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The 2026 IFA consumer electronics expo has wrapped up at the Messe Berlin grounds. Every year, humanoid robots and autonomous helpers share space with smart home appliances, computing technology, personal AI, and increasingly intelligent audio and video products. Sadly, we couldn’t be there in person (unlike last year). I mean, who doesn’t like decoding a cipher in real time to point you in the right direction so that you go against the flow of thousands of people to make it to your next appointment only 10 minutes late. Which is five minutes early in trade show time. So, yeah, we’ll miss the adrenaline rush. But that doesn’t mean we’ve missed the steady stream of future tech being announced, and we’ve captured a snapshot below of the best gear for smart living now and in the future.
Home cinema & big screen accessories
The XGIMI Aura 3 Max is the first UST (ultra-short throw) “laser TV,” aka lifestyle projector, to offer 4K at 120Hz. And this triple-laser dual IRIS setup does it with 5,700 ISO lumens, 8,000:1 native contrast, 110% BT.2020, 0.163:1 throw (120″ from 8″), 80W Harman Kardon sound, Dolby Vision + IMAX Enhanced format support, and 3 x HDMI 2.1 inputs. That’s good enough for movie night and console gaming, and it’s starting Kickstarter crowdfunding in October. If your installation options are tighter and budget bigger, the new AWOL LuxVision UST and its RGB triple laser + Dynamic IRIS setup also offers native 4K/120Hz, 6,000 ISO lumens, 10,000:1 native contrast, enhanced black levels and all the formats, plus, for its signature trick, optical lens shift. But all that costs $5,999, compared to the expected $2,399-$4,999 range of the Aura 3 Max (depending on early bird investment vs. retail, etc.).
Showcased adjacent to IFA, the Sonos Beam Ultra, which was announced alongside the Ace Ultra headphones and Sonos OS 27, packs 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos (and the ability to use a proprietary mesh network to assign Sonos portable speakers as rear channels) into the brand’s most compact soundbar. That opens up the wireless surround system world for folks with less open space.
Personal audio
We love earbuds, and we love sleep, so we’ll be interested to try the low-profile, side-sleeper-friendly Anker soundcore Sleep Earbuds 4 Pro, which can come with active noise cancellation, including adaptive snore masking, but also feature built-in PPG optical sensors for heart rate + HRV tracking while you sleep, which means insights when you wake. Plus, an app includes a soundscapes library.
Speaking of ANC, our pals at Bose know enough about noise reduction to crush it in other brands, and EarFun is now one of those partners. Bose did some acoustic engineering on EarFun’s upcoming Air Pro 5, which looks packed with features and value, including ANC, three-device multipoint Bluetooth 6.0 with LDAC, LE Audio, LC3, and Auracast, and more. And EarFun’s Wave Pro X, a dual-coaxial driver headphone teased at IFA 2025, is now available for sale at the shockingly affordable price of $129 for a set featuring Bluetooth 6.0 with aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, LDAC, and Hi-Res Audio certification, wired USB Audio/AUX modes, 8-mic hybrid ANC, and 90 hours of battery life.
Speaking of headphones, Edifier is getting in on a similar value-driven wireless flagship game with the WH950NB Pro. They have a dual-driver (40mm woofer + 10mm tweeter) design, 8-mic adaptive ANC, 6-mic AI call system, spatial audio with head tracking, Bluetooth 6.1 with SBC, AAC, and LDAC, audio via USB-C, and more.
Speaking of affordable audio firsts, the JLab JBuds Mini ANC is the smallest TWS earbuds ever produced with ANC, spatial audio, and native Apple Find My compatibility, and the first non-Apple and non-Beats earbuds to offer the feature under $100.
Speaking of speaking of, the $149.99 beyerdynamic AVENTHO Y headphones speak to a longevity trend set by the much more expensive Sennheiser MOMENTUM 5 series and feature a replaceable 90-hour battery (60 w/ ANC), interchangeable ear cushions, and optional accessories. Plus multipoint Bluetooth 6.0 and some snazzy colors.
AI hardware and smart glasses
Want to use earbuds for more than listening? The Plaud One (up for preorder) exists at the intersection of personal audio and wearable AI, as it can capture conversations (saved to the case’s eSIM) for transcription, lets you interact with an AI agent for planning and workflow execution, and more. You can set up connected apps, cloud services, and routines. And you can just listen to music with Bluetooth 5.4 (SBC/LDAC) and ANC. It is worth noting, however, that there is a subscription involved. Similarly, the viaim Rise has a case with three microphones that can work as a standalone meeting recorder, plus its IP55 earbuds have an 11mm + 6mm dual-driver array, with Bluetooth 6.1 support for LDAC/LHDC, spatial audio, ANC, and 3 mics + bone conduction for voice capture. There’s transcription software, as well as the ability to hand off work to AI agent(s) of choice. It’s live on Indiegogo with a super early-bird price of $259 against a $399 MSRP, and every backer gets a year of a viaim Pro subscription for free.
