Skip to main content

Day 1 of IFA brings fresh OLED competition, 4K phones, a turntable revival

The first of two press-only days at IFA 2015 is now in the books, and it was Panasonic and Sony who nabbed the biggest headlines.

Panasonic’s biggest announcement was the arrival of its new THX-certified 4K UHD OLED TV, and believe us: All those acronyms add up to a whole lot of awesome. Panasonic has always been well known for its TVs’ outstanding picture quality, but the company claims this is its best-looking TV yet. Aside from perfect black levels and excellent contrast, the new OLED TV is said to offer Panasonic’s most accurate color ever, delivering stunningly lifelike images. The new OLED TV’s arrival is also a big deal because it stands as the first competition LG has seen since it launched its first OLED just over three years ago.

Panasonic’s specialty audio brand, Technics, also garnered attention with some new premium digital audio components, but it was a prototype turntable that got reporters to rush the stage. Technics turntables have been an iconic fixture on many a DJ’s performance rigs, but the company called it quits on vinyl shortly before the brand was shut down five years ago. Apparently, though, Technics’ triumphant return last year was received warmly, so the company is going revive its turntable, this time redesigning it from the ground up.

Technics also introduced some new audiophile headphones at the event. Featuring 50 mm titanium-coated drivers and 14 mm tweeters, the EAH-T700 headphones are intended to compete with the best premium cans currently available. We tried them on, and not only were they extremely comfortable, but they sounded great as well. The cans are still in development, so no word on yet on when you can buy them and how much, but we’ll certainly be keeping an eye out.

Sony’s big news centered around a new Experia Z5 smartphone, boasting an eye-popping 4K screen. Do you really need a 4K screen on your smartphone? Who cares? Sony is doing it regardless. In all, there are three new Z5  phones: the 4.6-inch Z5 Compact, the 5.2-inch flagship Z5, and the 5.5-inch Z5 Premium is a phablet with the first 4K smartphone display. A few changes to the phone’s construction were changed but, don’t worry, the Z5s are all waterproof.

That’s it for press day number one. We’ll be back tomorrow with a roundup of the second press day ahead of the show’s official opening this Friday.

Caleb Denison
Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…
AT&T just made it a lot easier to upgrade your phone
AT&T Storefront with logo.

Do you want to upgrade your phone more than once a year? What about three times a year? Are you on AT&T? If you answered yes to those questions, then AT&T’s new “Next Up Anytime” early upgrade program is made for you. With this add-on, you’ll be able to upgrade your phone three times a year for just $10 extra every month. It will be available starting July 16.

Currently, AT&T has its “Next Up” add-on, which has been available for the past several years. This program costs $6 extra per month and lets you upgrade by trading in your existing phone after at least half of it is paid off. But the new Next Up Anytime option gives you some more flexibility.

Read more
Motorola is selling unlocked smartphones for just $150 today
Someone holding the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024).

Have you been looking for phone deals but don’t want to spend a ton of money on flagship devices from Apple and Samsung? Have you ever considered investing in an unlocked Motorola? For a limited time, the company is offering a $100 markdown on the Motorola Moto G 5G. It can be yours for just $150, and your days and nights of phone-shopping will finally be over!

Why you should buy the Motorola Moto G 5G
Powered by the Snapdragon 480+ 5G CPU and 4GB of RAM, the Moto G delivers exceptional performance across the board. From UI navigation to apps, games, and camera functions, you can expect fast load times, next to no buffering, and smooth animations. You’ll also get up to 128GB of internal storage that you’ll be able to use for photos, videos, music, and any other mobile content you can store locally. 

Read more
The Nokia 3210 is the worst phone I’ve used in 2024
A person holding the Nokia 3210, showing the screen.

Where do I even start with the Nokia 3210? Not the original, which was one of the coolest phones to own back in a time when Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace wasn’t even a thing, but the latest 2024 reissue that has come along to save us all from digital overload, the horror of social media, and the endless distraction that is the modern smartphone.

Except behind this facade of marketing-friendly do-goodery hides a weapon of torture, a device so foul that I’d rather sit through multiple showings of Jar Jar Binks and the gang hopelessly trying to bring back the magic of A New Hope than use it.
The Nokia 3210 really is that bad

Read more