Innovation For All (IFA) 2025 once again lived up to its reputation of being the “CES of Europe,” drawing over 1,900 exhibitors from 49 countries and more than 220,000 visitors to Berlin. On the exhibition floor, attendees explored a range of technologies—especially in the smart home and appliance sectors—where intelligence, energy efficiency and user-centric experiences were the top themes.
Appliances were a major part of the show, with well-known players like BSH, Haier, LG, Midea, Miele, Samsung and Panasonic exhibiting products that are more energy-efficient, quieter, safer, simpler to use and contribute to healthier lifestyles with AI as a foundational technology in transforming consumer experiences.
BSH’s booth, for example, focused on helping consumers balance daily challenges such as energy efficiency with convenience. Their Matter-enabled fridge can be remotely controlled and integrated into smart home platforms for real-time notifications.
Matter was widely present among smart home booths, but interestingly enough, it wasn’t the headline. Instead, brands focused on the benefits that smart home interoperability delivers, such as seamless control, automation and personalization—rather than the protocols themselves.
AI was the leading trend, especially at the edge. From facial recognition in cameras to intelligent sensors and appliances, AI is now embedded in devices—not just used in the cloud. Aqara introduced a new AI-powered presence sensor with five-in-1 detection (PIR, mmWave, light, temperature, humidity) and support for Thread and Zigbee.
Samsung’s “AI Home: Future Living. Now.” experience showcased how AI is enhancing everything from pet care and wellness to entertainment and aging in place.
Robotics added a futuristic flair with a mixture of concepts or luxury products and more widely accessible ones including humanoid sorting laundry, Eufy’s stairlift robot for robot vacuums, a tennis-playing bot from Switchbot and an AI Pet Robot.
As expected, intelligent lighting had a strong presence with more innovative (and fun) products such as dynamic lights, curtain lights with programmable images, immersive systems such as Govee’s TV Backlight 3 Pro and its outdoor lights with expanded color ranges. Signify also expanded their Philips Hue line that now includes support for Matter with Thread at an entry-level price point—starting at just $15.
On the security and access front, a Nuki demo previewed an Aliro keypad unlocking a smart lock with just a tap via near-field communication (NFC) on a Samsung phone. Security cameras and video doorbells were also prominent in the smart home area—all touting benefits of on-device AI for intelligent detection and tracking.
As always, the best part about IFA was the people in attendace industry experts, innovators and enthusiasts—sharing insights, exploring trends and shaping the future of connected living.
Sujata Neidig has over 30 years of experience in the semiconductor industry and is currently Director of Marketing for Wireless Connectivity where she drives product marketing and standards efforts for IoT connectivity. She also represents NXP on the Thread Group and Connectivity Standards Alliance’s Board of Directors as well as serving as Thread Group’s VP of Marketing. She is based in Austin, TX.