[2024 IFA] What to expect from IFA trade show

The IFA, Europe’s biggest tech show, is just around the corner. Celebrating an incredible 100 years of the show, it promises to bring the biggest names in tech together to unveil their latest breakthroughs, with South Korean tech rivals Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics among the largest exhibitors.

The annual gathering will kick off in Berlin on Friday for a five-day run. This year’s IFA is ready to host more than 2,200 exhibitors and over 182,000 attendees from 139 countries.

In line with the Berlin trade show's five key terms -- artificial intelligence, sustainability, connectivity, fitness and digital health -- as well as content creation, the Korean duo, which are among the biggest sponsors of the IFA, will pour resources into promoting their latest appliances to lure European consumers.

Enhanced connectivity

Samsung and LG will target the European market with their artificial intelligence home solutions, which integrate AI-powered home appliances into a unified system.

Samsung will introduce AI home technology that links various home appliances through an AI TV. This technology allows control of smart devices such as appliances, lighting and curtains via the SmartThings hub integrated into the TV.

It will also debut various Bespoke AI home appliances, which can be easily managed using everyday language through the enhanced AI voice assistant Bixby.

Additionally, the tech giant will unveil Samsung Food Plus, an upgraded version of the Samsung Food service, which is a food-focused platform compatible with Samsung products that utilizes vision AI technology to identify multiple food ingredients in a single photo.

LG boasts the industry’s first AI home hub, LG ThinQ On, featuring generative AI. It keeps home appliances and internet of things devices connected around the clock, interacts with users, assesses the current situation and optionally controls various devices.

The company plans to showcase multiple scenarios of AI home usage, from morning to night, and will unveil a blueprint for integrating AI home appliances with Athom, a smart home platform company acquired in July.

Energy efficiency

Energy management is a critical issue in Europe due to supply chain disruptions and challenges with energy supply stemming from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Both Korean tech giants will showcase products emphasizing eco-friendliness and high efficiency.

Samsung will feature a sustainability zone highlighting recycled materials used in the Bespoke AI Combo washer and dryer, as well as its efforts to recover electronic waste. It will also display SmartThings’ AI saving mode, which reduces energy use in refrigerators and other devices by 15 percent.

Additionally, Samsung will showcase the all-in-one Bespoke AI Combo washer and dryer for Europe, with an 18-kilogram washing capacity and 11-kilogram drying capacity, offering 20 percent greater energy efficiency than the European energy consumption grade A.

LG will target the European heating, ventilation and air conditioning market with its new ThermaV R290 Monoblock, a high-efficiency heat pump system using eco-friendly refrigerant.

The company’s Therma V air source heat pump provides indoor cooling, heating and hot water by utilizing heat from outside air, reducing carbon emissions compared to traditional fossil fuel boilers and offering excellent energy efficiency.

LG will also launch new products with top-tier energy efficiency: The new drum washing machine is about 55 percent more efficient than the A rating and the new dryer is 26 percent more efficient than the A triple plus rating, marking the lowest energy consumption among products available in the European market.

China surge

The technological capabilities of Chinese companies, which have around 1,300 pavilions at the trade show -- the highest number among participating countries -- will draw significant interest. It will be especially notable to see how their advancements compare to those of Samsung and LG.

Chinese home appliance firms are pursuing the European market to circumvent US sanctions. Previously known for competing mainly on price, they are now recognized for their competitive performance and design.

Chinese home appliance firm Haier is to host a media conference Thursday, the same day as Samsung’s global press conference and LG Electronics' prebooth tour event.

Meanwhile, Honor will showcase its new foldable smartphone, the Magic V3, at the Berlin trade show. Compared to its predecessor, the Magic V2, it is 0.7 millimeters thinner at 9.2 millimeters thick.

The company boasts that the latest phone is the thinnest among currently available foldable smartphones, while Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold6 is 12.1 millimeters thick.

Chinese TV manufacturer Hisense will also enter the premium TV market by launching 55-inch and 65-inch OLED TVs, featuring LG Display’s white OLED displays.