IFA 2025: The Biggest Tech Announcements and Gadgets

IFA, Europe's premier technology trade show and the equivalent of CES in the US, is about to open. Companies are gearing up to showcase their latest innovations, offering us the newest product announcements, feature demonstrations, and design concepts that will shape future consumer technology releases. IFA will open its doors between September 5th and 9th, but many of the biggest announcements will begin shortly before the official opening of the exhibition.

Artificial Intelligence May Bring Us a Smarter Home — If We Can Trust It

The ultimate goal of the smart home is ambient computing — technology that disappears into the background, anticipating your needs without a word or a touch. Lights turn on when you enter, doors unlock as you approach, and coffee brews before you even reach the kitchen. This is the proactive home: a space that adapts to its occupants to support their comfort, health, and safety. The tools to create this exist, but today's smart home is still complex, unreliable, and often intrusive — still far from being truly "ambient."

Ambient Computing is a concept focused on seamlessly integrating technology into our daily environment, making it invisible and proactively working to meet user needs. This idea aims to make technology a natural part of our surroundings, where systems and devices intelligently sense context and respond automatically without the need for direct interaction or explicit commands. It's sometimes called "hidden intelligence" or "ubiquitous intelligence," where systems and devices work together smartly to provide a personalized and comfortable experience. Examples of ambient computing include smart lighting systems that adapt to the time of day or presence of people, HVAC systems that learn your preferences and adjust temperature automatically, and audio devices that follow you from room to room.

But, just as it's transforming every other area of technology, advancements in Artificial Intelligence represent a turning point for the smart home. The rise of AI agents that leverage language and vision models is the technology that can move us from the era of command-and-control home automation to living in a Starship Enterprise, where every need can be met by Star Trek’s computer (assuming that’s what you want).

AI agents in smart homes are transforming the user experience from merely controlling devices to a home system that anticipates and acts on needs. For example, an AI agent can automatically adjust the thermostat based on outside weather and your daily schedule, or turn on preferred lighting and music upon sensing your arrival home. AI agents can also enhance security systems by analyzing usual activity patterns and distinguishing between real threats and normal daily events, reducing false alarms. Common examples include systems like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit, which provide intuitive interfaces for smart homes.

My Initial Impression of the New Acer Convertible Chromebook Is Cautiously Optimistic

The new Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514, announced at IFA 2025 in Berlin, is the company’s first laptop to use MediaTek’s Arm-based Kompanio Ultra 910 processor. This chip was used in the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 that launched earlier this summer and was key to delivering excellent performance and long battery life in that fanless laptop. I called the Lenovo the “new king of Chromebooks,” and this $699.99 Acer, set to launch this month, looks poised to be a strong alternative — especially if you prefer a convertible with a touchscreen and don’t mind an occasional fan whir.

Acer sent me the new Chromebook Plus Spin 514 for early testing, and after a brief period of use, I can already say that battery life is likely to be one of the Kompanio Ultra’s strengths. The 1920 x 1200 or 2880 x 1800 IPS display options won’t match the vibrancy of the Lenovo’s OLED panels. But Acer’s selling point is the 14-inch touchscreen covered in Gorilla Glass with USI 2.0 stylus support (which is sold separately), allowing you to use it as a tablet, draw on it, or take handwritten notes.

USI (Universal Stylus Initiative) 2.0 is an open digital pen standard that ensures compatibility across a wide range of devices. This standard allows users to use a single digital pen with various USI-supported devices, regardless of manufacturer. USI 2.0 provides a natural and precise writing and drawing experience and supports features such as pressure and tilt sensitivity, making it ideal for note-taking, artistic drawing, or interacting with user interfaces.

The 16-inch Acer Air Weighs Less Than the 13-inch MacBook Air

Acer is announcing the new Swift Air 16 at IFA 2025, an ultra-light 16-inch laptop. The Swift Air weighs 2.18 lbs / 0.99 kg with an IPS screen or 2.43 lbs / 1.1 kg with the optional OLED screen, making it even lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Air. It also packs more ports than the MacBook Air and will start at a lower price of €999 when it launches in November. (North American availability and pricing have not yet been determined).

