Best of IFA 2012: live from Berlin

Ever since moving to 1080p HD displays, the TV industry has been struggling to find its next great sales pitch. Picture quality hasn't improved dramatically, OLED TVs remain mostly a mirage, and the repeated attempts to make consumers care about obvious gimmicks like 3D have fallen flat. In the absence of a real advantage to distinguish the latest TV model from the trusty high-def screen you might have bought a few years back, companies have had to enter a debilitating price war. But now there's hope.

Sony, Toshiba and LG all turned up to this year's IFA convention with a new weapon in hand: 84-inch 4K TVs. The "4K" refers to the increased resolution, which, at 3840 x 2160, is four times that of 1080p. In Toshiba's parlance, that makes these new TVs Quad Full HD, in LG's language, they're Ultra-Definition, and to Sony they're just the XBR-84X900, but whatever you call them, they're a reason to be excited for the future.

When it comes to OLED TVs, I start to feel like Roy Batty. The things I've seen on trade show floors are almost beyond articulation: TVs so thin that they make the latest superphone look fat, contrast ratios high enough to challenge Pioneer's legendary Kuro, and nearly 180-degree viewing angles. What amazes me to this day is that you can find all of these components of desire coexisting within just one display.

Whether produced by Samsung, LG, or Sony, OLED televisions have been the perennial darling of technology trade shows, however they have yet to make the leap from the exhibition floor to retail shelf space. Some smaller OLED panels have managed to escape the factory and go on sale in limited quantities, but the promise of a living room TV powered by organic light-emitting diodes remains tantalizingly out of reach.

Among the more anonymous booths at IFA this year, a mockup for Apple's next-gen iPhone has surfaced, looking like a fully realized compendium of all the rumors and leaks we've been hearing about the device. It has an elongated screen, a shrunken dock connector, a repositioned headphone jack, and a two-tone back cover. First spotted by GSM Israel, the mockup is making sporadic appearances at one particularly keen case maker's stand, usually ensconced in color cases.

We were told volume production of the form-fitting cases has already begun, with a view to shipping to retailers in a week's time. The mockup we got to see today confirms absolutely nothing about Apple's plans, but at least one company is confident enough in the dimensions on show to start producing accessories for the expected iPhone 5.

Although, yes, this is technically Samsung's first Google TV device, a more accurate description for what we saw today at IFA would be that the company is adding Google TV-related apps to its already expansive SmartHub suite. But those three apps arguably make up the entire Google TV experience: Chrome (without Adobe Flash support), YouTube (updated from its previous version to be much snappier and support keyboards), and most importantly the Google Play store (with "most but not all of the Google TV apps," according to a Samsung representative we spoke with).

Using Samsung's own Smart TV Wireless Keyboard is practically a requirement given all the search bars involved. It's definitely a value add for Samsung's lineup, but if you've already got an Android phone or tablet (or anything in between) laying around, the experience is going to feel subpar in comparison. A Google TV-infused Samsung smart TV is due out it this year, and while we tried it out a 6000 Series TV, even then the representative would not confirm what television models would get the apps or when.

The "multi view" concept isn't new, even if it still lacks a quick-and-easy description. In essence, it's two videos signals stacked on one another — using special polarizing glasses not entirely unlike 3D specs to "isolate" a (two-dimensional) signal and thereby allowing two or more people to watch different videos on the same TV. LG has it with Dual Play and Sony with PlayStation 3D Display.

Samsung's demonstration at its IFA 2012 booth didn't play up the multiplayer gaming aspect like the last aforementioned predecessors, but it did showcase the technology on gorgeous 55-inch OLED TVs. The special, very light headsets let you jump between the two videos with a push of a button — remarkably with no bleeding between the two signals — while built-in headphones jump audio tracks accordingly.

For those interested in the fine details, the phone was running version 4.1.1 of the operating system. If you noticed that the phone doesn't look quite like Pebble Blue, you'd be right — it looked more like a plum purple. Curiously enough, that color wasn't part of Samsung's recently announced lineup of new colors for the device. We still haven't any official word on when we can expect the update to arrive to phones, but the most recent rumors suggested it'd be out right about now. What does seem clear, however, is that Vodafone's LTE Galaxy S III will launch with Jelly Bean when its released in Germany come mid October.

Update: Added information on the device model (number GT-i9305).

While Samsung's Ativ hardware is relatively tame — especially compared to some other Windows 8 tablets we've seen this week — the company did section off a part of its IFA booth to show off a few experiments in industrial design. Quarantined behind the glass were various Windows 8 laptop / tablet hybrids that range from familiar ("Slide" and "Swivel") to slightly less so ("Binder" with a slide-on keyboard and "Pop Up" with ports only visible on the hinge) and even an asymmetrical "Memo PC" that's specifically conceptualized with future Samsung mascot the S Pen in mind. We would be surprised if a few of these ideas made it to production level, but for now they're just for show.

