Best of IFA 2025 Awards: Android Authority’s top picks from the show

IFA 2025 has brought no shortage of exciting announcements, from bold new smartphones to super-bright projectors, smarter appliances, and even drones that rethink what’s possible. As always, we’ve combed through the show floor in Berlin to find the standouts that truly impressed us.

From Lenovo’s OLED gaming handheld to TCL’s eye-friendly phone, Samsung’s latest Fan Edition, and some surprising innovations in audio, charging, and the smart home, here are our picks for the very Best of IFA 2025.

Lenovo is back with the second generation of its Windows-powered handheld. This time the Legion Go Gen 2 is all about giving gamers a richer display and longer play sessions. The big news here is the switch to an OLED screen, which offers HDR TrueBlack 1000 certification for deep blacks and vibrant colors and also bumps up the refresh rate to 144Hz with VRR support for silky-smooth gameplay.

Resolution has dropped from the original’s 1600p panel to 1200p (WUXGA), but that’s actually good news for battery life and frame rates on a portable. Backing that up is a new 74Whr battery (a 50% boost over the original) paired with AMD’s Ryzen Z2 chip (or Ryzen Z2 Extreme if you want extra oomph), plus options for up to 32GB of speedy RAM and a 2TB SSD. There’s even microSD expansion if you need more space for your Steam library.

Lenovo has refined the design with a fingerprint reader built into the power button, and the Legion TrueStrike controllers now have improved ergonomics, a smarter layout, and three programmable buttons. Oh and they use Hall effect, which will prevent drift.

The Lenovo Legion Go Gen 2 will hit shelves in October starting at $1,049 in the US.

At IFA 2025, TCL has once again leaned on its unique NXTPAPER screen technology to stand out in the crowded smartphone space.

The new NXTPAPER 60 Ultra is the first phone to feature NXTPAPER 4.0, the latest generation of TCL’s eye-comfort display tech. It blends the best of e-paper and conventional phone screens, with hardware-level blue light filtering, a matte anti-glare layer, flicker-free brightness, and a dedicated Ink Mode button that instantly switches the screen into an E Ink-style experience for distraction-free reading.

This updated version of c features sharper detail, more accurate colors, and AI-driven modes that adapt to reduce strain over long sessions. This all runs on a roomy 7.2-inch 1080p display with 120Hz refresh rate, which should make it comfortable for both bingeing and gaming. Under the hood, you’ll find a MediaTek Dimensity 7400 processor paired with 12GB of RAM (plus another 12GB of virtual RAM if you need it) and up to 512GB of storage.

NXTPAPER 60 Ultra also includes a triple-camera system with a 50MP telephoto with 3x optical and up to 6x “lossless” zoom. A 5,200mAh battery keeps everything running.

The TCL NXTPAPER 60 Ultra will launch later this month in Europe, Latin America, and Asia, but we don’t know if it will also hit the US. Pricing starts at €499 for the 256GB model and €549 for the 512GB variant.

Samsung has finally added a Fan Edition model to its S25 lineup, and while the Galaxy S25 FE doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it does make a couple of meaningful upgrades.

The big one is battery life: capacity jumps to 4,900mAh with support for 45W wired charging, a big step up from last year’s 25W limit and even faster than the standard Galaxy S25. Samsung claims you can hit 65% in just 30 minutes, which gives this “budget flagship” some bragging rights.

Otherwise, the S25 FE keeps much of the familiar formula. You’re still looking at a 6.7-inch FHD+ OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate (variable), an Exynos 2400 chip with a larger vapor chamber for better sustained performance, and 8GB of RAM across all configurations. The triple rear camera setup is unchanged from the S24 FE: a 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, and 8MP 3x telephoto, though the selfie shooter gets a bump to 12MP. The design also gets a very subtle refresh: thinner at 7.4mm, lighter at 190g, and now built with Samsung’s enhanced Armor Aluminum frame.

The S25 FE runs Android 16 with One UI 8 out of the box, including neat Galaxy features like Now Bar and Now Brief, along with Circle to Search in games and multiple AI-driven editing tools. Samsung is also promising seven years of updates, one of the best commitments in the industry.

The Galaxy S25 FE is available today starting at $649 / £649 for the 128GB model and comes in Icyblue, Jetblack, Navy, and White.

After dabbling in robot vacuums, DJI is back to what it does best: gear for creators. The new DJI Mic 3 makes the company’s popular wireless microphone system smaller, lighter, and more versatile. Each mic now weighs just 16g, a massive drop to half the size of last year’s model. They also come with detachable clips for easy magnetic latching. Despite the compact size, battery life is still up to ten hours per unit, with the charging case adding another 18 hours.

The upgrades don’t stop at portability. The Mic 3 can now handle setups with up to four transmitters and eight receivers, making it a strong fit for multi-camera shoots. Range has been extended to 300 meters with automatic switching between 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands to minimize interference. As before, the system pairs seamlessly with DJI’s Action and Osmo cameras.

On the audio side, you still get 32-bit float recording, but now with adaptive gain to automatically adjust levels in real time. There’s also three tone presets – regular, rich, and bright – and two levels of noise cancelling built right into the receiver. Built-in storage also gets a boost, jumping from 8GB to 32GB.

If you want a compact wireless mic system that balances pro features with creator-friendly ease, the DJI Mic 3 looks like a standout.

With Qi2 charging now rolling out across flagship phones like the Pixel 10 Pro XL, Anker has wasted no time delivering a premium solution. The new 3-in-1 Prime Wireless Charging Station is built to handle superior speeds, supporting up to 25W Qi2.2 charging. That’s comparable with wired charging performance.