As for smart glasses, and there are always smart glasses, the RayNeo iO AI glasses have been talked up for their camera-free design, as well as being only 33g but equipped with a 33″ invisible display that sits within your view. And you can do recording and AI notes, get live captions/a teleprompter in 55 languages, plus more, plus have all-day access to an AI assistant linked with the models of your choosing.
Assisted mobility
We’ve previously tested the Hypershell X Ultra exoskeleton, with positive impressions, so the $2,299 carbon fiber-and-titanium Hypershell Halo immediately caught our attention. It expands the concept, and frame, to a full-leg, four-joint form factor. This wearable, with its peak 1,490 W output, takes the fatigue-reduction concept that was pitched to folks who might have lost a beat when it comes to their outdoor activities and offers support for the entire lower-limb kinetic chain. So it’s got active support and impact damping to support stamina for extended multi-terrain challenges, but it can also benefit those who might simply need sit-to-stand support.
Home robots for floor and lawn care
The future promised us jetpacks, but having to sweep and mop less is kinda better. And there’s never a shortage of robovacs at IFA. The ECOVACS Deebot X12S OmniCyclone, for instance, introduces 53 air watts of deep suction, which is 60 percent more than the last generation. And the OZMO Roller 3.0 + improved FocusJet technology reduces residual water substantially. This all means a better clean, powered by an upgraded AI voice assistant. Most notable, however, might be the physical, mechanical Privacy Shield that can slide over the camera when docked. Because Hackers.
The Roborock Saros 20 Flow also launched, bringing physical adaptability, with an ultra-low 3.14-inch chassis and the ability to deal with 300+ obstacles and cross multi-level thresholds. Up to 3.46 inches under specified conditions. And it’s got an aggressive 212-degree hot-water mop. The eufy Robot Vacuum Omni E35, meanwhile, stressed a hygienic filtration system with the kind of dust handling that makes it a top pick for allergy- and asthma-prone homes. And iRobot showed a Roomba Duo concept: a robot stacked atop a robot, with the smaller one deploying when there are spaces the larger one can’t reach.
If it’s your lawn that needs tidying up, the Mammotion LUBA 4 AWD all-terrain mower features a quad-camera + 360-degree LiDAR + NetRTK positioning system to guide the bidirectional driving system with independent front-wheel steering, no wire barriers needed. No damaging U-turns either, with complete coverage helped by edge-trimming modules. And the all-wheel-drive system with dual 165W high-torque motors can handle up to 80 percent (38.6-degree) slopes.
Smart home and lighting
There are days when you want to bring an outdoors vibe indoors. Instead of cutting a costly hole in the roof, just install the 21-inch 125W WiFi-enabled Govee Sky Ceiling Light, engineered with 7000 lumens and a 478nm sky-blue wavelength matching human melanopsin sensitivity and able to automatically adjust lighting guided by local time and weather to support natural circadian rhythms. Or it can just replicate a lightscape preset. Fall sunsets in summer, breakfast for dinner. The only rule is there are no rules.
For something more accent lighting, the Nanoleaf Smart LED Monitor Stand features a natural wood platform with 550 lumens of individually addressable light zones underneath. This lets you display multiple colors at once with ultra-smooth gradients, or use it as a forward-facing anti-glare task light (UGR<10) with dedicated CRI97 white LEDs. Set an ergonomic height and heighten the mood simultaneously.
Cameras
The HOVERAir Versa is the vlogging camera taken to its logical conclusion. On land, it’s a 3-axis gimbal camera with 4K 60fps, 10-bit HDR, and 17.5 stops of dynamic range. Snap it into its wings with the patent-pending MagLatch system, and it becomes an AI-guided, self-tracking, self-framing drone. One charge gets up to 14 minutes of flight or 3 hours of handheld shooting.
Most people might file this under health or grooming, but we’re putting the Dyson CameraJet electric toothbrush with variable sonic oscillation here because the camera guiding its integrated conical jet water flosser is the main feature. A 100k-pixel macro lens camera analyzes 28 images per second for “Gap Optical Targeting.” You can also watch live cleaning footage on your phone as you brush, or use the intraoral camera to inspect teeth. If you’re a sadist.
Computing concepts
Finally, there’s the purely conceptual. Over at Lenovo, there’s Project AeroBlade. This Active Flow thermal solution replaces traditional fan-based cooling with a solid-state AirJet active cooling architecture of ultrasonic membranes moving air, which Lenovo envisions as a way to make laptops thinner without sacrificing sustained performance. This was shown off in a 14-inch concept that measures under 10 mm thick and weighs under 830g. Meanwhile, Project Swan is an expandable screen concept that transforms a 14″ laptop into a 17” 16:9 display when the flexible screen is unrolled, while remaining 17.9mm thin and 1.6kg. Perfect for more efficient work within the cramped confines of travel.
And Acer showcased Project DualPlay Mini, a prototype 2-in-1 with an 8-inch screen that wants to be a Predator gaming handheld … until you flip it open, spin its screen around, and access the built-in keyboard for laptop-style productivity in Windows 11 mode.