With IFA 2026 in full swing, companies from around the world are showcasing the latest and greatest new tech ready to hit the market. Pocket-lint is on the ground at IFA, and while it was difficult, here are five of my favorite things that I’ve seen shown off.
Keep in mind that there are dozens of other cool things out there, but I don’t want to spend the entire day writing it all out. Everything listed here will be available for sale in the coming weeks and months, but some of them are more proof of concept rather than something ready to hit the market right away. That doesn’t stop them from being impressive, though, and in the case of Lenovo’s Project Swan, I’m excited to get my hands on that one from the comfort of my own home instead of wishing I could take it home from IFA. Let’s get into that top five.
TV speakers and soundbars
Trivia challenge
From built-in tweeters to Dolby Atmos monsters — how much do you really know about TV audio?
SoundbarsTechnologyBrandsFormatsHistory
What does the term ‘Dolby Atmos’ refer to in home audio?
Correct! Dolby Atmos is an object-based audio format that places sounds in a three-dimensional space, including overhead height channels. It was originally developed for cinema in 2012 before making its way into home theatres and soundbars.
Not quite. Dolby Atmos is an object-based surround sound format that adds height channels to create a three-dimensional listening experience. It debuted in cinemas in 2012 and later arrived in home audio products including soundbars.
What does a soundbar’s ‘2.1’ configuration refer to?
Correct! In speaker configurations, the first number represents full-range or satellite speakers, and the ‘.1’ refers to a dedicated subwoofer channel. A 2.1 soundbar therefore has two speakers plus a subwoofer for bass reproduction.
Not quite. Speaker configuration numbers follow a simple convention: the first digit is the number of full-range speakers and the ‘.1’ denotes a dedicated subwoofer. So a 2.1 soundbar has two speakers and one subwoofer.
Which company developed the Acoustic Research bookshelf speaker and is widely credited with popularising the hi-fi speaker market in the 1950s?
Correct! Acoustic Research, founded by Edgar Villchur in 1952, revolutionised speaker design with the acoustic suspension (sealed box) woofer. This innovation dramatically improved bass response from compact enclosures and helped launch the modern hi-fi industry.
Not quite. The answer is Acoustic Research, founded by Edgar Villchur in 1952. His acoustic suspension speaker design transformed the industry by delivering deep bass from a compact sealed cabinet, setting the stage for the hi-fi revolution.
What is the primary purpose of an HDMI eARC connection on a TV?
Correct! HDMI eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) allows a TV to send high-quality audio — including lossless formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio — downstream to a soundbar or AV receiver. It improved on the original ARC standard, which was limited to compressed audio.
Not quite. HDMI eARC stands for Enhanced Audio Return Channel, and its job is to send audio from the TV to an external speaker system such as a soundbar. Unlike original ARC, eARC supports lossless audio formats including Dolby TrueHD.
In what decade did the first commercially available soundbar products begin to appear on the consumer market?
Correct! Soundbars began appearing as commercial consumer products in the early 2000s, driven by the rise of flat-panel TVs whose slim profiles left little room for decent built-in speakers. Brands like Yamaha were among the early pioneers of the format.
Not quite. Soundbars emerged as a consumer product category in the early 2000s. The shift to thin flat-panel televisions created a need for a compact audio solution, and companies like Yamaha helped popularise the soundbar as an accessible alternative to full surround sound systems.
What technology do upward-firing drivers in a soundbar primarily aim to simulate?
Correct! Upward-firing drivers are designed to bounce sound off the ceiling and back to the listener, simulating the overhead height channels used in object-based formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. They allow a soundbar to approximate a full overhead speaker setup without ceiling-mounted speakers.
Not quite. Upward-firing drivers bounce audio off the ceiling to simulate overhead height channels, which are a key part of object-based formats like Dolby Atmos. It’s a clever workaround that avoids the need to physically mount speakers in the ceiling.
Sonos launched its first wireless home speaker system in which year?
Correct! Sonos launched its first product, the Sonos Digital Music System, in 2004. It was a groundbreaking multi-room audio system that allowed users to stream music wirelessly throughout the home, well before smart speakers became mainstream.
Not quite. Sonos actually launched its first wireless multi-room audio system in 2004, making it a very early pioneer in the wireless speaker space. The company helped define the category years before smart speakers like Amazon Echo became common household names.