More enticing, however, were the functional prototypes on an adjacent table — including a 13-inch Samsung Series 9 laptop with two WQHD (2560 x 1440) displays, one on each side of the lid à la the Asus Taichi. The single-screen WQHD Series 9 was impressive in its own right, especially given how thin and light the frame was while retaining that approximately 220ppi pixel density (about on par with the 15-inch "Retina" MacBook Pro). It's not a consumer-facing product at this point, but it's also clear this is the direction Samsung (and indeed all laptop makers) are going.

It's fortunate that Dell saw the potential: combined with a switch from the company's budget Inspiron line to its premium level XPS series, the XPS Duo 12 makes a very strong case for this unusual form factor over that of the tablet / keyboard dock combo. We've had a chance to use a pre-production unit of the machine here at IFA 2012, and while Dell doesn't want to reveal specs beyond its 12.5-inch "Full HD" screen and up to Core i7 processor, it's clear that the company has put together a good option here.

The distinction between the two versions of the flagship T device is actually bigger than Sony would have you believe: The Germany-only Xperia T has a dual-core Qualcomm processor, clocked at 1.5GHz, is thicker than the Europe-wide Xperia TX, positions the power button differently, and has a slightly less unified design. The specs are otherwise a total match, including the 4.6-inch 1280 x 720 display, 13-megapixel Exmor R camera, and Android 4.0 OS.

Both handsets take inspiration from Sony's successful Xperia Arc smartphone of 2011, including the subtle concave curve of the back (now even subtler), though they upgrade the back cover with a new soft-touch matte surface that feels a lot better in the hand than the glossy plastic of the Arc. Alas, Sony couldn't restrain itself from injecting glossy sheen entirely, and there's a reflective strip wrapping around the sides of the Xperia TX, framing the display in an unnecessary sliver of glitz.

Fresh off his company's manifold Windows 8 device announcements at IFA 2012, Lenovo's Gianfranco Lanci sat down with us for a few minutes to discuss the present state of the PC industry. It's become something of a nebulous term these days, the PC industry, what with the definition of the personal computer undergoing a transformation into new form factors and types of functionality, but Lanci appears unfazed by this period of flux. He defines the PC world in terms almost equivalent to the Windows ecosystem — which is to say, if it runs Windows, it's a PC, whatever its size or shape — but he's also on board with Microsoft's more expansive concept of PC Plus.

Lanci defines PC Plus as an expansion on the number and sort of devices that plug into that core Windows ecosystem, plus an expansion in the cross-pollination we can expect to see with other ecosystems. Without naming the spectral names of Apple and Google, he posits the current computing world as operating within roughly three ecosystems, and to him this PC Plus idea is about the need for greater interaction between them and Microsoft's software. In simple terms, the PC isn't dying, it's evolving.

With the deluge of Windows 8 tablets, convertibles, and touchscreen desktops on the horizon, you might think the world's forgotten all about the regular old laptop. But Acer hasn't. Persisting with its ultrathin Aspire S line, the company has brought the Aspire S7 to IFA 2012 and my first encounter with it has been nothing short of a revelation. The S7 is slim to the extreme yet still has a rigid build thanks to a mix of aluminum and magnesium construction. It also includes the requisite capacitive touchscreen to make the most of Windows 8, but most importantly, it's the prettiest laptop I've come across since first laying eyes on Apple's 2010 MacBook Air redesign.

To appreciate how much of a departure from normality this is for Acer, you have to go back to last year's IFA. That's when Acer's W4 Windows Phone handset ended up on the receiving end of the most withering assessment Paul Miller has ever delivered on The Verge. To go, in the span of one year, from producing drably generic mass market junk to a cutting-edge design is, in my judgment, a great leap in the right direction for Acer. The Aspire S7 looks like something you'd expect the ultra-talented design minds at Nokia or Apple to produce, not the usually budget-minded crew from Taiwan. Of course, the S7 isn't quite perfect, as I found it rather unwieldy to open due to the rather stiff hinge (usually a good thing) and weirdly cut incision at the front of its top lid for opening. Beyond that and the slightly tepid 1366 x 768 resolution, the 11-inch Aspire S7 is close to an ideal ultraportable.

In a little over a week, we have seen three companies make headlines with 84-inch, 4K-resolution TVs for the consumer market — LG's set is out now in Korea with global expansion in September while Sony's XBR-84X900 will be available "this holiday season." Toshiba's own "Quad Full HD" (presumably 3840 x 2160) television won't be making it out this year, but a first half 2013 release still makes it one of the first to break the new upper echelon of resolutions.