To keep your phone cool while pushing that much power, Anker has added a thermoelectric cooling system that keeps device temperatures below 97°F (36°C), helping preserve long-term battery health.

A small display on the charger’s base shows charging status and lets you control the cooler as needed. The station doubles as a hub for your accessories, letting you wirelessly top up two other devices alongside your phone.

If you want a single dock that delivers the fastest Qi2 speeds without cooking your battery, Anker’s Prime Station is the one to beat. It will be available starting September 25 for $230.

For homes with more than one level, eufy’s MarsWalker is a clever add-on that finally lets a robot vacuum climb stairs. Instead of bulking up the vacuum itself, the Omni S2 docks into the MarsWalker accessory bot when it’s time to change floors. This platform then carries it up or down using four arms and a track-drive system. It can tackle both straight flights and L- or U-shaped layouts.

You can pair the MarsWalker with eufy’s new Omni S2 robovac and you’ve got yourself a serious cleaning system. The S2 brings 30,000Pa suction, a HydroJet 2.0 mop that presses with 15N of water force, and CleanMind AI for room identification and obstacle avoidance. The 12-in-1 UniClean Station stores up to 3L of dust and 1.8L of dirty water to cut down on maintenance. There’s even an onboard aromatherapy system with three scent options!

The Omni S2 rolls out in Europe this month, with US availability expected in early 2026 at around $1,600. MarsWalker is sold separately, with sales planned to begin in spring 2026; pricing is still to be announced.

Baseus has packed a lot of versatility into the EnerGeek GT01, a compact 2-in-1 accessory that works as both a Qi2 wireless charging station and a portable 10,000mAh power bank. Billed as the world’s smallest detachable AC plug and MagSafe power bank, it can wirelessly charge a Qi2-compatible smartphone directly on an outlet, doubling as a hands-free wall mount. Detach it, and you’ve got a magnetic power bank with up to 15W Qi2 wireless charging or 45W wired charging through USB-C.

When the two halves are connected, you can use the Qi2 pad and both USB-C ports simultaneously. Wireless charging stays locked at 15W, while the two USB-C ports dynamically share the rest of the available output. A built-in LCD display shows your remaining battery percentage and even estimates how many hours of charge time you have left based on usage.

If you want one charger that works at home, on the road, and in your pocket, the $99 EnerGeek GT01 delivers all three in one sleek package.

Antigravity, a new brand incubated by Insta360, has officially taken the wraps off its first product, the Antigravity A1. It’s the world’s first drone built from the ground up with a 360-degree camera, recording at up to 8K 60FPS through dual wide-angle lenses mounted above and below the aircraft. Stitching algorithms erase the drone itself from the footage, letting you fly without distractions.

Flying is made simple with Antigravity’s Vision goggles and controller. Unlike traditional FPV drones, your flight direction is determined entirely by the controller (the drone only flies forward), while head movement inside the goggles just reframes the 360° perspective. This can be quite disorienting in the beginning, but it does mean you can focus on the flying without worrying about framing. You can do your framing in post, and you can manipulate the footage into any aspect ratio you want with effects like Tiny Planet or horizon flips.

The A1 weighs only 249 grams, keeping it under registration thresholds in most jurisdictions. It also includes obstacle avoidance sensors and return-to-home functionality.

The Antigravity A1 is set to launch globally in January 2026, so we’ll definitely hear more about it at CES.

Midea’s SpaceMaster line is all about delivering more capacity and functionality without demanding more room. The standout is the SpaceMaster Refrigerator, which offers an industry-leading 443L of storage. For reference, Mideal claims that’s greater than the combined usable space of a standard combi fridge, mini fridge, and freezer.

The 130L freezer and 47% larger produce compartment make room for more food inside. Meanwhile Infinite Shelves and Door Bins can be easily rearranged to fit oversized items like milk cartons and cakes. In our experience, we could do this very seamlessly thanks to the clever design of the shelves and bins.

This is all possible thanks to the innovative materials Midea used to construct SpaceMaster fridges, which allow for thinner walls compared to conventional ones.

SpaceMaster also applies to cleanup and cooking. The SpaceMaster Dishwasher uses a 3-layer rack system to handle up to 16 place settings, while the Washer-Dryer’s oversized drum fits up to a week’s worth of laundry. The series also includes a SpaceMaster oven and an air-fryer.

Midea hasn’t shared release full details yet, but we expect SpaceMaster to make a real impact on the market in the following months.

XGIMI is turning up the brightness in home entertainment with the new Horizon 20 Series, unveiled at IFA 2025. The lineup includes the Horizon 20, 20 Pro, and flagship Horizon 20 Max, with the Max stealing the spotlight (pun intended) thanks to a massive 5,700 ISO lumens of brightness. That’s bright enough to be usable during daylight and a huge jump from XGIMI’s previous models. The boost in brightness comes thanks to an all-new “X-Master Red Ring Lens” and an RGB triple-laser system. This should push brightness while keeping colors accurate.

No matter which model you pick, the Horizon 20 Series packs serious home theater credentials. All three support Dolby Vision, HDR10+, IMAX Enhanced, and Filmmaker Mode for cinematic picture quality.  You also get conveniences like optical zoom and lens shifting for easier setup. Google TV is built in, so you won’t need external streaming sticks or apps.

Gamers get some love too, with XGIMI promising 1ms input lag, 240Hz refresh rates, VRR, and a Pro Tuning Menu to fine-tune performance. If you want a projector bright enough for any room and responsive enough for gaming, the Horizon 20 Series delivers in spades.

That wraps up our favorites from IFA 2025. Once again, this year’s show proved that innovation is alive and well across every corner of tech. Don’t miss our roundup of other cool tech at IFA 2025. Which of these products are you most excited to try?