Meet the world’s biggest TV and a £5,500 soundbar! Best from IFA 2022

After a two-year wait, due to the COVID pandemic, Europe’s biggest technology show is finally back and more gadget-packed than ever. IFA takes place each September in Germany with all the biggest brands showing off their latest and greatest devices along with offering a glimpse at the concepts for the future. This year has seen a big focus on sustainability with Panasonic even building a giant stand that’s far more eco-friendly and Samsung revealing smart tech aimed at cutting down on energy bills.

Other trends included bigger and better TVs, ear-pleasing audio devices and wearables that warn of serious health issues. Express.co.uk packed our bags and headed to Berlin to see what’s new and here’s our pick of the best from IFA 2022.

LG revealed a number of blockbuster TV upgrades in Berlin including the world’s biggest OLED telly. Despite its gargantuan size, the giant 97-inch display offers a pin-sharp image thanks to some clever artificial intelligence which monitors what’s being watched to make sure users get the perfect picture. This evo Gallery Edition TV will be available soon, price to be announced, with it offering the ultimate cinema experience in your front room.

Along with that supersized screen, LG has also unveiled a TV with a twist. The new OLED Flex physically bends which means users can watch content on a flat screen or make things more curvaceous and immersive just by tapping a button on the remote.

For the ultimate personalisation, there are even twenty different levels of curvature so users can choose the exact bend that suits their preference,

Got £5,500 spare? You might fancy adding the new Beosound Theatre from B&O to your living room. This new, and very premium soundbar, looks pretty mighty and will make the next blockbuster binge sound as good as it looks. The Theatre features 12 speaker drivers including two custom-made long stroke 6.5-inch woofers and 800 watts of amplification power, providing up to 112dB sound pressure level. You’d better warn the neighbours!

To make things sound even more immersive there’s a motorised stand that directs the audio right into your ears.

Samsung didn’t have any show-stopping product announcements at IFA but the firm did reveal its vision for helping consumers to cut down on their energy usage. Using its latest and highly energy-efficient products, Samsung reckons it can slash hundreds of pounds off the yearly electricity bill.

For example, its new Bespoke AI Washer offers a feature called Ecobubble, which turns detergent into bubbles that quickly get absorbed into the laundry. Samsung says this delivers the same level of cleanliness while reducing energy usage by up to 70 percent.

By next year, all of Samsung’s kitchen appliances will be Wi-Fi connected with data on electricity usage and power sent straight to smartphones.

Via its SmartThings Home and SmartThings Energy platforms, Samsung also hopes it can reduce everyday usage and offer advice on how to cut consumption even further.

Huawei reckons it has solved the faff of trying to take blood pressure readings. The Chinese technology firm showed off its new WATCH D at IFA with this wearable able to take a measurement right from the wrist.

It’s also capable of producing a medically certified electrocardiogram (ECG) and will check for any issues with heart rhythm and electrical activity.

A week-long battery means it won’t need constant charging and it weighs just 40.9g making it comfy to wear. Expect more news on price and release before the end of the year.

LG wants to brighten up your kitchen with a colour-changing fridge. Yes, the Korean firm’s MoodUP appliance connects to your smartphone with each panel switching shades via the touch of a button. The lights also glow if the door has been left open plus it will welcome you home with some fun blinks when walking into the kitchen.

As well as looking pretty cool, this device also keeps food freshers for longer and can even play music via in-built speakers.

Another home appliance that got plenty of attention is LG’s Styler ShoeCase unit.

This furniture not only displays your shoes but also gives them a freshen-up each time you pop them inside thanks to hygiene-enhancing TrueSteam technology.

METZ might not be a household name in the UK but its new budget TVs could change all that.

The German firm has revealed its latest Roku-powered TVs which not only offer a pin-sharp 4K viewing experience but also easy access to online platforms such as Freeview, Sky’s NOW and Netflix. Other features include the option to easily search for content via title, actor and genre plus it’s simple to see where you can stream entertainment for free or at the lowest cost.

The new range, which starts from just £159, includes both standard HD screens and more impressive Ultra HD with sizes ranging from 32-inches right up to cinema-style 65-inches.

Sony was unusually absent from IFA this year but the Japanese technology giant did reveal its new Xperia IV during the show. This latest call maker gets an improved screen with brighter visuals. There’s also a bigger battery, more impressive rear camera, wireless charging and a faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip inside.

It’s a nice update from Sony but it should be considering the price.

The firm wants customers to part with £949 of their hard-earned cash to own one. Ouch!

There were plenty of audio announcements during IFA but the new buds from JBL definitely got everyone talking. The Tour PRO 2 feature a neat little 1.4-inch OLED screen which offers instant access to controls such as track skipping and volume levels.

You can even read notifications, answer phone calls and switch off the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) without digging into endless settings on your iPhone or Android device.

Along with those buds, audio firm Jabra caused plenty of noise with the launch of its Elite 5 true wireless earbuds at IFA.

These music makers include Active Noise Cancellation, seven-hour battery life and improved call quality. The best part is… they cost just £149 which is pretty impressive considering the list of features.

The famous Finnish phone company launched a new subscription plan at IFA which it hopes will not only make buying a new phone a lot cheaper but also more friendly for the environment.

Nokia says that its new Circular option is aimed at incentivising people to keep their phones for longer with a range of eco-friendly rewards which include sending phones back for recycling and also making sure they don’t end up in a landfill.

As part of the plan, users can also claim a new device if their model gets lost, damaged or stolen and there’s even the option to change it at any point for something new.

Three new Nokia Android phones were also revealed during the show including the Nokia X30 5G, Nokia G60 5G and Nokia C31.