On the 8th (local time) at ‘IFA 2024,’ attendees are seen playing games on a Samsung screen. [Courtesy of Samsung Electronics Co.]

South Korea’s top two electronics makers, Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc., attracted large numbers of visitors throughout the opening day of IFA 2024. Europe‘s largest consumer electronics trade show kicked off on Friday local time in Berlin, Germany.

Samsung Electronics had prepared the largest exhibition space of 6,017 square meters in the industry, but there were barely any room to move, with visitors carefully examining its ‘Bespoke AI Combo,’ an all-in-one washer-dryer, while trying on the ‘Galaxy Ring’ on their fingers. Young children enjoyed racing games while gazing at the ‘Odyssey Neo G9’ monitor.

Attendees at the LG Electronics exhibition are seen examining the AI Home Hub Q9. [Courtesy of LG Electronics Inc.]

The scene at the LG Electronics booth was similar, and it was packed with visitors. Its mobile AI home hub (code-named Q9) is gaining popularity with its cute appearance, and its AeroCat, a combination of an air purifier and a cat bed, also drew the attention of many visitors.

For its part, China had its largest-ever presence at the 2024 edition, with over 1,300 home appliance companies taking part. The most aggressive players were TCL Technology Group Corp. and Hisense Group, which are competing for the top two spots in the Chinese TV market. They prominently displayed ultra-large AI TVs at the front of their booths, emphasizing “bigger is better.”

TCL positioned its TV lineup prominently in the center of its booth, once again showcasing the 115-inch Quantum Dot (QD) Mini-LED TV that it had boasted was the largest at CES 2024 earlier in the year.

Hisense also set up a large booth nearby, displaying 163-inch and 136-inch Micro-LED TVs at the entrance. The company introduced its robot assistant ’Harley,‘ but its performance seemed to lag behind Samsung’s robot butler ‘Ballie’ and LG‘s ’Q9.‘ It could only spin in place or move back and forth in response to commands.

China’s leading home appliance company Haier Group Corp. focused on smart home solutions based on AI. It demonstrated how appliances like dishwashers, clothes dryers, and refrigerators could integrate into smart homes.

Industry insiders noted that Chinese companies are catching up with their Korean counterparts at an alarming pace year by year but added that they are copying Korean products.

TCL and Hisense’s washer-dryer products were strikingly similar to Samsung Electronics‘ Bespoke AI Combo, which was released first, and the appearance of Hisense’ robot assistant Harley resembled LG’s Q9.

Chinese robot vacuum cleaner producers’ exhibits also attracted the attention of visitors. They reportedly increased their booth sizes compared to IFA 2023 and aim to develop ’flatter‘ robotic vacuum cleaners to clean under furniture and other hard-to-reach areas.

Beijing Roborock Technology Co.’s Qrevo Edge, which is designed to be 8.2 centimeters tall, is said to be the thinnest product in the industry, according to the company.

German companies highlighted eco-friendliness and high efficiency at the event. Robert Bosch GmbH, or Bosch, promoted the slogan that saving energy is the wisest approach, emphasizing that using their products could reduce the carbon footprint, or the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during the production, distribution, and disposal of products.

Miele introduced new washing machines and clothes dryers, which its representative said achieved 10 to 20 percent higher energy efficiency than Europe‘s highest energy efficiency rating. Most German appliance companies, including Miele, also attracted visitors’ attention and senses via their cooking shows, where they promoted kitchenware.