IFA 2022 in Berlin was big on brands and corporate statements about sustainability and the environment but light on new products with brand after brand blaming chip shortages and logistics for a lack of new products.
Some brands such as Philips, Loewe, Hisense, and Harman manufacturers of the JBL sound gear and more than 50 other key brands were a no show, even Bose failed to have a stand despite their JV announcement with Qualcomm.
As for Bose I am tipping that this USA brand that lost their mojo way before COVID, is set to come back with some major innovations via their new technology partner.
The Bose Qualcomm partnership according to Bose executives could fix one of the biggest bugbears of wireless earbuds, with Bose promising that the next generation of in-ear music makers will not only sound better but also last a lot longer.
Bose CEO Lila Snyder and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon at IFA 2022
Bose has a new CEO who took over during COVID with one major Australian retailer telling ChannelNews “There was no really new products or real innovation at IFA, but I am tipping that we will see a lot of new innovation from Bose”.
Another brand that impressed retailers particularly The Good Guys was Loewe who are set to release cutting edge soundbars under $800, a 65″ TV under $1,800 and a top end 65″ OLED TV with built in soundbar that sits on a vertical plinth of stone.
An interesting announcement was Samsungs SmartThings with the South Korean Company set to become the world’s most energy-efficient brand. By 2023, 100% of all Samsung appliances will support the SmartThings platform and by using artificial intelligence deliver not only easy management of devices but power and energy savings.
Samsung also used IFA 2022 to finally launch an OLED gaming monitor.
The Odyssey OLED G8 has specs to match its gaming pedigree, including a 3,400 x 1,440 QD-OLED panel, a 175Hz refresh rate, and a 1800R curvature radius.
It’s packed with smart features too, like support for Samsung’s SmartThings IoT standard and the ability to stream games from services like Xbox Game Pass without having to connect it to a PC or game console.
LG was the standout brands when it came to new products announcing several over the last six days.
Functional or purely aesthetic, LG Electronics showed off a series of dual-purpose devices at IFA.
The most noticeable device that fulfills two different functions is an air purifier-cum-table, the PuriCare Objet Collection Aero Furniture.
It is an air purifier that can be used as a table or a table with an air purifier built into its base depending on your perspective.
It comes with 360-degree air purification capabilities, mood lighting and wireless charging features.
Then there was LG’s MoodUp refrigerator.
It is an illuminating fridge that can literally lift the mood by changing its door colours. And it can do so in sync with music coming out of a built-in Bluetooth speaker.
MSI took out a Best of IFA 2022 award for the best new gaming headset with their Immerse GH40 whiffiest gaming headset to feature an environmental noise cancelling (ENC) algorithm.
Apparently ENC helps keep the communication lines crisp and clear in any environment. It has virtual 7.1 spatial audio capability that is delivered from the 40mm neodymium drivers.
In all new announcements out of IFA were thin on the ground with a lot of press conferences being used to spruik environmental and sustainability credentials.
