9 brilliant computing devices on show at IFA 2016
Introduction
September is just around the corner and that means that an army of slick electronic devices are being shown off at the rabbit's warren of tech that is Berlin's IFA expo.
We're only on day one, and IFA has already played host to a number of computing launches - from a powerful gaming laptop the size of s toolbox to impossibly thin ultraportables.
There's quite a few launches yet to take place, but click (or tap) on ahead to check out the computing excellence that has already caught our eye.
Joe Osborne also contributed to this article
1. Lenovo Yoga Book
Is it possible to craft a device perfect for typing, writing with a pen and holding up in your hand to read from? Lenovo has given it a good go with its new Yoga Book, a skinny and flexible hybrid that comes in both Windows and Android flavors.
The Yoga Book is one of the lightest and most manageable 2-in-1s we've ever clasped in our palms, although it might take you some time to get used to its touchscreen keyboard.
2. Acer Predator 21 X
There are so many downright unbelievable facts about the Acer Predator 21 X that it's difficult to know where to begin. It's an incredibly powerful laptop with a curved G-Sync display sporting a 21:9 aspect ratio.
Its keyboard is mechanical, so you get clicky bliss with each keystroke, and there's a window that you can peer through to see the Predator's fans doing their thing. Oh, and its numberpad is reversible allowing you to use it as a trackpad too.
3. Lenovo Yoga 910
Lenovo's Yoga line of convertible notebooks have become increasingly slimmer and more powerful in recent years. The Yoga 910 brings the attention back to the 13.9-inch screen, which has super-slim bezels that echo those found on Dell's XPS 13 and XPS 15.
It can be equipped with a Full HD or 4K display and houses Intel's newest generation Kaby Lake processor under the hood. Lenovo is claiming that the Yoga 910's battery life can stretch to more than 15 hours, which is sure to equal a few hours of Overwatch on the go.
4. Asus ZenBook 3
We move on to a laptop that's just about as far away from the Predator 21 X as possible - and that's the souped-up Asus ZenBook 3. It isn't a new device, but it's now available with Intel's 7th-generation Kaby Lake processor under the hood, which brings performance and battery life-related improvements over the company's sixth-generation Skylake chips.
Intel even claims that it's powerful enough to run Overwatch with decent frame rates. In a device as stunning as the black-and-gold version of the ZenBook 3 that's on show at IFA, that's a tempting little package indeed.
5. Asus ZenScreen
Asus has already launched one portable monitor this year in the form of the impressive MB169C+, which has low latency and is a great, if expensive, way to get hold of more screen real estate on the go. The ZenScreen is the company's largest portable monitor yet (upping the screen size to 15 inches), while remaining thin.
It keeps things sensible by sticking to 1080p, which will no doubt help your laptop's battery life while providing another screen for browsing a webpage, watching a video or editing images.
6. Acer Swift 7
The Acer Swift 7 strongly resembles a MacBook Air, but at under a centimetre thick it's even thinner at the rear end. It has a roomy trackpad, a great display that's packed with color and serves up some fantastic viewing angles thanks to its IPS panel.
Intel's 7th-generation Kaby Lake processor is under the hood to provide the computing muscle, and with two USB-C ports along the edges you could hook up anything from an external battery pack to Asus' new 15-inch portable monitor.
7. LG UC97G
LG is showing off this 21:9 monitor at IFA, which is enough to make gamers salivate at the chops. It has what the company describes as a 'blindingly fast' refresh rate of 1ms. Twinned with motion blur reduction, it promises to let you see your enemies before they see you.
It's aided by AMD's FreeSync functionality, which eliminates screen tearing by syncing your monitor's refresh rate with your graphics card, so you'll need a meaty rig to make the most of it, then. Additionally, the 38UC99 boasts a color gamut that covers 99% of the sRGB spectrum, a USB Type-C port and two 10W speakers.
8. Acer Chromebook R13
At last! If you've been looking for a 13-inch convertible Chromebook, this model from Acer is it. It comes with a 1080p IPS panel with 10-point touch, and it'll work with Android Apps too, making it one versatile and interesting laptop.
It's available with 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of storage, and there's 4GB of RAM under the hood to keep things ticking over. Bluetooth 4.0 lets you connect your favorite peripherals, while a 720p camera is onboard for all of those Google Hangout work meetings you love taking part in.
CaseKing H-Tower
Talk about enthusiast gaming hardware. This monster gaming PC case from German builder CaseKing is probably the ultimate case. Whenever you want to get inside, just press and hold the open button to cause the case to split open like a Transformer.
The case is built from titanium, its base from solid steel, and features LEDs that change from red to blue as it's transforming. No more cutting your fingers up to swap GPUs.
Naturally, the H-Tower is prohibitively expensive at 2,399 (about $2,677, £2,012, AU$3,537). Start saving now, because it's a limited edition model.
