IFA 2014: Here’s What We Can Get Excited About

IFA 2014 is just around the corner and so far it seems that a lot of the focus at IFA this year would be on wearables and smartphones so here’s a list of the devices that we can expect to hear more about or see at IFA, but either way be sure to check back with us during the week for some possible hands-on reviews!

Samsung Galaxy Note 4: This is pretty much a given considering that Samsung has announced their new Note handset every year at IFA 2014. This year’s Note 4 is expected to be a beast given its rumored specs, such as a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 chipset and QHD display. S Pen support is also a given, although leaked images seem to suggest that Samsung might not be making any drastic changes to the design.

Samsung Gear S: The Samsung Gear S is the latest wearable from Samsung. It was announced during the week ahead of IFA 2014. The device sports a curved display and sports its own 3G modem. What this means is that it will be able to go online itself and will not have to require a pairing with a smartphone in order to do so.

LG G Watch R: The LG G Watch R is also LG’s latest smartwatch. However instead of going a curved display route like Samsung did with the Gear S, LG decided to try and beat Motorola to the market with a round face. It sports a pretty nice design and should provide Motorola with a bit of competition when the Moto 360 is released.

LG Curved UltraWide Monitor: While it seem that IFA 2014’s focus seems to be all about wearable and mobile devices, let’s not forget that the event will feature other technology as well. LG is expected to announce a 34-inch curved IPS display with a UHD resolution. It is expected to sport a built-in stereo system and will also play nicely with Mac devices thanks to its Thunderbolt 2 connectivity.

ASUS ZenWatch: The ZenWatch will be ASUS’ foray into the smartwatch. We’re not sure if it will run ASUS’ own platform or if ASUS will be hopping aboard the Android Wear bandwagon. A recent comment made by ASUS’ CEO has also revealed that they are planning on pricing the watch cheaper than Samsung’s own offerings and that it is expected to be priced below $199, but we guess we’ll have to wait and see if it will be worth it!

HTC Desire 820: HTC is also expected to announce a new smartphone at IFA 2014. While HTC does have a 64-bit smartphone in the form of the HTC Desire 510, the Desire 820 is expected to feature a higher-end octa-core 64-bit processor from Qualcomm. It’s odd given that the Desire lineup tends to feature mid-range models, but we could be surprised at IFA.

Huawei Ascend Mate 7: The Chinese company is also expected to announce a new handset at IFA 2014 in the form of the Ascend Mate 7. Based on leaked photos, it looks like the handset could sport a metal back and could also feature a fingerprint sensor. It also looks like Huawei will be trying to make the bezels on the phone as thin as possible and given that its display is rumored to be a 6.1-inches, a thinner bezel would go a long way in making it easier to hold.

Sony Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact: Sony has a habit of releasing two flagship smartphones in one year, so based on Sony’s IFA 2014 invite, it looks like Sony has a handful of new products that they could announce at the event. One of them would be the Xperia Z3 and it seems that Sony could have a new Xperia tablet in the works, although in this case it looks like a smaller version which has us wondering if Sony has a bigger one in the works, or if this is it.

Sony QX30: In 2013 Sony announced the QX10 and QX100 which are basically lens add-ons for smartphones. However they are pretty elaborate and look like a camera’s lens, except that it uses your smartphone’s display as its viewfinder and can generally take better quality photos that one might expect from a compact. Word has it that Sony is working on a follow-up in the form of the QX30 which is said to feature 30x zoom, but it is unclear if Sony will announce this at IFA or reserve it for Photokina.

So based on what we know about IFA 2014 for now, which products are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below!

Tyler Lee
Categories: Cellphones, Gadgets, Tablets
Tags: IFA, IFA 2014, Smartwatch, Wearable Tech