IFA 2018: Brace yourself for LG V40, Sony Xperia Z3, Huawei Mate 20 and more

The IFA (Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin) is one of the biggest technology conferences in the world, along with the Mobile World Congress (MWC) and Consumer Electronics Show (CES). This year's edition of IFA is scheduled to take place between August 31, 2018, and September 5, 2018, in Berlin, Germany.

A number of tech majors had announced a range of new and important products such as Moto X4, LG V30 and Gear Fit 2 Pro, among others, at the IFA in 2017. This year is going to be no different. IFA 2018 is expected to act as a launchpad for a variety of new devices, including smartphones and wearables, and provide an insight into new trends. Hot new technology buzzwords like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are also expected to take the centre stage.

Here are the key announcements are expected at this year's IFA in Berlin.

Sony: New Xperia
Sony has always occupied pride of place at IFA conferences over the years. In 2017, the tech company had introduced the Xperia Z1, Xperia Z1 compact and a slew of audio devices at the event. This year, Sony is expected to introduce its successors -- conveniently dubbed as the Xperia X2, Xperia Z2 Compact and Xperia Z2 Premium. Also, there are rumours that Sony will unveil its Xperia Z3 at the conference.

Ahead of the official launch, details of the Xperia Z3 have already surfaced online. Reports suggest that it will feature a whopping 48-megapixel smartphone camera sensor, making it one of the highest resolution camera phones in the world.

LG: The new V-series
LG is expected to introduce a new flagship phone at the IFA 2018. Called the LG V40 aka LG V40 ThinQ, the smartphone will come with top-of-the-line specifications and other subtle upgrades over the LG V30, which debuted at IFA 2017.

Huawei: Going for the kill
After narrowing the gap with the likes of Apple and Samsung, Huawei is on a roll in 2018. The company is expected to unveil its new 'Mate Series' at the IFA 2018. According to rumours, Huawei will unveil the Mate 20 smartphone with a major design overhaul. There will also be a Lite variant of the phone. Huawei is also expected to up its chipset game with a new and more powerful processor that has built-in capabilities for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

BlackBerry: Keymaker
BlackBerry will also aim to grab the global limelight at the event with a new variant of its Key 2 smartphone. BlackBerry, a brand now operated by TCL in select markets and Optiemus in India, will be launching a stripped down variant of its Key 2 phone. The model is expected to have a much lower price tag, just so it can tap the affordable handset segment.

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