The best phones, watches, PCs and gadgets you need to know about from IFA 2015 (Day 1)
This is hands-down the top tech coming out of the annual electronics show in Berlin.
The big electronics conference IFA, held each year in Berlin, is blooming with shiny, sophisticated smartwatches, over-the-top phones and state-of-the-art laptops. Too busy to follow along in real time?
No problem. Here's the best of what you missed from a very busy day before the show officially kicks off:
Top phones
Give the tap-sensitive Huawei Mate S a knuckle sandwich.
It's a killer-looking phone with an eye-watering 4K screen. We think this ultra-high-res 4K phone screen is overkill, but it won't hurt. This specs chart compares the headliner Z5 Premium with other big competitors. There are also two smaller variations with slightly trimmed-back specs , but they look pretty good, too.
Huawei Mate S :
It's skinny and metal and probably the nicest-looking Huawei phone we've ever seen. Hardware specs are strong, and it's packed with software gestures that even register your knuckle controls. If you've never given No. 3 smartphone maker Huawei a second thought, read this .
Acer Predator 6 gaming phone:
We probably won't see it until CES, but this offshoot of Acer's Predator line of gaming equipment will have a 10-core processor from MediaTek, lots of RAM memory and a big, 21-megapixel camera.
Superlative Lenovo phones:
This one is almost 7 inches (7!) , this one has a truly enormous 5,000mAh battery , and this one puts two all-seeing camera lenses on the front for more in-depth selfies .
Best smartwatches
The second-generation Moto 360 is still looking good.
Once again, Huawei is a surprise winner, with its debut Android Wear smartwatch offering six different, convincingly traditional styles.
Moto 360 Fashion :
More powerful than last year's model, this looker also comes in a smaller version, with a smaller face for slimmer wrists.
Sony Wena Watch:
This smart-ish watch does something different. Instead of running on software from Android, for example, it has a traditional watch face with smart features embedded into the bracelet.
Laptops and tablets
Lenovo IdeaPad Miix 700 :
A Windows 10 tablet-laptop-hybrid could slay the next Microsoft Surface Pro in its tracks.
A stackable computer may be just what you need.
A tease of the gaming GX700's outboard water-cooling unit for keeping the rig from overheating during serious gameplay sounds crazy enough to hook our curiosity.
Acer Revo Build :
In the spirit of DIY computing, this modular system lets you stack and swap parts to make the tower of your dreams.
Lenovo IdeaPad 100S :
There are several powerful, portable, super-affordable PCs in this line. If you're looking to buy, you'll want to check these out.
Toshiba Radius 12 :
This really slim, really light (under 3 pounds!) Windows 10 hybrid pushes the boundaries for weight and size on a 12.5-inch screen with high 4K resolution.
Smart home
Bosch camera fridge :
Peekaboo. A new lineups of refrigerators stands out for an interior camera that lets forgetful shoppers spy the contents of their fridge when they're at the store.
Double-decker, smart washers:
German appliance-maker Haier announced a double-decker washer that can wash a small load of whites alongside -- and in the same amount of time as -- a load of darks. Meanwhile, this smart washer-dryer combo has a ton of sensors for gauging how much soap and water to use for your load, while also integrating an app so you can monitor your laundry from your phone.
Catch all the electronics news from this week's IFA show in Berlin.