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'Economy might be taking a toll': Cheap Chinese gadgets the star of IFA 2025

Published: 08 Sep. 2025, 15:55 Updated: 08 Sep. 2025, 17:55

Visitors try out TCL’s gaming monitor. [LEE WOO-RIM]

At this year’s IFA tech fair in Berlin, Chinese electronics companies are stealing the spotlight with affordable family-friendly gadgets while some of Korea’s most buzzworthy AI-powered robots from last year are nowhere to be seen.

Fabian Rier, a German appliance retailer, visited the exhibition with his three children on Saturday, the day after the show's opening.

“I wanted to show them what I do for a living, and there’s plenty of fun stuff to see,” he said. Rier noted that turnout at this year’s event appeared lower than usual. “I'm here every year for IFA, but there are definitely fewer people this time. I think Europe’s sluggish economy might be taking a toll.”

Their attention was quickly caught by the bustling booth of Chinese electronics giant TCL. Leveraging its status as an Olympic global partner, the company promoted its TVs and virtual reality devices by tying them to sports. As visitors passed the world’s largest QD-Mini LED TV at the booth entrance, many couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow.”

After looking around, Rier remarked that TCL was “more attractive than traditional appliance brands like Samsung, LG or Miele” because “you can visibly see the evolution each year.” He also noted that “the price is half.”

At this year’s IFA, Chinese brands offering strong value for money have become major draws TCL and other Chinese companies saw an unusually high number of family visitors. Products such as Dreame’s CyberX, the world’s first robot vacuum that can climb stairs, TCL’s AiMe, a home AI robot and Hisense’s humanoid robot captivated children.

Dreame’s CyberX, the world’s first robot vacuum that can climb stairs [LEE WOO-RIM]

In contrast, Korean AI home robots that were a hit last year — such as Samsung’s Ballie and LG’s Q9 — were notably absent.

“We’re conducting field tests, but delays are occurring due to various issues,” said Samsung Electronics' visual display division head Yong Seok-woo.

“We haven’t yet finalized the launch schedule for the new Q9,” said Lyu Jae-cheol, head of LG Electronics Home Appliance & Air Solution Company.

Korean manufacturers are pursuing a two-track strategy in Europe: premium products and competitively priced offerings. LG Electronics, in particular, plans to expand its budget lineup by designing products that Chinese partners then produce.

Another weapon in the Korean arsenal is artificial intelligence (AI). Samsung and LG both spotlighted their AI-driven home connectivity systems at IFA. This premium strategy, backed by AI, is showing results in the North American market. LG held a 21.2 percent revenue share of the U.S. home appliance market in the first quarter, placing first, followed by Samsung with 20.8 percent, according to market research firm Traqline.

Dreame’s Z1 Pro cleans a pool. [LEE WOO-RIM]

Whether that strategy will work in Europe, however, remains uncertain. Conservative European consumers still prefer domestic brands such as Miele and Bosch. One foreign visitor at a Korean company’s booth remarked, “AI might be convenient, but it’s just too expensive. It feels more like an idealized showroom than a real home.”

German brands like Bosch and Miele, longtime leaders in the European market, continue to enjoy strong consumer trust in the premium segment.

"We take pride in our attention to detail, and yes, we do produce a significant portion of our components in-house," said Axel Kniehl, head of marketing and sales at Miele, in a prior interview with the JoongAng Ilbo. "It’s part of our philosophy of vertical integration, which allows us to maintain full control over quality, durability and design."

"It's also a reflection of our values. When we say “Immer Besser,” we mean that every detail matters — even down to the smallest screw."

Still, premium European brands are wary of the dual challenge from Chinese cost efficiency and Korean AI strategies. Miele recently began relocating some of its washing machine production lines to Poland as part of cost-cutting efforts.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY YI WOO-LIM [[email protected]]