What does ‘passive radiator’ mean in the context of a TV speaker or soundbar design?
Correct! A passive radiator is a diaphragm with no voice coil or magnet — it moves purely in response to changes in air pressure inside the cabinet caused by an active woofer. This allows manufacturers to extend bass response without using a bass reflex port, which is useful in slim soundbar designs.
Not quite. A passive radiator is an unpowered driver — essentially a cone or diaphragm with no voice coil — that vibrates sympathetically with the air pressure generated by an active woofer. It’s a common technique in compact soundbars to boost bass without adding a port or increasing size.
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Lenovo Project Swan
This one could be a game-changer
I saw a lot of laptops at IFA, but none of them impressed me as much as Lenovo’s Project Swan. This is a proof-of-concept laptop, but its ability to extend from a 14-inch display to a 17-inch one just by pressing the Insert key on the keyboard amazed me. Laptops typically keep making improvements under the hood in terms of speed and power, but Lenovo thought outside the box on this one and showed off an expanding screen. It might sound like a cheap gimmick, but it’s not. While this one might not hit the market, the very real Lenovo IdeaPad Vibe will, and I’m also a big fan of that.
LG UltraGear AI 25G590B
Fastest refresh rate yet
Mouthful of a name aside, LG’s newest UltraGear monitor is the first native 1000Hz 1080p monitor to hit the market. No, you won’t be running AAA games at anywhere near this framerate, and you’ll still need a beefy computer to hit these highs. However, esports titles such as Valorant, Overwatch, etc. will shine on a monitor like this as you can typically drop the settings to Low and run games like this at extremely high framerates. This monitor supports both AMD’s FreeSync and NVIDIA’s G-Sync, so it doesn’t matter what GPU brand you use. It comes with a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports and a DisplayPort 2.1 port. With a 1ms response time, this is a laptop that’s perfect for gaming. It will run you $1,000, so it’s a pricey monitor.
Aurzen Zip Pro
A projector that fits in your pocket
We were big fans of the original Aurzen Zip tri-fold projector when we reviewed it back in March 2026. The main appeal of that projector is its ability to fit into your pocket for easy carrying, and the Aurzen Zip Pro keeps that same small form-factor and ups the ante. Instead of projecting at just 720p, the Pro takes it up to 1080p. Portability takes its toll on the battery life, however, as it boasts just 2.5 hours of life. That’s a fair tradeoff for something that is so easily transported. The price starts at $630, but you can get early bird pricing at $580 if you take advantage of early-bird pricing. Shipping is expected to begin for this projector in October.
TCL Q95K 11.4ch soundbar
That’s a lot of speakers
I’m not the biggest fan of Dolby Atmos soundbars since they lack the height speakers that a traditional Atmos setup has, but TCL’s flagship Q95K Dolby Atmos soundbar still impressed me. What I found the most fascinating is that there was little to no way to make your audio worse than it should be. The pair of surround speakers that it came with had audio coming out of multiple sides, so it didn’t matter how you placed them. What’s even cooler is that it didn’t even sound strange that audio was coming out of every direction. TCL makes some impressive soundbars, and the Q95K looks like it’s going to be the best one yet. I can only imagine how much better it sounds in a living room than a massive convention center. This soundbar originally released in China earlier this year. It’ll begin rolling out in Europe at the end of September, so let’s keep our fingers crossed and see if the North American release is next.
Anker soundcore AeroClip 2 Pro
More comfortable than I thought
I recently picked up a pair of Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 because I wanted a pair of earbuds, but now I’m second-guessing that after trying the AeroClip 2 Pro. I’ve heard about over-ear headphones, but I’ve never tried a pair for myself. These ended up fitting snugly on my ear, and audio quality still sounded good. I thought they’d feel loose while walking or shaking my head, but they didn’t. What makes these AeroClips stand out, however, is the AI note-taking that transcribes a lecture or speech automatically for you. Although school is long behind me, this would’ve been something perfect for when I was zoning out and staring into nothing as a professor droned on. You might already be familiar with AI note-taking headphones, but Anker says these are the world’s first AI note-taking open-ear clip-on headphones, so there’s that going for them. These retail for $230, but there’s currently no release date.
