IFA 2026 starts this week: AMD opens the show as Samsung leaves the public floor for the first time since 1991

Press events begin two days before the doors open

IFA 2026 takes over Messe Berlin from Friday, September 4 through Tuesday, September 8, while press events begin on Wednesday the 2nd. IFA's official programme spans PCs, televisions, appliances, audio, phones and an unavoidable amount of artificial intelligence.

Acer started the announcements on September 2 at 11 a.m. CEST with next@acer. Its cards are now on the table, and we have selected the 1,000Hz monitor, 799g laptop, repairable Vero and Atlas 7 handheld. AMD holds the opening keynote on Friday at 11 a.m., led by Computing and Graphics chief Jack Huynh.

Huynh's group oversees Ryzen, Radeon and the custom architectures behind systems including PS5, Xbox and Steam Deck. The keynote therefore matters to laptop buyers and console players as much as it does to desktop enthusiasts.

Samsung swaps the show floor for a private building

Samsung will be the most conspicuous absence from the public halls. The company remains in Berlin but is leaving the large open booth it has occupied since 1991, moving demonstrations to Humboldt Carré for press and partners. It is not skipping IFA, but ordinary visitors will no longer walk through its showcase as before.

The move arrives as Samsung stretches its PC range below the premium tier. Its new entry Galaxy Book6 lowers the family's starting price, a practical strategy that says more about the market than another hall of prototypes.

Xiaomi debuts while AI must prove it is useful

Xiaomi makes its Messe Berlin debut with phones, connected-home equipment and personal devices. LG, Lenovo, TCL, Hisense, Miele and other major brands round out a show where televisions, coffee machines and laptops will all compete to tell the same automation story.

Our coverage will focus on claims that change a purchase or a real use case. If a company says AI, it must explain what the feature does, where data is processed and what it costs. If AMD promises graphics performance, we will compare it with technology already in hand, including DLSS 5 and its real frame-rate cost. The rest can wait until the products switch on.