The Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin, translated as “International Radio Exhibition Berlin� but mostly known as IFA, starts traditionally at the beginning of September, as one of the biggest consumer electronics trade shows in the world. That said, in 2020, in-person events aren’t too popular. IFA 2020 will still have a much smaller in-person event, and there’ll be virtual access too, under the name IFA 2020 Xtended Space.
Despite everything going on, the holiday season for tech is as crucial as ever. Major brands will still use IFA 2020 as a launching pad for smartphones, but also for tablets, laptops, headphones and audio products, and many other products.
Last year at IFA 2019, a more normal year, we saw the launch of the LG G8X, Moto One Zoom, Sony Xperia 5, Nokia 6.2 and 7.2, TCL’s brand new smartphones, the Huawei Kirin 990 chip, and plenty more new bits and pieces. Here at Android Authority, we gave out a bunch of awards for best in show, including the Best of IFA 2019, Best new audio products at IFA 2019, Best new mobile accessories from IFA 2019, and more.
We’re sure the range of products will be smaller at IFA 2020, but hopefully there’s still the quality we normally see!
IFA 2020: Dates and important info
IFA 2020 formally starts September 3, 2020, and ends on September 5, making it a shortened version of the usual tech extravaganza. The event is still happening at the Messe Berlin convention center in Berlin, Germany, but on a smaller than usual scale.
IFA 2020 will start on September 3 and run until September 5.
Although IFA is typically open to the public, this year it’s a closed event to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks. IFA has announced a virtual IFA 2020 Xtended Space event for the public to join in press conferences and exhibit tours remotely. As of mid-August, IFA was still to announce final details.
IFA says that over 80 major brands will attend the show, and we’ve wrapped up a bunch of early details to help figure out what to expect. We’ll keep this post updated as IFA 2020 gets closer.
Qualcomm at IFA 2020
Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon is set to make the opening keynote speech at IFA 2020, happening on Thursday, September 3 at 9:45AM CET (3:45AM ET), with a talk scheduled for a full hour. It was previously announced that Amon “will speak about the company’s latest developments in 5G, AI, and other key technologies that will drive the future of the Internet and deliver the devices and capabilities the world needs.�
We don’t expect that Qualcomm will announce a major new chipset or detail much of its strategy for its major mobile flagships.
Huawei at IFA 2020
Traditionally, Huawei commands a major press event and showroom at IFA. In light of current events, both global and related to Huawei’s limitations on using US technology, things will be a little different in 2020. Huawei is still set to host a press conference, normally fronted by Huawei Consumer Business Group CEO Richard Yu. It’s expected Huawei will announce its next-gen chipset, the Kirin 9000, which is likely to be found in the Huawei Mate 40 flagship, currently expected to be the last Huawei smartphone with a custom Kirin chipset.
Huawei’s press conference is scheduled for Thursday, September 3 at 2PM CET (8AM ET).
LG at IFA 2020
LG is in attendance at IFA 2020 again, with P. Park, CTO and executive vice president of LG Electronics, set to hold a big press conference. LG is focusing on “examining the changes in consumer lifestyles and introduce new consumer values under the theme of ‘Life’s Good from Home’.� That means it’s likely unveiling new concepts and products for consumers and business.
Virtual attendees will also be taken on a tour of LG’s purpose-built four-story smart home showroom by K-pop star Henry Lau to demonstrate its new home appliances and integrated services.
LG’s P. Park will make announcements at its press conference on Thursday, September 3, starting at 11AM CET (5AM ET) on the company’s Global YouTube channel. LG has unveiled smartphones at IFA in the past, along with its usual impressive range of appliances, AI tech, and more.
Samsung at IFA 2020
Samsung usually holds court at IFA with a major event, plus a huge showcase of its products on the IFA floors. This year, though, Samsung’s going fully virtual with a separate event it calls “Life Unstoppable,� scheduled for Wednesday, September 2, starting at 10am CET (4AM ET).
We’ve already seen Samsung launch the Note 20 series, Galaxy Watch 3, Tab S7 series, and unveil the Galaxy Z Fold 2 in 2020. At the Life Unstoppable event, Samsung is expected to show off its lifestyle products and appliances, including new TVs, home appliances, smart home products, and more.
Honor at IFA 2020
Honor will be hosting a global press conference at IFA, with a set of announcements happening on Friday, September 4, starting at 11:25AM CET (5:25AM ET). Honor has said the theme of the event will be “Expand Your Smart Life,� and the company will be launching products including smart wearables, personal computers, and tablets.
On August 20, Honor confirmed a first ‘outdoor smart watch’, with rugged looks and features made for activities like hiking, plus hints of a compass, heart rate sensor, and a barometer. It sent out the following teaser graphic ahead of the IFA launch:
The company’s global PR head, Bhavya Siddappa, has also announced that the company will debut its Honor Pad 6 and Pad X6 tablets, as well as a “powerful new PC� powered by an AMD Ryzen 4000 series processor at the event.
Realme at IFA 2020
Realme will be making its presence at IFA 2020, and it’s going to go large. The company has already been teasing a “big announcement� at IFA 2020, with Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth tweeting out: “See you in Europe. Big announcement to come from Realme at IFA 2020.� That device may be the expected Realme X3 Pro, which would be the followup to the Realme X3 Superzoom.
Realme will make its announcements at its press conference on Friday, September 4.
Stay tuned for more IFA 2020 coverage as news comes out.