Today's top 6 announcements from IFA 2017

IFA 2017 may not officially start until September 1, but it's already been quite the day for Acer and ASUS, both of whom have dominated today's pre-IFA 2017 announcements. From a new Windows Mixed Reality headset, to a slew of new PCs, here's what had Berlin talking today.

ASUS' Mixed Reality Headset

ASUS Mixed Reality

Now that Dell, Acer and Lenovo have hogged the Windows Mixed Reality spotlight, it's ASUS' turn to shine. The manufacturer debuted a new Mixed Reality headset that, whether you like it or not, sports a pretty funky design. At $449, it's a little on the higher end of things, but it definitely has the guts to perform.

Acer Predator Orion 9000

Predator Orion 9000

Acer always has something excessively powerful on hand at IFA, and the 2017 show is no different. And boy is there power to spare with the Predator Orion 9000, thanks to an 18-core Intel Core i9 CPU, up to 128GB of RAM, up to 44TB of storage, and up to four GTX 1080 GPUs. Of course, with this being a gaming PC, it comes in an appropriately flashy case as well.

ASUS ZenBook Flip 14 and 15

ASUS describes its new ZenBook Flip 14 as the world's thinnest 2-in-1 laptop with a discrete GPU at 13.9mm thick. Usually, you have to give up a bit of power while slimming down, so that's pretty neat if a svelte profile is your top priority. With an Intel Kaby Lake Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM, the ZenBook's GeForce MX150 GPU is backed up by power elsewhere as well. And if you need a little more oomph, the bigger ZenBook Flip 15 packs GTX 1050 graphics as well.

Acer Aspire S 24

Acer's latest all-in-one PC, the Aspire S 24, is a beauty that also carries the distinction of being the first with Intel's new eighth-generation processors. The metallic exterior hides Qi wireless charging and a dedicated subwoofer in its base, to boot. It's not due to hit the street until January of 2018, but it's definitely a looker.

ASUS ROG Chimera

If speedy response times on your list of priorities in a gaming laptop, ASUS is vying for your attention with the new ROG Chimera. ASUS claims it's the world's first gaming laptop with a 144Hz refresh rate, and it just so happens to pack NVIDIA's G-Sync tech as well. That's backed up by the kind of power you'd expect, with a GeForce GTX 1080 and an overclocked Intel Core i7 on board.

Acer Switch 7 Black Edition

Acer is taking a swipe at Microsoft's Surface Pro line with its new Switch 7 Black Edition. The machine combines a brushed aluminum exterior with a detachable keyboard and a pretty cool "AutoStand" kickstand. With discrete graphics and Acer's fanless "LiquidLoop" cooling, the Switch 7 Black looks like an intriguing Surface alternative.

Your thoughts?

What has been your favorite announcement from IFA 2017 so far? Let us know in the comments below!

Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl

9 Comments
  • 18-core Intel Core i9 CPU, up to 128GB of RAM, up to 44TB of storage, and up to four GTX 1080 GPUs. But does it play Doom?
  • Can only handle solitaire, without the animation when you win.
  • I thought Windows on Arm devices will be launched at IFA. Are they delayed or when will they be released?
  • Microsoft didn't announced exact  dates but did suggest we could start hearing news towards the end of 2017.
  • I think the winner so far is Windows 10
  • Oops
  • In market for really cheap and good laptop
  • So I was gonna complain because you didn't mention what IFA is, however I went to the IFA website, and I couldn't actually find what the acronym IFA stood for!  The 'about' page didn't appear to describe it at all...  IFA is a consumers electronics show in Germany apparently, but I still don't know what IFA stands for.  The first rule of having an acronym is telling people what it stands for!  Wikipedia directed me to the International Federation on Ageing, and the Intercollegiate Fencing Association, and the Institute of Financial Accountants.  I suspect it is none of those. :-)
  • Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin obviously :-)