Move over 3D TV – the world’s biggest tech show was dominated by the tactile as touchscreen technology moved centre stage on devices ranging from computer monitors to tablets
AFTER YEARS hawking 3D televisions, this year’s IFA in Berlin focused on the touchdown of the touchscreen.
From computer monitors to tablets, the world’s biggest tech show was dominated by the tactile, thanks to Windows 8, Microsoft’s colourful reboot of its operating system that offers a touchscreen interface. More on this later.
Samsung bounced back from its iPhone patent war with Apple with several interesting products. The Note II was an upgrade on the hybrid phone/tablet (phablet, anyone?) premiered at last year’s IFA. It doubles the RAM to 2GB, slightly larger screen, faster processor and improved stylus. All this for just 2g more in your pocket.
The South Koreans left Nokia in their dust at IFA by presenting the first Windows 8 mobile phone – the Ativ S – showing off Microsoft’s colourful “Metro” tiled interface on a 4.8-inch, 1280-by-720 Super AMOLED screen.
Taking care of business behind the reinforced glass is a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and big 2300 mAh battery to power the .89 cm thick phone. The new arrival boasts two cameras (8 and 1.9 megapixels) as well as 5 GHZ wifi and SD-card slot. The company expects the phone to come on the market in time for the Christmas trade.
Another impressive Samsung product was the Galaxy camera – with a 21x zoom out front, a 4-inch touchscreen out back and Android and wifi inside for fast sharing of snaps.
There was a colourful cast of laptops traipsing through Berlin’s trade fairground. Eye-catching new arrivals included two ultrabooks from HP weighing just over 2kg each: the Spectre TouchSmart XT and Envy.
Just 1.8cm at their thickest point, boasting every high-speed data port you can think of and a sharp 15.6-inch touchscreens running Windows 8, these laptops are clearly geared at photographers and musicians looking for a light, heavyweight MacBook Air alternative.
Apart from a dark outside case and a few rounded edges, the inside case and black keyboard are so daringly close to their Apple rival that you can practically hear the patent lawyers licking their lawsuit lips.
But back to the clear trend at IFA 2012. Apple may have been first out of the gate with the iPad but, after two years playing catchup, Apple’s rivals have caught up and even overtaken Steve Jobs’s heirs, offering tablets with attachable keyboards
While Apple users still have to turn to third-party manufacturers such as Logitech, rivals from Asus to Samsung now offer customers an attachable keyboard option to turn their tablet into a lightweight laptop. HP presented the slick “Envy x2” with an aluminium case and keyboard complete with touchpad and an optional pen for notes.
The Samsung Series 7 slate offers users a full-HD 1920-by-1080, 11-inch touch display that comes with a pressure-sensitive “S Pen”, standard with the Note II devices, to allow quick an precise note-taking.
Also up on the hybrid tablet-ultrabook bandwagon were Dell, Lenovo and Toshiba.
What of Apple? While it stays away from IFA, third-party suppliers were hard at work. One interesting addition to the iPad accessory world was LifeProof’s “Nuud” case, allowing you drop or even submerge your tablet in up to six feet of water. The screen remains uncovered, meaning it is fully functional even as you plumb the depths of the swimming pool.
Archos proved it’s still able to think differently, presenting its “GamePad” – a 7-inch hybrid Android tablet with physical console controls on each side of the screen.
For iPod audiophiles, there were some interesting new arrivals on the stand-alone speaker front. Creative had a new offering, the D5 range offering AirPlay connection to Apple devices.
Getting in on the digital audio action was former cassette kings TDK. Its wireless speakers – Weatherproof, Boombox and Sound Cube – all have Bluetooth A2DP connectivity to your smartphone. The boombox comes with a built-in rechargeable battery, FM radio, remote control and integrated handle offering you to blast your ghetto.
Philips presented its upmarket retro alternative: the Fidelio Portable speaker with white metal grille and wooden case, wrapped in a leather case.
All the hybrid tablet excitement shifted the focus off televisions for the first IFA in recent years. TV companies were still plugging their wares with so-called 4K technology. Sony unveiled its first 4K model, the monstrous 84-inch Bravia X9005, that takes us visually beyond 3D and HD – to infinity and beyond.
It’s early days for this HD-beating technology – there are no 4k broadcasts and IFA rumours put a €20,000 price tag on the Bravia – but it’s where the market’s moving.
Dell threw down another gauntlet to Apple by presenting an all-in-one desktop PC that may give the iMac a run for its money.
The Dell machine offers an elegance that belies the bloated name: XPS One 27.
With an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor and up to a 2TB hard drive, the tech specs are up to speed; it also matches the iMac on 2-inch screen real estate.
It goes the extra mile by offering a touch interface through Windows 8. One final trick: turn the display flat and you have a multi-touch table for collaboration.
As the IFA wrapped up yesterday, organisers said that, despite tough economic times, visitor numbers were up slightly while orders rose three per cent on last year to €3.8 billion.
