With the tech world seemingly on holiday Europe's largest consumer electronics show is just around the corner. IFA takes place in the first week of September and is the first place to see what gadgets will be released this Christmas and beyond. We've scoured the worldwide web and unearthed a few clues of what is likely to be unveiled at this year's IFA.
Sony at IFA 2012
Sony has had a difficult time in 2012, their newest handheld the PS Vita hasn't really captured the gaming community’s imagination and Sony posted a substantial loss in their last quarter.
Having bought Ericsson out, IFA would be the perfect place for the Japanese electronics giant to prepare a fight back. You should expect a slew of new Android handsets, TVs, laptops and possibly another attempt at a tablet.
One such handset we've been hearing rumours about is the Xperia T - it's a new flagship handset from Sony and from what we've heard it is likely to give the HTC One X and Galaxy S3 a bloody nose. According to recent tipsters the handset will come with a 4.3-inch HD display, dual-core 1.5Ghz processor, 1GB of RAM, Ice Cream Sandwich and a gargantuan 13-megapixel camera.
It’s thought that Sony might unveil a new Android-based tablet called the Xperia Tablet - although details remain under-wraps it is thought the new tablet might come with a kickstand a la Microsoft’s Surface and could be up to 40 percent thinner than the current P & S tablets.
Interestingly Sony's financial woes actually stem from the Television department and IFA could be the show where Sony changes tack and focuses on quality over quantity. Expect Sony to unveil more Crystal LED smart TV's and we wouldn't surprised if Sony announced its plans for online gaming service Gaikia, which they purchased just after E3.
Samsung at IFA 2012
Samsung made quite a splash at last year's IFA after they announced the Galaxy Note - the missing link between tablet and phone. The Note has been somewhat of a surprise success and could pave the way for version two, which could be unveiled to the public at this year's IFA.
Though Samsung has conquered the high-end smartphone market, their performance in the tablet market hasn't been quite as assured. Could IFA be the place where they unveil a new version of the Galaxy Note 10.1? The tablet is expected to make the jump to a quad-core power plant and could be unveiled in Berlin once again.
Samsung will also have new smart TV's on show as Michael Zoeller, European marketing director of Samsung Televisions, said the new range would sit above its current ES8000 series. This was also confirmed by Samsung in July, with the ES9000 sporting a 75-inch screen and Angry Birds capability.
Samsung is also likely to unveil a new OLED TV range for the second time, but this time it's thought you might actually be able to buy them. You should also expect a slew of new laptops, Ultrabooks and notebooks all to coincide with this year's Windows 8 release.
Microsoft at IFA 2012
The Redmond tech giant isn't known for its IFA unveils, but this year the company is riding a wave of excitement for Windows 8, their first tablet Surface and Windows Phone 8. Pretty much every laptop, Ultrabook and desktop will be running the new version of Windows - so Microsoft will be a big player at this year's show.
Centre stage for Microsoft, apart from Windows 8, will of course be their Surface Tablet - and it should give us Europeans some much need face-time before the tablet hits shelves around October.
Toshiba at IFA 2012
Toshiba grabbed a few headlines last year with its glasses-free 3D TV, not only because you don't have to wear a pair of silly glasses, but because it was priced at an eye-watering £6,999. A consumer friendly version which is substantially cheaper could be the catalyst to leave those ugly glasses behind as a museum piece and start a new revolution in the TV market.
LG at IFA 2012
LG has historically used IFA to show off its new TV technology but this could be the year that it focuses more on mobiles as it tries to wrestle smartphone domination from the likes of Samsung and Apple. Expect new handsets on the show floor that will be running LG’s own quad-core chip called the L9.
Philips at IFA 2012
Philips’ fall from grace over the last 10 years has been colossal, from humble beginnings the company can be credited with inventing the compact disc (CD) and DVD with Sony. But, unfortunately, the last few years and seen the TV maker fade into obscurity. Well, they’ve signed a deal with Hong Kong-based TP Vision to help them make TVs. So, expect to see Philips at IFA with a new range of TV’s as well a lot of audio goodies.
We’ll be covering what will be on show from Asus, Acer, Lenovo, LG and Panasonic tomorrow – so stay tuned.
IFA take place in Berlin from August 29 to September 5.
