BERLIN — The IFA consumer electronics trade fair opened at the Messe Berlin exhibition grounds on Wednesday, with Samsung, Qualcomm and Lenovo among the companies unveiling new devices built around on-device artificial intelligence. Organisers said more than 1,800 exhibitors registered for the event.

IFA, held annually in the German capital, has grown into Europe's principal showcase for consumer technology ahead of the year-end retail season. This year's edition placed particular emphasis on AI processing that runs locally on hardware rather than in the cloud, a shift driven by privacy concerns and improved chip efficiency.

Qualcomm used its keynote to detail a new Snapdragon platform aimed at thin-and-light laptops and smart glasses. Samsung and Lenovo displayed devices integrating similar neural processing capabilities, extending a trend that dominated technology launches through 2026.

The show carries weight for European retailers and component suppliers, who use IFA to lock in orders before the holiday quarter. Kai Hillebrandt, chairman of the supervisory board of show organiser gfu, said the fair reflected accelerating consumer demand for AI-enabled products.

Exhibitors from China, South Korea and Taiwan again made up a large share of the floor space, underscoring Asia's continued dominance of consumer hardware manufacturing. The fair runs through the weekend at the Berlin fairgrounds.