What impressed us on show at the big Berlin tech expo
It’s been a busy week over in Berlin as the IFA 2023 tech expo has been taking place, with a who’s who of the consumer tech world in attendance to show off their new devices.
The smart home was a key theme of IFA this year, with a plethora of brands keen to show off the latest gadgets they want you to connect to your smart home setup.
Here are our Best in Show top picks from IFA 2023….
Philips Hue Secure
The new Philips Hue Secure cameras come in both battery and wired options, and form part of the new Philips Hue Secure smart security system.
They boast end-to-end encryption by default. This means that no processing of footage is done in the cloud, it all happens locally on the devices themselves.
Controlled within the Hue app, the new cameras are an obvious choice for existing Hue users looking to get more security smarts from their connected lights.
Deal: Save 40% on a Philips Hue White and Colour Twin pack
Tado Heat Pump Connector
The new Tado Heat Pump Connector is designed to heat homes using air-to-water systems; ones that have radiators in rooms around the house but are powered by a Heat Pump, rather than a boiler.
Alongside the new Heat Pump Connector, Tado also launched the Tado Balance Heat Pump feature in the Tado app, allowing you to more efficiently control how your heat pump operates, choosing when to pre-heat rooms or fill water tanks based on real world data.
SwitchBot S10
The SwitchBot S10 is a new a robot vacuum and mopping machine that offers automatic water refilling and dirty water draining.
It comes with a Water Station that, just as a dishwasher or washing machine already does in your house, hooks directly up to your cold water feed and your drains.
It’s a simple idea but takes away another hassle from the auto cleaning experience.
Roborock Zeo One
The Roborock Zeo One is the robo cleaning expert’s first foray into the washing machine category in the western world.
It boasts a barrage of cutting edge tech baked in and packs in features that eliminate bacteria, pet dander and more and that, thanks to Zcycle moderate-temperature drying technology that can dry your delicate clothes at precise moderate temperatures controlled by an AI algorithm, with NTC smart sensors to avoid damage.
It also looks pretty cool with a slick touchscreen controller up front.
Eve Play 2
The Eve Play is an AirPlay 2 streaming box designed to make your dumb speakers and hi-fi equipment smart.
It boasts RCA, optical and coaxial outputs, providing a versatile solution for integrating modern streaming technology with traditional audio setups.
With AirPlay 2 already offering multi-room music, the new Eve Play makes it even easier to share your tunes around your home.
Shark Detect Pro
The Shark Detect Pro is an intelligent vacuum cleaner equipped with four deep-cleaning technologies.
This smart cleaner adapts to various cleaning situations by adjusting suction power, illuminating low-light areas, and effectively cleaning edges and different floor types.
And, once it’s done, it will also clean out its own tank via its docking station.
Ezviz E6
The the Ezviz E6 is the brand’s first Apple HomeKit Secure Video security camera. It has a 3K resolution and offers 360-degree panning from the Ezviz app, so you’ll be able to keep a good eye on everything that’s going on in your home.
It is also compatible with both Google Home and Amazon Alexa, and boasts AI-powered human and pet detection, auto-zoom tracking, a privacy shutter, IR night vision, and bark and meow detection too.
Aqara Ceiling Light T1M
The Aqara Ceiling Light T1M is actually two smart lights in one. There’s an inner part and an outer ring and the suggestion is that the latter could be used for visual notifications.
For example, you could have a blue light turn on if a water sensor detected a leak or a red light if a security camera detected a person where there shouldn’t be one.
It’s a simple, but very clever concept.
