Best of IFA 2023: Phandroid’s favorite new gadgets
With IFA 2023 drawing to a close, we’ve had a chance to check out some impressive tech from different manufacturers and brands, and needless to say it’s been an impressive IFA so far. As such, we’ve put together a list of some of the best products that caught our attention during the annual Berlin-based trade show.
This list extends beyond smartphones – while we all love our portable pocket super computers, it goes without saying that we’ve seen a lot of hardware advancements these past couple of years, including the rise of AI, the continued onslaught of foldable phones, as well as the comeback of portable gaming systems. So what stood out this year? Let’s take a look!
Urbanista Malibu
First up is the Urbanista Malibu – while portable wireless speakers aren’t anything new, Urbanista has decided to go ahead and add some pretty interesting hardware on the Malibu. The speaker is powered by Powerfoyle solar cell technology, meaning that you can harness the power of the sun in the palm of your hand as you listen to your favorite tunes.
Aiper Surfer S1
Up next is the Aiper Surfer S1, a pretty unique machine that’s designed to clean your pool. Essentially a surface-skimming vacuum cleaner, the machine harnesses solar power in order to clean your pool for up to ten hours, and even works with smartphones for in-depth user control and cleaning schedules.
Fairphone 5
Fairphone’s handsets have always stood out thanks to factors such as modular components and lengthy software support, and the Fairphone 5 is no exception. Fairphone’s newest handset comes with easily replaceable parts, and up to eight years of software support, which trumps most smartphones on the market.
Honor Magic V2
While it was initially released for Chinese markets, the Honor Magic V2 has finally been launched globally, meaning that buyers in more countries can check out what Honor’s latest flagship foldable has to offer. In addition to a slickly-designed titanium hinge, the phone also comes with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, one of the best mobile SoCs that we’ve seen this year.
Lenovo Legion Go
Designed to take on competing devices like the ROG Ally, Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch, Lenovo’s Legion GO runs on Windows, and is powered by an AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, AMD’s RNDA Graphics, and comes with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of expandable storage. Additionally, the controller grips can be detached similar to the Switch, which means you can also play on tabletops.
Anker Qi2 Wireless Chargers
Of course, battery specialist Anker was also present at the trade show. The company debuted its newest Qi2 Wireless Chargers, which come in different hardware configurations and prices. With that said though, Anker has equipped all of them with 15W magnetic wireless charging using the Qi2 standard, alongside Anker’s MultiProtect and ActiveShield 2.0 technology for safer charging.
Withings ScanWatch 2
Withings is no stranger to the health and fitness tracking game, and its new ScanWatch 2 is a great example of this. Designed to work 24/7 to monitor user health and fitness, it also comes with temperature scanning thanks to TempTech24/7 technology as well as female cycle tracking, to name a couple. Users can also access 40 different workouts on the hybrid smart wearable.
Roborock Dyad Pro Combo
Also present at IFA 2023 was Roborock, which introduced a new set of feature-packed vacuum cleaners. Among these is the Dyad Pro Combo, which comes with 17,000Pa of suction power, a 4,000 mAh battery, and a maximum run time of 60 minutes. In addition to its vacuum capabilities, it also offers mopping functionality, and four additional attachments that can be used with the vacuum for different cleaning purposes.
Jabra Elite 8 Active
Jabra launched a set of new products during IFA 2023, which includes the highly-impressive Elite 8 Active wireless earbuds. The earbuds come with IP68 dust and water protection, 6mm speakers, an Adaptive Hybrid ANC, along with six built-in microphones for calls. As for battery life, the Elite 8 Active can last up to 8 hours with ANC on, and up to 32 hours with its charging case.
JBL Authentics
Last but definitely not the least on this awards list are JBL’s new Authentics speakers, a trio of wireless speakers designed for use with a smart home setup, and can even run Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant side-by-side. This include Authentics 500, which comes with Dolby Atmos Audio, and up to 270W of 3.1-channel sound and a virtualized 3D effect. There’s also the more portable Authentics 300 with 360-degree audio, and the Authentics 200 that offers a deep bass sound.
How about you – what did you find most impressive at this year’s IFA 2023? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check out our full coverage of the different product releases and announcements.