What used to be the Berlin radio show has become the inimitable IFA, and you'll find anything and everything here if it's on a PCB. There have been many changes to the show over the years, especially with the recent shows being disturbed by world events. Still, our editor Manuel Vonau was on the ground at IFA 2022, and the team has discussed at length what the highlights of the show have been. We've marked our ballots and are ready to announce Android Police's Best of IFA 2022.
Products for consideration include anything announced in the immediate period before or during the convention. Because we like variety, you'll see plenty of it here, with our choices spanning different categories from phones to appliances and high-tech to low-spec. If you want to hear Manuel speak about some of these products, tune into this week's episode of the Android Police podcast. With all that said, let's run you through our ten top picks.
Amazfit GTR 4
Don't count this as an also-ran to the Apple Watches and Galaxy Watches of this world. Amazfit might make cut-price smartwatches, but the GTR 4 packs a lot of punch in terms of activity tracking with 150 modes (eight of them with automatic detection), an improved optical monitor system, and dual-polarity GPS for vastly improved reception.
You could get the GTS 4, which has a thinner, squarer design, but we think the thicker, circular GTR 4 is well worth the extra cash. Its battery life estimate suggests it'll run for two weeks of use, and it comes with heftier, more stylish bands.
Honor 70
Since splitting from Huawei, job number one for Honor has been to let people know that it's got phones to sell. We saw it make a compelling case — even if it failed to thread the needle with differentiation — with its flagship Magic 4 phones at MWC earlier this year. The Honor 70 attempts to distill that flagship experience down from €1,000 to just €549.
In his first look at the phone, Manuel says that the spec sheet promises a lot, but with the marketing glory going to the cameras, there will be more to inspect in an extensive review. Still, two rear sensors land in the super-res range at or above 50MP, and the selfie camera is a whopping 32MP. We're excited to see what this Honor handset can do.
Honor Pad 8
We've been pretty patient with Google about its tablet renaissance agenda for Android, and there's been crawling progress on it. It's great news for all the manufacturers out there persisting year after year with new tablets, and it's especially great for Honor, which has its Honor Pad 8 out for the fall.
It's not going to shock anyone with its middling specs. Still, as a 12-inch tablet that should be adequately performant with 6GB of RAM for €349, you might consider it a canvas for your school needs or a test bed for Android's tablet-oriented updates coming down the pike.
Jabra Elite 5
Ear gear always excites us here (hear, hear!), but it looks like Jabra is out to impress with the Elite 5 wireless earbuds. It's set to perform well against the competition at a pro level with active noise cancellation, multipoint, Fast Pair, wireless charging, and a full charge lasting for 7 hours. The problem for the other players is that these go for $150.
With new entries in this category hanging comfortably above $200, we're excited to be able to get some extensive listening in. They're available to purchase from Amazon and Jabra. You can get $20 off if you order directly from the company by September 8.
Buy Jabra Elite 5
Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Chromebook (2022)
ChromeOS might have started as a way to mainline the web, but it's grown nicely since then and is maturing to be much more. Sometimes, the hardware's got to catch up. Lenovo's done that with the IdeaPad 5i by featuring the first 120Hz display in a Chromebook.
Maxing out at a 12th-gen Intel Core i3 isn't ideal, and the €549 price tag makes this a tough swallow for some. But to be brash, if you like your screens big — think 16-inches and 2.5K big — and you cannot lie, that'll be your book.
Lenovo Tab P11 Pro 2nd Gen
I'll be honest: I called the original version of the Tab P11 Pro an all-in-one solution that's not worth it. $500 for the tablet on its own didn't make sense, and while the keyboard and pen bundled in for $100 more turned the value proposition around, the miasma of tablet utility that was Android 10 couldn't save this product.
With Android's tablet evolution and a new 120Hz display, this second-gen Tab P11 Pro might have a better chance. Heck, if you can get the whole package for $400, we may be able to call it a real upgrade.
Nokia Circular
If every smartphone maker offered a decent upgrade program, we wouldn't be so reliant on Apple or the carriers to give us a sense of assurance and moral superiority. Well, Nokia's got a new leasing program called Circular, available in the UK and Germany, which assures fast replacements for lost or damaged devices and accruable donations to environmental causes.
The hope is that with these perks and very few strings attached that people hold onto their phones a little longer than they usually would — something a bit risky with a lease is, when all accounted for, customers begin paying above retail value for their devices after 14 to 19 months. Still, it's a bold shot, and it seems HMD Global is taking its crusade seriously.
Ring Intercom
Landlords who own multi-story tenements should know that a Ring Intercom is a definite value add for their properties. If they already have an intercom system, Ring Intercom may be able to pop right on top of it and allow tenants to track visitors such as couriers remotely right from their phones. As a bonus, the sound these things make is likely preferable to your system's existing and obnoxious buzzers.
It'll launch in the US next year, but it's coming to the UK soon so we've got an idea of the price. The MSRP may be a little steep at £150 apiece, but pre-orders are on through October 26 for £90. We're pretty willing to bet you'll also see Ring Intercom units on sale for less than their regular selling price.
Sony Xperia 5 IV
This is probably the most serious phone at the show. Or, at least, the phone that takes itself most seriously. Sony is carrying its cache in imaging down from the more expensive Xperia 1 series to the Xperia 5 IV. This handset costs $1,000 and it'll be on sale in October.
You might have seen your favorite influencer on that press junket to Idaho taking some snappy-looking photos. Yeah, well, it turns out that you don't need 200MP sensors to do good — all four cameras are rated at 12MP — but Sony has included big sensors, great glass, and meticulous processing. Perhaps Sony can cross its fingers that it's got the right formula after years of batting below average.
XGIMI Magic Lamp Projector
Why do you need an unseemly box to project movies onto the wall when you can stick the projector into a more homely-looking appliance? Like, a ceiling lamp? It's a pretty sensible combo, we think.
The Harman Kardon speakers are a good touch if only actually essential to help justify its four-digit price tag. Still, we think this has the potential to be a centerpiece for your integrated smart home.