After a quiet summer in which the Galaxy Note 10 was pretty much the only major release, we’re finally approaching the busiest time of the year for tech. But before we get into the launch of the iPhone 11 or the Huawei Mate 30, we have to deal with the huge gadget show IFA 2019 in Berlin.
Unlike Mobile World Congress, IFA is not a show dedicated to launching the latest and greatest smartphones. Instead, it’s much more about smart home technology, household appliances and audio kit.
That’s not to say we expect any phones to get a surprise announcement during the show. Here are all the devices we could see in Berlin next week.
1.LG V60
LG loves the IFA. It’s using the show to announce a whole host of tech, and it’s already kicked off its 2019 show by launching a fridge that makes “artisanal” ice cubes for your cocktails.
The Korean brand has also announced that a new smartphone will be at the show that will use the dual-screen accessory first presented alongside the LG v50. Rumors suggest this will be the LG V60 and that it could end up being the flagship to beat at IFA 2019.
2.SonyXperia2
This might seem like a long shot, but we know from previous releases that Sony doesn’t mind launching multiple flagship phones in a matter of months.
The Sony Xperia 1 – which happened to be the best phone Sony Mobile has released in years – was first announced at MWC in February and then released in the early summer months. So if Sony continues with its previous biennial flagship update schedule, the successor could be announced at IFA.
We know Sony has set up a press conference for the show and that it’s used IFA to launch new phones in the past – so maybe we could see the Sony Xperia 2 after all?
3. A lot of Nokia phones
Nokia has already announced that it will launch a host of new devices during its IFA 2019 conference. The following tweet mentions that we’ll see a “mixture of smart and feature phones.”
Nokia (or at least HMD Global) likes to bring back iconic phones from the brand’s past. So could we see a phone following in the footsteps of the 3310 remake?
At this year’s IFA in Berlin we are introducing new family members. Expect a mix of smart and feature phones – can you guess which one that will be? #IFA19 #NokiamobileLive pic.twitter.com/jF9iROacVZ
— Nokia Mobile (@NokiaMobile) August 28, 2019
4. Huawei Mate 30 (or rather the chip that powers it)
Rumors of Huawei’s rival Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus have been constant over the past few weeks, but we doubt it will actually make an appearance at the show.
Huawei has recently preferred to showcase its devices at lavish standalone events rather than piggybacking at mass trade shows, and we expect the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro to follow this trend and be officially launched later in the year.
Instead, Huawei is more likely to show off its next flagship chipset, the Kirin. This chipset will likely power the Mate 30 and next year’s Huawei P40 and P40 Pro. Huawei did something similar at last year’s IFA, unveiling the Kirin 985 chip alongside a cheaper mid-range Mate 20 Lite.
We could also get a firm date for the Mate 30 launch, an update on the situation with Google and possibly another look at the brand’s new Harmony OS.
Fast Charge is our weekly, mobile-focused look at news, rumors and everything else from the world of phones, wearables and tablets. It will be live every Saturday morning.