It amazes me how the Swift Air 16 packs such a large screen into such a light package, as it’s even lighter than the LG Gram — a laptop known for its lightness. But reality starts to set in once you notice some of the Swift’s specs, like its 0.63-inch / 15.9 mm thickness (0.65-inch / 16.5 mm for the OLED version). In contrast, the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Airs are 0.44 and 0.45 inches thick, respectively.

Acer's New Amadana and CE270 Monitors Are Unusually Elegant and Eye-Catching

Did you know that Acer acquired a Japanese design firm called Amadana late last year, which makes classy coffee gear, retro calculators, air purifiers, and all manner of minimalist low-fi tech? I didn’t know that until today — but it explains a lot about why some of Acer’s new monitors are standing out at IFA 2025.

Unfortunately for US readers, Acer has no current plans to ship its Amadana-branded products to the US. The 27-inch 27ART0 P1 desktop monitor — whose screen is only 8mm thick — and the 16-inch, 1.4-pound 16APM1QJ portable monitor will head to EMEA regions in Q1 at €169 and €119, respectively.

It's Now Easy to Count the PC Makers Who *Don't* Sell a Tiny Nvidia Desktop.

Acer already introduced its version of Nvidia’s Digits / Spark into Computex, but now the Nvidia Veriton GN100 AI Mini Workstation is official: $3,999 for the Nvidia GB10 Grace Blackwell chip with 128GB memory, 4TB storage, Wi-Fi 7, HDMI 2.1b, Ethernet, and four USB-C ports.

The Nvidia GB10 Grace Blackwell chip is a super-processor that combines a Blackwell GPU and a Grace CPU on a single chip. This powerful chip features the latest generation CUDA cores and fifth-generation Tensor cores, plus FP4 support, delivering up to 1000 TOPS of AI processing power. It is designed to run large AI models efficiently and provide unparalleled computing performance. Key features include 128GB of unified system memory, allowing it to handle AI models up to 200 billion parameters locally. This chip is the foundation for personal supercomputers and mini-workstations dedicated to AI development and scientific research.

Thunderbolt 5 is the latest generation of connectivity technology that offers ultra-fast data transfer speeds, up to 80 Gbps bi-directional, and even 120 Gbps for video output. Key features include double the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4, support for multiple high-resolution displays, and the ability to connect powerful docking stations. Thunderbolt 5 allows users to connect a wide range of peripherals, such as external monitors, high-speed storage units, and external graphics cards, while simultaneously providing power, enhancing productivity and reducing cable clutter.

Acer Also Includes a 720Hz Dual-Mode OLED Display.

Remember Asus’ eye-catching silver screen with a 26.5-inch 1440p OLED panel that starts at a super-fast 540Hz and can also run 720Hz at 720p? Acer now has one of those, too: it’s called the Predator X27U F8, and it likely uses the same LG Display tech. Priced at $1,300, it will arrive in Q1 2026.

Acer Gives Its 18-inch Predator Helios Gaming Laptop a 4K Display and Top-Tier Graphics Card

Acer is updating some of its gaming laptops for IFA 2025, with the new, large Predator Helios 18P AI at the high end, and a pair of more affordable Nitro V 16 models.

The Predator Helios 18P will feature up to an RTX 5090 GPU and an Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX processor, though in any configuration it should come with an 18-inch 4K / 120Hz Mini LED display and two Thunderbolt 5 ports (among many others). North American availability and pricing for the 18P are still to be determined, but it’s sure to be high as it will start at €4,999.

PartyBox 720 Is JBL's Largest Battery-Powered Portable Speaker

JBL has expanded its range of flashy Bluetooth speakers with three new models that let you play music without needing a power source. The launch includes the new $1,099 PartyBox 720, JBL’s largest battery-powered speaker to date, weighing 7 pounds (3 kg) more than the visually similar PartyBox 710 released in 2021.

The PartyBox 720 measures 16.4 x 37.1 x 16 inches, compared to 15.7 x 35.6 x 17.2 inches for the smaller 710 model, and its two subwoofers have increased in size from 8 inches to 9 inches. Unlike the 710, the 720 can also run on battery power, so users don't need to search for an outlet. It comes with two 600 JBL rechargeable batteries, providing up to 15 hours of playtime, according to the company's press release.

