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Berlin pulsed with energy this week as IFA Berlin, rechristened with the slogan “Innovation for All,” kicked off from the city’s Messe grounds. From Sept. 5-9, the fair drew not only industry titans — Samsung, LG, Bosch, TCL, Hisense, Electrolux and more — but also content and tech creators from 49 countries.
IFA celebrated its 100th anniversary last year but CEO Leif Lindner felt he had even more to prove going into the 2025 showcase. Rather than focusing on specific tech trends, Lindner’s focus this year was creating a culture-forward spectacle that would be felt throughout the city, rather than an industry conference relegated to techies.
“This year was to prove that we’re going in the right direction, but with adaptions left and right because we see trends clearly and visibly,” Lindner told Variety following the showcase’s opening conference on Wednesday morning. “I don’t have to tell you guys how fast things are changing, so our goal this year was to bring together the relevant people and to be open-minded. ‘Innovation for all’ means bringing people together: journalists, retailers, exhibitors.”
This year’s showcase a hosted a record number of 1,900 exhibitors — 100 more than last year. By day, the fair hosted a constellation of hubs and activations that went beyond static displays. Highlights of the visitor experience included zones dedicated to Mobility Track, where e-bikes, autonomous transport concepts and charging infrastructure demonstrated the seamless integration of AI and sustainability. Meanwhile, the Beauty Hub, Gaming Specials and Outdoor Cooking & Gardening areas offered immersive ways to interact with tech in lifestyle categories.
As daylight faded, the fields beyond the exhibition halls transformed into a stage set for the much-anticipated IFA Sommergarten, which returned with a four-day festival. The Opening Night on Sept. 4 featured performances from Berlin’s Deine Cousine, duos like EVIL JARED × KROGI and local up-and-comers such as Sorvina, Danilo Timm and Anne West. The fest also brought through talent like Max Herre and Joy Denalane, and culminated with an evening hosted by Berlin’s beloved podcasting duo Jan Böhmermann and Olli Schulz of “Fest & Flauschig.”
Sipa USA via AP
Bernd von Jutrczenka/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
Bernd von Jutrczenka/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
Standout innovations this year included the ThinkBook VertiFlex Concept by Lenovo, a laptop whose screen rotates from landscape to portrait, and its dynamic Smart Motion Concept stand that adapts to the user’s posture. In smart home and cleaning tech, innovations like Eufy’s stair-climbing MarsWalker robovac, Dyson’s Spot+Scrub AI robot and Roborock’s 4-in-1 Homewide Cleaning Combo — an integrated washer-dryer-robot vacuum-mop unit — demonstrated some of the most high-tech smart home devices we’ve seen.
Creative uses of AI showed up across categories: Acemate’s Tennis Robot offered intelligent sports coaching, Anker’s Soundcore Work AI provided GPT-4.1 transcription, while SwitchBot’s Noa and Niko fluffy companions brought AI into emotional (and only slightly eerie…) interactions. At the same time, the spotlight fell on portable power with Bluetti’s sodium-ion Pioneer Na power station and Anker’s 26,250 mAh Prime Power Bank.
In home entertainment, projectors like Xgimi’s Horizon 20 Max and Soundcore’s rolling X1 Pro home theater, along with TCL’s child-friendly Nxtpaper 5G Junior and budget-conscious lighting in the Philips Hue lineup — complete with a video doorbell and Hue Bridge Pro — spoke to both personalization and accessibility.
Ahead, you’ll find our picks for the best, most innovative tech out of IFA Berlin 2025:
Philips Hue Bridge Pro
Ambient lighting for the home has never been better than with the Philips Hue Bridge Pro, which elevates smart lighting control with triple the capacity, supporting over 150 lights and 50 accessories and up to 500 personalized scenes. It boasts a faster “Hue Chip Pro,” Wi-Fi connectivity and the groundbreaking MotionAware feature, which turns groups of bulbs into motion sensors without extra hardware.
