accelerometer and gyroscopes in earbuds to track the motion of the user’s head, ultimately remapping the sound field.

Applications for Interactive AR artwork category

HONOR has also introduced a dedicated Interactive AR Artwork category as part of its HONOR Talents global design competition.

The contestants are invited to produce digital AR artworks, aiming to transform their neighborhoods including digital overlays for buildings, walls, parks, and other public spaces. For artists interested in the contest, get more information here.

Watch the Keynote here.