IFA Berlin 2026 Live: The Biggest Announcements From Samsung, LG and More

CNET’s on the ground at IFA Berlin. It’s Europe’s largest consumer technology showcase – think CES, but with way more sauerkraut. The show officially opens Friday, but we snuck in the back for a first look at the tech everyone will be talking about.

Our team of seven is stomping the halls of the Messe Berlin Expo Center, tracking down all the coolest, weirdest and most jaw-dropping tech. Follow along if you like robots, flying cars (yes, we already found flying cars), futuristic kitchen gear, beauty and wellness tech and smart home systems.

Prost!

Editors’ note: Travel costs for CNET staff contributing to this liveblog were covered by IFA, Roborock, Xiaomi and Lenovo. The judgments and opinions of CNET are our own.

IFA hasn’t officially opened, but we’ve already got our hands on a world-first. Luxury German appliance maker Miele launched a smart dishwasher with an AI-powered camera mounted on the back of the door.

Curious, right?

The Diamond G8 uses image recognition to determine what’s in the dishwasher, so it can pick the perfect cycle, ensuring cleaner dishes while using only as much soap and energy as needed. The smart appliance also times its cycles to run when energy costs are lowest in your area.

When I first saw the pictures of Anker’s new bedside speaker, the SleepLab Pro, I was impressed by its slick design. Then I saw it in person, and I liked it even more.

The circular speaker module floats within an orb-shaped shell and glows in different colors. Even though it’s tall, the slim frame means the device’s overall footprint isn’t overly large.

At the top is a little pop-up radar that tracks your sleep, heart rate and breathing, then plays tailored audio to help you fall asleep and stay asleep — all with no wearables required.

One thing I don’t quite understand is how the radar works if there are two people in bed at once. The idea of wearable-free sleep tracking is nice in theory, but it seems like it could be skewed by the presence of multiple people.

Even so, I like the look of the speaker enough that I’d gladly have the non-Pro version as well, which is the same device without the radar tracking. Instead, it’ll just lull you to sleep with soft music and a nightlight – as well as waking you up in the morning with the same.

I’m already a fan of Anker’s existing sleep headphones, so I’m keen to see how its newest sleep tech can improve my slumber even further.

First thing this morning, I was power-walking through the halls of the Messe – the Berlin convention center that plays host to IFA – and was determined nothing would stop me from getting to my meeting on time.

But then I caught a glimpse of the XPENG booth. I’d been distracted by an electric vertical takeoff and landing, which was accompanied by a van that had something of a Cybertruck.

It turned out this was a flying-car concept consisting of a “mothership” six-wheel-drive ground vehicle (the van) and an autonomous, detachable two-seater air module. Developed by ARIDGE under the XPENG umbrella, this concept allows the mothership to transport the air module in the trunk to different locations. The mothership has an onboard automatic separation-and-reconnection system that can deploy the air module.

At the XPENG booth, both vehicles were completely stationary, and I couldn’t imagine how the air module, with its wide, outstretched propeller arms, could possibly fit inside the mothership.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Passport shapes are the new hot thing in foldable phones, with Samsung launching its Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Apple strongly rumored to be opting for a passport design with its upcoming folding iPhone Ultra. Not wanting to be left out of the game, Xiaomi has shown off its Xiaomi 18 Fold at IFA.

The passport shape gives it a more squat appearance when closed, but means that the larger inner screen has a wider aspect ratio, making it better suited for watching videos. We don’t yet have exact dimensions of the phone, but it looks to be pretty similar in size to the size of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8. 

Interestingly, Xiaomi hasn’t opted for a Qualcomm or MediaTek processor but is instead building its own homemade Xring 03 chip. Both Apple and Google have opted to create their own silicon, and clearly Xiaomi sees merit in this strategy. 

How the phone really stacks up against its rivals remains to be seen when it goes on sale in China later in September. Sadly, global availability has yet to be announced.

Midea has a massive showcase at IFA 2026. One of the highlights I saw – and felt – was an air conditioner unit that sends custom cool air to you wherever you are. The system uses spacial imaging and sensors so it knows where you are and sends its stream of cool air your way. That means a cooler you, and less energy wasted. 

It’s voice activated so you can turn it on or off or trigger the mmWave sensor system without having to get up, or so much as open your phone.

Midea’s smart system also works with its air quality appliances, too, including its humidifier. The two work in harmony to keep your home’s air at a target perfect temperature and humidity, no matter what mother nature has planned.