XGIMI Horizon 20 Max
Experience cinema-grade brightness and gaming performance with the XGIMI Horizon 20 Max. the high-tech projector boasts a powerful RGB triple-laser engine with 5,700 ISO lumens for crisp-distortion-free visuals. Plus, lightning-fast input lag, ultra-smooth 240Hz motion and visuals calibrated for HDR gaming make it an epic gaming experience.
TCL PlayCube Projector
The TCL PlayCube is a brilliantly quirky, ultra-compact projector that blends form and function. Itss cube-like design, inspired by Rubik’s Cube and the robot TARS, makes it as stylish as it is portable Despite its small size (about 6 × 4 inches and 2.7 lbs), it delivers 1080p resolution with 750 ISO lumens brightness, up to three hours of battery life powered by a 66 Wh pack, auto-focus and image alignment and Google TV connectivity with Netflix certification.
Samsung Sound Tower
Unleash the ultimate party vibe with the the newest sound tower from Samsung, a 240-watt powerhouse that combines booming bass and crystal-clear highs via dual 6.5″ woofers and 25 mm dome tweeters enhanced by Waveguide tech. The immersive Party Lights+ system is made up fo 360-degree LED lighting across five zones that react in real time to music with six dynamic patterns and five mood presets. With up to 18 hours of battery life, IPX4 splash resistance, and Samsung’s Grip & Roll handle-plus-wheels design, it’s truly built to move your party anywhere.
Anker Prime Power Bank, 27,650 mAh
Anker’s Prime 27K is a mobile powerhouse, offering 250-watt multi-port charging across two USB-Cs and one USB-A port, powerful enough to charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro to 50% in just 28 minutes.
COMING SOON
Antigravity AI 8k 360 Drone
Step into the future of aerial storytelling with the Antigravity A1, the world’s first all-in-one 8K 360-degree drone. Its dual top-and-bottom lenses capture every angle in stunning clarity, using advanced stitching to render the drone almost invisible in your footage. Paired with immersive Vision goggles and a motion-based Grip controller, its intuitive FreeMotion mode lets you look anywhere while flying elsewhere. At just 249 grams, it skirts most regulations and arrives globally in January 2026.
COMING SOON
NexLawn VIDAR Series Robotic Lawn Mower
The NexLawn VIDAR Series is one of the most innovative inventions we saw in the home and garden category at IFA. Officially launching next spring, the robotic lawnmower reinvents lawn care with wire-free navigation powered by AI and 3D mapping, eliminating the need for boundary wires. Designed for precision, it trims to within a centimeter of edges, handles slopes up to 50%, and covers lawns as large as 2,000 m². Plus, it’s quiet, weather-resistant and fully autonomous.
COMING SOON
Eufy MarsWalker
One of the most exciting exhibition booths thisi year was from Eufy, whose stair-climbing vacuum was impossible to look away from. Leveraging four independently controlled arms and a rugged track-drive system, the first-of-its-kind robo vac can negotiate straight, L-shaped and U-shaped staircases with ease. Once cleaning is done, it returns your vacuum to its charging base — for mop washing, bin emptying, or recharging — automatically.
PRE-ORDER
Acemate Tennis Robot
Both amateur and pro tennis players can practice their solo game into authentic match-level training with Acemate, the world’s first AI-powered tennis robot capable of true rally play. Equipped with dual 4K binocular cameras and omnidirectional Mecanum wheels, it sees your shot, moves into position, catches the ball, and fires it back — at speeds up to 80 mph and heights of 8 meters.
COMING SOON
Soundcore Nebula XI Pro
Imagine a full 4K laser projector fused with a party-ready audio system. The Soundcore Nebula X1 Pro marries Anker’s triple-laser engine and Dolby Vision HDR with a detachable, portable 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos surround sound setup — including 80W soundbars and wireless satellites. Encased in a wheeled IP43-rated chassis with handle, it’s built for mobility and immersion. It officially launches via Kickstarter on Sept. 23, with pre-orders starting between $2,500 and $5,000.
COMING SOON
Hisense 100-Inch RGB LED TV