I had announced it for a long time that I would go to the IFA in Berlin, but last week it was time. Unfortunately I had some bad luck the day before the event, It turned out that I had an ear infection which forced me to cancel my flight and still travel to Berlin by car. Flying 1.5 hours or driving 7-8 hours, that is quite a difference.
In this blog you can read what our trip was and what special things we saw at IFA, of course I will forget to mention things because you look your eyes out there!
Day 1 – Friday
We left 5 o’clock in the morning and finally arrived 2 o’clock in the afternoon at the parking lot of the Olympiapark in Berlin. We could stand there for free and from there a shuttle bus drove to the fair.
Hotel – Arcotel John F Berlin
We stayed at the Arcotel John F Berlin, a hotel close to Alexanderplatz. The room was fine and we could see the famous TV tower close by, we even had a heat lamp in the bathroom.
It is advisable not to take breakfast from the hotel, they often ask for the main price of 20 euros per person. You’d better go to a local restaurant, where you can already have breakfast for around 20 euros for 2 people.
Public Transport
A good way to get around in Berlin is via public transport. It’s extremely cheap compared to the Netherlands and you buy 1 ticket that is valid for U-bahn, S-bahn, tram, bus etc. A day ticket for example costs 7 euros and a single ticket β¬2,80 (usable for 2 hours).
Important to mention, if you buy a ticket through a machine, don’t forget that you still have to stamp it. This is possible at a yellow/red box that is on the platform.
I have to mention that IFA has a great app to determine your route at the fair. Beforehand I had already selected a list of companies where I definitely wanted to look and possibly have a conversation. In the app you will also find a map (in 3D) where you can easily find which companies are located per hall.
Samsung
The first company we went to see was Samsung. Last year many 8K TVs in different sizes were shown, but new this year was a smaller 55 inch model. We have seen the Samsung Fold (5G) and all other famous samsung products. We also had the Samsung Note 10(+) in our hands π
DJI
One of the best known brands in the drone world in the field of video drones was also present at the IFA. There were demos with the Mavic 2 Pro and the RoboMaster S1. For the visitors it was possible to fly with a simulator, at the same time also a competition because there was a mavic 2 pro to win for those who set the fastest time. And yes we have made an attempt to set a sharp time, I am hopefully waiting for a “you have won” e-mail π€£
Logitech
Logitech presented the new MX Master 3 mouse and MX Keys keyboard at the IFA. You may already have guessed it, but my favorite mouse is one of the MX Master line, I have both the 1 and the 2S and who knows the 3 later on.
A number of fine improvements have been made to the MX Master 3:
- The scroll wheel is now made of steel and works even better
- The thumbwheel has become larger and the forward / reverse buttons have been given a more logical place
- The mouse has usb-c connection!
Day 2 – Saturday
After we got up, we first went for breakfast at a very picturesque location. The only question was how do we get there? Well through an electric share step! Throughout Berlin you can see people touring on the steps of the company Lime (there are more companies).
You can easily unlock with a QR code on the step, travel to your destination and lock it in the app. Payment is made via PayPal or credit card. In itself the use is not super cheap, but we have used it a lot. After all, it is a nice active way to discover the city.
Google Maps also shows routes with the lime steps, from my own experience I can say that these routes are not always the best and fastest, so go on the road and map your own route!
Lucky Goldstar (LG)
LG had a beautiful entrance with 280 OLED Signature TV screens, which together showed a large show. Thanks to the OLED technology from LG, it’s possible to bend these screens and there are also TVs that can be rolled up after you have finished watching TV and then disappears in a box which also serves as a soundbar .
LG G8X ThinQ
LG also launched a new phone, the LG G8X ThinQ, during the exhibition. This is a phone that you can expand with a cover that has 2 extra screens. Extra handy for the large multitasker and so there are also many applications where this would be useful and a different approach than what we see with the Samsung Fold.
Walabot
I had never heard of the company Walabot, but what they showed at the IFA was very interesting and I also had a nice conversation with them. In the past they were at the IFA with a device that can detect pipes through walls. This year a device that can detect people by making a 3D dotted model and by means of logic can see if someone is lying on the ground after a fall.
Consider a use case such as: elderly people who live alone and don’t have their personal alarm with them, but suddenly fall and therefore nobody can warn…
But this can also be useful for me. I live alone and have heart problems that sometimes make me pass out. I don’t like a personal alert system and it’s not effective for me. What if I pass out at home and can’t warn anyone? Walabot’s technology could be a perfect interpretation of these usecases!
At the moment the Walabot Home is only available in America.
(Edit: It’s now the end of 2020 and Walabot has not yet expanded to the European market)
Day 3 – Sunday
We didn’t do much on Sunday. In the morning, have a nice breakfast somewhere in the city and then go on a souvenir hunt in one of the many shopping malls. Eventually we returned home at 3 o’clock in the afternoon and arrived home at half past eleven in the evening.
We had a great weekend together, I can only say that you have ever had to visit IFA if you are a tech enthusiast. If all goes well, then I want to go again next year, are you there too?
