In North America, January’s Consumer Electronics Show — better known as CES — is the hot ticket for new gadgets. Virtually every consumer technology company is there every year, with the exception of Apple (AAPL).
Apple relies on its own events for product unveils.
In Europe, the big show is IFA. Berlin hosted IFA 2014, and the event saw a huge number of new products along with the official launch of some highly anticipated gear like the Moto 360 smartwatch.
Our IFA 2014 gallery includes the smartest, most innovative and just plain coolest new gadgets you can expect to be hitting store shelves just in time for the holiday shopping season.
10 Hot New Gadgets From IFA 2014: Moto 360
The worst kept secret of IFA 2014 was also one of its most hotly anticipated announcements.
Google’s (GOOG) Motorola has been showing off the round-faced Moto 360 smartwatch for months, but we didn’t have an official release date or price for the new gadget until the company’s IFA presentation — likely its last big product reveal before moving Lenovo (LNVGY).
If you have $249.99 to spare, you can buy a Moto 360 now.
10 Hot New Gadgets From IFA 2014: Nokia Selfie Phones
Microsoft (MSFT) used IFA 2014 to release new Windows smartphones from its Nokia division.
Instead of trying to take on the iPhone 6 on specs, it’s going for the mid-range consumers with the Lumia 730 and 735. Actually, Microsoft is targeting mid-range consumers who spend a lot of time snapping photos of themselves.
These Microsoft “selfie” phones feature large image sensors on the front-facing camera making them ideal for snapping high quality selfies in low light conditions.
10 Hot New Gadgets From IFA 2014: Sony’s Latest Xperia Gear
Sony’s (SNE) Xperia smartphones and tablets have a reputation for combining style with the company’s display and camera expertise. Most are waterproof too.
Sony released a slew of new Xperia devices, including the Xperia Z3 and Z3 compact smartphones, its own “selfie” phone and a pair of wearables.
Sony also showed the new Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact — billed as the worlds, thinnest and lightest compact tablet, with PS4 remote play capability.
10 Hot New Gadgets From IFA 2014: Kobo Aura H20
I’ve gone on record as saying Kobo’s Aura HD is the best e-reader you can buy.
The Aura H20 has the same over-sized, ultra-sharp display that makes the Aura HD so great, and ups the ante by making the device waterproof and dustproof. A little late for beach season, but this new gadget sets the bar pretty high for Amazon’s (AMZN) next Kindle.
However, the Rakuten (RKUNF) company was showing off a new model at IFA 2014 that promises to be even better.
10 Hot New Gadgets From IFA 2014: TCL’s Giant Curved TV
Like CES, there were tons of TVs at IFA 2014 with big, 4K, curved sets in the spotlight.
This time, the living room spotlight was stolen by someone other than the usual suspects.
China’s TCL (TLCVF) lugged the 110-inch, China Star Curved Ultra HDTV all the way to Berlin.
The world’s biggest curved TV weighs 937 pounds. No official word on what it costs, but I suspect you might want to hold off on buying this new gadget and buy a new car or renovate your home instead.
10 Hot New Gadgets From IFA 2014: Another Samsung Smartwatch
You have to give Samsung (SSNLF) credit for persistence. Samsung was early to market with its Android Galaxy Gear smartwatch, and it’s been pumping out new models furiously.
Samsung unveiled the latest model at IFA 2014.
The Samsung Gear S uses a curved Super AMOLED display to distinguish itself from other smartwatch offerings. Available in October (price hasn’t been announced), the third major Samsung smartwatch release of 2014 may just be the new gadget that catches on with fans of wearables.
10 Hot New Gadgets From IFA 2014: Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge
Samsung (SSNLF) chose UFA 2014 to launch the latest in its game-changing Galaxy Note line, the device that started the whole phablet craze.
That would be the Galaxy Note 4, which is improved in all the usual ways — faster, with a higher density display.
Samsung also introduced one of the more unusual new gadgets of the show, the Galaxy Note Edge, which features a wrap-around display that curves over the right edge to create a second, thin, display.
10 Hot New Gadgets From IFA 2014: Samsung Gear VR
Will virtual reality headsets overtake the smartwatch as the hot new gadgets everyone wants?
Facebook (FB), which bought industry leader Oculus VR clearly thinks there’s something to the technology.
Samsung (SSNLF) made waves at IFA 2014 with a new mobile headset — the Gear VR — that makes use of the Galaxy Note 4 for its display and processing power.
10 Hot New Gadgets From IFA 2014: LG G Watch R
Motorola may have waited too long to release its Moto 360.
Motorola managed to drum up significant buzz over a round display smartwatch in the Moto 360, but in the months since Motorola first showed off its stylish wearable, LG has been busy.
At IFA 2014, LG took advantage of the excitement the Moto 360 had raised and introduced its own round, Android Wear smartwatch — the sharp looking LG G Watch R.
10 Hot New Gadgets From IFA 2014: Motorola Moto X
Motorola may have found the Moto 360 launch didn’t go quite as planned, but the reception for its new flagship smartphone was probably better than expected.
The new Moto X was unveiled at IFA 2014 to a very warm reception. Thinner than last years model (but still offering the premium finishes like bamboo), the new Moto X has moved up to a 5.2-inch Full HD AMOLED display and packs a quad-core Snapdragon 801 CPU.
A new “turbo charger” juices the Moto X to 8 hours of battery life after just 15 minutes.
Perhaps best of all? An Android smartphone on par with the best from Samsung and HTC at just $99 on contract.
As of this writing, Brad Moon did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
