IFA 2019: World prepares for new phones and home gadgets from Samsung, Huawei and more

Elusive folding phones could be about to arrive

Visitors look at the LG Oled Screen installation at the 2018 IFA consumer electronics and home appliances trade fair during the fair's press day on August 30, 2018 in Berlin, Germany (Michele Tantussi/Getty Images)

The world is preparing for the launch of the very newest phones and home gadgets at the IFA conference.

The technology event attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors as well as the world's biggest companies, who show off their new products for the coming year.

Samsung and Huawei, for instance, are expected to provide updates on their new phones – including their elusive folding phones, which were announced earlier this year but have both failed to arrive yet.

One notable missing company is Apple, however. The company always eschews the conference, instead opting to launch its phones in their own event a week later.

This year, that will see the launch of the iPhone 11 – and other products – at an event in California.

LG, Sony and Nokia are all also expected to unveil new phones, possibly compatible with 5G as the new mobile networks begin to roll out across Europe.

Korean firm LG has already hinted that a new phone complete with two separate screens which fold together may be a part of its IFA line-up.

There have also been reports in South Korea that Samsung may use the event to offer news on its foldable phone, the Galaxy Fold, which is expected to finally launch this month having been delayed earlier this year.

In April, the firm was forced to recall early review units of the Fold, which has a single screen like that of a traditional smartphone but can also be unfolded to reveal a larger, tablet-sized screen inside the device, after several issues were reported by early testers.

Samsung announced in July that changes had been made to the device and it was now "ready" for launch.

IFA is also likely to see a number of new laptops, smartwatch and other wearable technology products announced, as well as new ultra-high-resolution TVs.

New technology around robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) is also likely to feature heavily during the show, which opens to the public on Friday.

It is a long way from the show's origins, which revolved around a radio technology trade show that began in 1924, before evolving into the consumer electronics trade event it is today.

Chinese firm Huawei will reportedly use the event to discuss its plans for AI during a keynote speech from consumer chief executive Richard Yu.

Mr Yu may also provide an update on the company's own foldable smartphone, the Mate X, after Huawei followed Samsung in delaying the folding phone in order to carry out additional tests on the device.

Huawei is, however, holding back at least one piece of major smartphone news for a separate event later in the month - the company confirmed on Sunday that it will unveil its new Mate 30 flagship phone in Munich on September 19.

Additional reporting by Press Association