IFA 2026 opened to the public in Berlin on Friday, with more than 1,900 brands filling the Messe Berlin convention center through Tuesday. The show, Europe’s largest consumer technology showcase, features Samsung, LG, Lenovo, Acer, Xiaomi, Dyson, and dozens of smaller exhibitors. AI shows up in laptops, appliances, and products that probably did not need it.
Press events started earlier in the week, giving an early look at the TVs, laptops, wearables, smart home gear, and oddly specific appliances headed to market. The announcements ranged from genuinely innovative to head-scratching, with a flying car concept and an AI-powered dishwasher competing for attention on the show floor.
Samsung and LG bet on AI appliances
Samsung expanded its Bespoke AI appliance lineup with deeper generative capabilities across refrigerators, washing machines, and robotic vacuums. The new products use localized neural processing units to manage power consumption and adapt cleaning cycles based on household habits without constantly requiring cloud connectivity. Samsung also showed thinner display panels and updated smart home hubs designed to connect domestic appliances with mobile devices under the SmartThings framework.
At a separate venue in central Berlin, Samsung ran an AI-themed escape room experience at the Creator Hub, targeting Gen Z consumers and content creators. The company chose games and interactive content over traditional product briefings, signaling a shift in how appliance brands try to reach younger buyers.
LG focused on energy-efficient smart living and transparent OLED display technology. The Signature appliance series gained automated diagnostics and voice recognition built directly into the appliances. LG’s display division demonstrated commercial-grade transparent panels for retail and home interior applications, with improvements in peak brightness and color accuracy over previous generations.
Xiaomi enters the foldable race
The biggest phone announcement came from Xiaomi, which showed off the Xiaomi 18 Fold. The device uses a passport-shaped design similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8, giving it a squatter appearance when closed and a wider inner screen when open.
The notable detail is the processor. Xiaomi did not opt for a Qualcomm or MediaTek chip. Instead, it built its own Xring 03 processor, following Apple and Google into custom silicon territory. Whether the chip performs well enough to compete with Snapdragon and Dimensity remains to be seen.
The Xiaomi 18 Fold goes on sale in China later in September. Global availability has not been announced. Samsung and Apple both have their own passport-style foldables in the pipeline, making this the year the form factor moves from novelty to mainstream.
AI appliances and smart home gear
Miele launched what it calls the world’s first dishwasher with a camera. The Diamond G8 mounts an image recognition camera on the back of the door, identifies what is inside the machine, and picks the optimal wash cycle. It also times cycles to run when energy costs are lowest in your area, using hot-air drying and automatic detergent dosing.
Midea showed an air conditioner that follows you around the room. The system uses spatial imaging and mmWave sensors to track where you are and direct cool air that way. It is voice-activated and works with Midea’s humidifier to maintain a target temperature and humidity level automatically.
Anker unveiled the SleepLab Pro, a bedside speaker with a pop-up radar that tracks sleep, heart rate, and breathing without requiring a wearable. It plays tailored audio to help you fall asleep and stay asleep. The device looks like a glowing orb, and Anker says it works without any physical contact.
Flying cars and Wi-Fi 8
XPENG’s ARIDGE division brought a flying car concept to the show floor. The system consists of a six-wheel-drive ground vehicle, essentially a van, and a detachable two-seater air module with wide propeller arms. The van carries the air module in its trunk and can deploy it automatically at different locations. Both vehicles were stationary at the booth, and it was not immediately obvious how the air module fits inside the van.
TP-Link brought the first Wi-Fi 8 routers to IFA, ahead of the standard’s official launch in October. Wi-Fi 8 promises higher speeds and better reliability for homes with dozens of connected devices. The routers are expected to ship later this year.
Matter protocol and cross-brand compatibility
Interoperability was a central theme across the exhibition floor. Manufacturers including Haier, Philips Hue, and smaller European startups demonstrated expanded compatibility with the Matter protocol. The cross-brand standard allows consumers to control mixed ecosystems of smart plugs, lighting, and kitchen hardware through a single application interface, reducing reliance on proprietary device bridges.
The Matter push matters because it addresses one of the biggest complaints about smart home technology: the need to juggle multiple apps and hubs for devices from different brands. If IFA is any indication, the next generation of smart home products will work together more seamlessly than anything on the market today.
What the show tells us about consumer tech
IFA has always been less flashy than CES, which happens in January in Las Vegas. The Berlin show skews more practical: household appliances, European automotive manufacturers, and products designed for markets outside the U.S. This year, that practicality showed up as AI features embedded in products people actually buy.
The camera dishwasher is a good example. It is not a concept or a prototype. Miele plans to sell it. The AI does something useful, matching wash cycles to load contents, and the energy-saving timer addresses a real concern in European markets where electricity costs are high.
The flying car, by contrast, remains firmly in the concept category. XPENG has not announced pricing, a production timeline, or regulatory approval for any of its eVTOL vehicles. It is the kind of thing that generates social media posts and booth traffic but is years away from touching a road or a sky.
Industry analysts expect smart home appliances featuring localized AI chips to command a premium over legacy connected devices. The products revealed during the Berlin exhibition will roll out across North American and European retail markets over the late third and fourth quarters of 2026, with pricing and exact regional availability varying by manufacturer.
IFA runs through Tuesday at Messe Berlin. More announcements are expected over the weekend as the show opens to the public and exhibitors reveal products held back for the consumer-facing days.
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