Samsung kicked off the IFA technology show in Berlin yesterday by presenting its new Note 4 device and a new virtual reality headset, while Microsoft picked up the baton today with its new Lumia smartphone.
Fresh from acquiring Nokia’s handset business, Microsoft has priced the new Limia to challenge a market dominated by volume leader Samsung and Apple. A week before Apple is expected to launch its new iPhone 6, Microsoft, which paid $7.2 billion this year to acquire the Nokia business, introduced at the IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin its new “affordable flagship” phone, the Lumia 830. The new Lumia will sell globally at a price of around €330 before taxes. As previously expected, Microsoft also introduced a five megapixel, front-facing camera phone called the Lumia 735 which has been dubbed the ‘selfie-phone’ since it was demonstrated in-house to Microsoft employees in July and features a wide-angle lens for close-in photos of small groups or individuals.
Now celebrating 90 years in Berlin, the IFA is Europe’s premier showcase for everything from smartwatches to thinking fridges, spread over a 150,000 sq m exhibition space.
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The technology giants that return here annually are no longer happy just to flog gadgets. This year they are promising technological transcendence. Their devices don’t just boost their corporate bottom line, but “make lives more fulfilling” and deliver “emotional relevance”.
Forget religion: technology is the opiate of the masses – at least until the battery runs out.
Samsung’s fourth generation Note 4 phablet was the biggest draw on the first day, almost as thin as its predecessor but 2.3mm longer and eight grams heavier. The screen isn’t just larger, it’s been boosted to Quad HD with a rear-facing 16 megapixel camera.
Quite a few envious gazes went to its new sister, the Note Edge, with a screen that wraps around the right-hand side. The few precious square centimetres of extra space is customisable to display additional icons, a video control bar or just the time.
Samsung’s third big launch was the Gear VR, using the Note 4 to power technology from Oculus VR to deliver a virtual reality experience in a headset.
Panasonic pushed out the boat at its own event, attracting applause for relaunching its "Technics" brand beloved by audiophiles but in limbo since 2008.
New Technics director and Japanese pianist Michiko Ogawa launched her fightback against MP3 tyranny, a trend she said had placed digital music convenience above audio quality.
“We believe the pendulum has started to swing back to high-quality, high-resolution music,” she said, unveiling two new Technics sounds systems – the R1 and C700 – that combine digital and analogue technologies to help customers “rediscover music”.
For those with lower audio expectations – and budgets – Panasonic launched a new wireless speakers system compatible with all major music streaming services.
Panasonic caused another stir with its compact X1000 camcorder, allowing 4K HD recording via Leica Dicomar lenses onto SD memory cards. Panasonic hopes the product will blur the lines between professional and consumer usage towards "Prosumers".
In the home, new Panasonic washing machines co-developed with Gorenje incorporate “autocare” features: sensors that detect load size, materials and even levels of soilage for the optimal wash.
Panasonic’s IFA hall also had a modern take on Snow White’s enchanted mirror: a new smart mirror that analyses your face, does a skin analysis and suggests skincare, even offering beauty tips. Just what you need the morning after the night before.
All eyes in the Sony hall were on its new smartphone, the Xperia Z3: waterproof, just 7.3mm thick and promising a battery life of up to two days.
It comes in four colours – adding copper and silver green to white and black – and adds a new “X-reality” feature that adjusts display brightness to ambient light. Its camera has been improved to 20.7 megapixels, with a wider angle and improved ISO range for better shots in low light.
Sony also caused a stir with three smaller packages: a new Xperia Z3 compact, promising no compromises in a smaller phone; an 8-inch compact tablet, the Z3; and a new entry-level Xperia E3.
Finally, it announced a new “PS4 Remote Play” feature, allowing users to dock their Xperia Z3 to a new PlayStation controller to continue games over wifi networks after they’ve been kicked off the television.
Guest speakers at this year's IFA include Samsung electronics chief executive Boo-Keun Yoon and Nest Lab founder Matt Rogers.
- (Additional reporting: Reuters)