Powered by Toshiba's CEVO Engine 4K, the TVs on display at its IFA booth are an impressive sight, especially bright colors and larger landscape shots (the accompanying press release implies Google Maps compatibility). A Toshiba representative tells us the TV set is due out first half of the year for both US and Europe, with pricing not likely to be announced until CES.

Dell has announced the XPS Duo 12, a new convertible ultrabook made for Windows 8. It features a 12.5-inch, "Full HD" (we assume 1920 x 1080 pixels) touchscreen with edge-to-edge Coring Gorilla Glass, and is powered by Intel hardware — up to Core i7. If this all sounds a little familiar, that might be because we first caught wind of the XPS Duo 12 via a leak in May.

This is what Vlad Savov wants you to know about Berlin. Potsdamer Platz is absolutely gorgeous and a must-see. A quadriga is a chariot drawn by four horses harnessed abreast, and the Berlin Quadriga was designed by Johann Gottfried Schadow in 1793 as the Quadriga of Victory. This is what the rest of The Verge team wants you to know about Berlin: a beer stein at our hotel bar is less than €3 and there is, alas, no discount for buying in bulk. Join us for a very special 90 Seconds on The Verge.

Stories of the day:

What happens when you combine a pocket camera with an Android smartphone? Samsung's answer is the Galaxy Camera. Running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean on a massive 4.8-inch HD LCD display, the Galaxy Camera aims to take the best of Samsung's camera and phone departments and mix them up for something altogether unique. There's a 16-megapixel backside-illuminated sensor within what is otherwise an unmistakably camera-shaped body, equipped with a retractable lens that provides 21x optical zoom.

On the inside, we can look forward to a 1.4GHz quad-core processor, Wi-Fi, 3G, and 4G wireless options, although disappointingly there's no SD card compatibility. If you want removable storage, you'll have to go for microSD cards. The Galaxy Camera will accept Micro SIM cards only. The display is described as using scLCD technology and has a 308ppi pixel density thanks to its 1280 x 720 resolution.

Samsung is the first manufacturer to officially announce a Windows Phone 8 device: the Ativ S. As we revealed just a short time ago, it has a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, and an 8-megapixel rear camera paired with a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera. Microsoft announced the device on its Windows Phone blog just ahead of Samsung's unpacked event, noting that it's only 8.7mm thick, has 1GB of RAM, and comes in either 16GB or 32GB models, both of which come with a microSD slot for more storage. It's all powered by a 2300mAh battery. The body is made with brushed aluminum, the screen lies behind Gorilla Glass, and Samsung opted for a physical Windows button instead of a capacitive one — a decision that matches its latest Android devices.

Unfortunately, while we have plenty of details on the device itself, we don't yet have new details on what Windows Phone 8 itself will bring beyond what we already know except, as Microsoft notes, that it "performs great." Samsung waited for quite a while before discussing the Ativ S during its Unpacked event. The company positioned the phone as part of a larger ecosystem, one that Samsung believes it is uniquely able to provide. It measures 137.2mm x 70.5mm x 8.7mm, a form factor Samsung calls a "chic hairline design."

After dominating IFA 2011 with its Galaxy Note introduction, Samsung is hoping to repeat the feat today with the Galaxy Note II. Now thinner and lighter, the new Note device comes with a redesigned S Pen stylus, a bevy of new software features layered atop Android 4.1, and an enlarged 5.5-inch display. Oh, and it now runs on a 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos processor.

Sony has just officially announced its new 84-inch 4K television at its IFA 2012 press conference, the company's first 4K TV, and its first TV with passive 3D viewing. Sony says the new XBR-84X900 television is capable of upscaling content to 4K (that's a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160) from any source, including things like digital photos from the PlayStation 3. As you can see from the picture above, the panel is a sizable stand-up unit with two long vertical speaker bars — Sony says the TV incorporates a 50 watt "10 unit live speaker system" that provides 5.1 surround sound. The XBR-84X900 is also a connected television with Wi-Fi, and Sony says it can be controlled with a smartphone or tablet via the company's Media Remote app.

The announcement extends Sony's recent foray into the world of 4K with new video cameras and projectors, and comes even as Sony has said it plans to reduce its investment in its flagging TV business. Sony says the new 4K TV will be available this holiday season, though no price has been announced yet. Stay tuned for our hands-on with Sony's new 4K beast, and be sure to check the rest of our IFA 2012 coverage for other announcements.

Speaking of Windows 8 Pro, the Duo 11 is a Pro device, carrying an Intel Core i7, i5, or i3 processor depending on configuration — there's no Windows RT here and no sign that Sony is planning an RT variant (yet). Look for it to launch in late October, just in time to capture the first wave of Windows 8 retail launches.