Smartphones

It wouldn't be IFA without Sony announcing a new smartphone or two. Last year, it was the Xperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact. And in 2018, we've already been introduced to the XZ2, XZ2 Compact and more recently, the XZ2 Premium. Logic would dictate, then, that we'll welcome the Xperia XZ3 into the world at IFA.

Rumors surrounding the XZ3 have primarily come from suspicious benchmarks and case makers, which always need to be taken with a pinch of salt even if there's rarely smoke without fire. The most comprehensive but not necessarily credible leak comes from the UK branch of online retailer MobileFun, which actually has a listing for the XZ3 on its site.

Purported specs paint the XZ3 as another iterative flagship. There's some debate about whether it'll feature the same dual-camera setup as the XZ2 Premium or Sony's new 48-megapixel smartphone sensor. We're also unsure if the XZ3 will be joined by a Compact companion this year, but at this point it looks like we'll have to wait until Sony's press conference on August 30th to find out for sure.

Huawei's also hosting a press conference at IFA, and little birdies suggest the Mate 20 family of devices will be revealed onstage. XDA Developers claims to have seen legitimate pictures of the Mate 20, complete with a relatively unobtrusive teardrop notch -- much like the Essential PH-1. Continuing the message of the Mate series being Huawei's answer to the Note, the Mate 20 reportedly sports a big 6.3-inch display, big battery and other flagship-grade components.

There are indications a "lite" version with inferior guts, as well as a "pro" model with even larger 6.9-inch display and three cameras on its back like the P20 Pro, could end up making the Mate 20 family three members strong. The rumor mill might be getting ahead of itself in this instance, however. Last year, Huawei talked up its latest processor at IFA and saved the official Mate launch for after the show. It could always do the same thing this time around, focusing on the upcoming Kirin 980 chip and keeping quiet on the phones it's about to show up in.

We could see a similar situation develop with LG too. Last year, the company introduced its V30 smartphone at IFA, and while the collective chatter of the internet generally agrees a V40 (or more likely, a V40 ThinQ) is incoming, we're not clear on exactly when. Serial leakster Evan Blass said earlier this year it's due out in late summer or early fall. Whether LG will use IFA as the launchpad or host a separate event later, however, is anyone's guess right now.

TCL, aka the company responsible for the BlackBerry smartphone brand, definitely has something to announce at the show. The KEY2 only came out a few months ago, but BlackBerry rumors of late suggest that a lite edition of that handset, the KEY2 LE, is due to be unveiled any day now. This supposedly has a few minor component downgrades and colorful plastic options as opposed to the metal and glass of the regular KEY2. The handset's price tag will arguably be the most interesting thing about it, since affordability is going to be the big draw here.

Wearables