Ooni's Latest Pizza Oven Adds AI to Your Slice

Have you ever looked at your pizza oven and wished it was a little “smarter”? Ooni did, and so the new Volt 2 comes with “Pizza Intelligence,” an adaptive heating system designed to provide more balanced and consistent cooking temperatures.

The Volt 2 is an indoor oven, capable of cooking pizzas up to 13 inches in diameter, yet still small enough to fit on a countertop — although we’ve found other indoor pizza ovens to be “too smoky to truly use indoors.” The Pizza Intelligence feature is new to the Volt 2 and uses sensor data to adjust the top and bottom heating elements, “reducing temperature fluctuations and cold spots.” It’s a little less exciting than the name suggests.

Dolby Vision 2 Goes Beyond HDR with More AI and "Authentic Motion" Smoothing

More than 10 years after the launch of Dolby Vision, the next generation of the HDR format has arrived, aiming to do more than just improve color and brightness levels for different scenes. The new version, called Dolby Vision 2, features new “Content Intelligence” tools that use AI to automatically optimize your TV based on what you’re watching, where you’re watching, and the device you’re using, expanding on existing Dolby Vision IQ features.

Dolby Vision IQ is an evolution of Dolby Vision HDR technology, combining the superior picture quality of Dolby Vision with ambient intelligence. This technology uses the TV's ambient light sensor to analyze the lighting in the room and dynamically adjust the image, ensuring the best viewing experience regardless of lighting conditions. For example, in a bright room, Dolby Vision IQ can increase brightness and balance to improve visibility without losing details in shadows or bright areas. In a dark room, it might slightly lower brightness to preserve color contrast and eye comfort. The fundamental difference between standard Dolby Vision and Dolby Vision IQ is that the latter adds a layer of environmental intelligence, allowing the TV to automatically optimize the picture based on the surrounding environment, rather than relying solely on content metadata.

This includes Precision Black, which is supposed to improve clarity in dark scenes without deviating too much from the filmmaker’s intent, as well as an updated Light Sense feature to adjust picture quality using ambient light detection in conjunction with reference lighting data from the source material. It also supports bi-directional mapping capabilities that Dolby says will allow high-performance TVs to deliver higher brightness, sharper contrast, and deeper saturated colors by giving content creators more control over how display capabilities are used.

The “Authentic Motion Smoothing” feature in Dolby Vision 2 uses advanced AI algorithms to enhance motion smoothness in content without introducing the undesirable “soap opera effect” that can result from traditional motion smoothing techniques. This feature aims to preserve the filmmaker's intent while reducing any stutter or judder in motion, providing a more natural and realistic viewing experience, especially in fast-paced or panning scenes.

AI-Powered Aquarium.

Dangbei is launching the Smart Fish Tank 1 Ultra at IFA in Berlin next week. This is all the company is willing to say at the moment:

“A unique AI-powered smart aquarium with AI-powered feeding, real-time water monitoring, and studio-quality lighting for a self-sustaining ecosystem.”

This Liquid-Cooled Projector Promises an Incredibly Bright 6,200 Lumens Image

“Actual features are subject to the official product release.”

Dangbei is bringing its all-in-one S7 Ultra Max projector to Berlin next week for the big IFA tech show. This is a good indication that the China-only 4K projector with an astonishing 6,200 ISO lumens light output is preparing for a global launch.

The ISO Lumens standard refers to a standardized method for measuring projector brightness, providing a more accurate and reliable metric compared to traditional measurements like ANSI Lumens. This standard ensures that declared brightness values are comparable across different devices, helping consumers make informed decisions. The higher the ISO lumen count, the brighter the image a projector can produce, making it suitable for rooms with ambient light.

Liquid cooling in projectors offers significant benefits in terms of performance and durability. It helps dissipate heat more efficiently than traditional air cooling systems, allowing internal components, such as the projection lamp or laser, to operate at optimal temperatures. This leads to increased image brightness and color stability over the long term, as well as extending the lifespan of the device. Liquid cooling is also often quieter than high-speed fans, providing a more peaceful viewing experience.