Appliances focus: Key innovation highlights and takeaways from IFA 2025

IFA Berlin 2025 took place over 5 days from 5th - 9th September featuring the very latest in cutting-edge technology from major appliance brands, with a focus on AI and sustainability – Emma Hedges reveals her key takeaways.  

At this year's IFA Berlin, the world's largest event for home and consumer tech, a grand total of 220,000 visitors travelled from 49 countries to visit 1,900 exhibitors, with hundreds of new products and world premieres being presented across more than 190,000 square metres of show space. 

A key focus at the show was sustainability, with the latter proving to be a major consideration for global brand Haier. "At a time when some parts of the world are taking a step back, it seems, from sustainability and protecting this planet, Haier wants to reinforce our commitment," said Neil Tunstall, CEO of Haier Europe, which was exhibiting under the strapline 'Naturally Connected'. Another dominant theme was connectivity. "We are connecting across all of our product categories – there's nothing that we make that we don't connect now," added Tunstall. "And most important, the connection is not a connection of a washing machine and a tumble dryer – it's a connection of Haier to our consumers." 

Bringing AI further into the home, Haier was introducing Next Generation, a distinctive and highly customised range of washers and dryers powered by Artificial Intelligence. The AI Wash Sense system, with 9 sensors, optimises every wash while the AI Vision camera offers step-by-step guidance. With AI Washing Memory, the machine learns user habits and suggests ideal washing cycles. Drying, on the other hand, is reimagined with a combination of different technologies like Ultra Reverse Drum, Ultra Sense, and the 5-level Flexy Air system, to ensure uniform, wrinkle-free, gentle care for all kinds of fabrics. These functions are complemented with those available on the hOn app, always AI-powered and that include label decoding, eco planning, and smart synchronisation between the washing machine and dryer for optimal results.

Another innovation harnessing the power of AI is Haier's new range of Steam ID 2 ovens, the specific design of which offers an advanced culinary experience that blends high performance, ease of use, and a health-conscious approach to cooking. Their added value lies in intelligent humidity control, enabled by an advanced sensor system that constantly monitors the temperature and steam level to adapt to the type of food in real time.

Haier was also setting the benchmark for household sanitation and sustainable efficiency innovation with the I-Pro Shine dishwasher with Biovitae technology: a powerful LED light eliminating up to 99.99% of bacteria from both the machine internal surfaces and utensils.

Elsewhere on the Haier Europe stand, Hoover was showcasing the new Hoover Multi-Wash, pictured below, which has 3 independent drums: a main 10kg drum and 2 1kg mini drums, which allow users to wash multiple loads simultaneously, each with its own cycle, temperature, and duration. From delicate items and babywear to sports kit and everyday clothes, Multi-Wash ensures personalised care while maximising efficiency. Intelligent features such as Auto-Dose, a Smart Spray system, and hygiene-focused technologies including UV sterilisation and Clean Shield™ coating are also featured. With Quick Wash cycles that can tackle 3 loads in just 22 minutes, Hoover Multi-Wash offers speed, convenience, and versatility for modern households. The taller standalone model is the first to launch in the UK, with a compact under-counter unit following in 2026.

Under the theme 'AI Your Life', Hisense was introducing its newest American-style fridge freezer to its smart screen refrigeration family. The refrigerator boasts AI smart connectivity with Hisense's Connectlife app, with usability enhanced by the 21-inch touch LED smart screen that enables users to take advantage of the food inventory function for meal planning, message board, shopping list and screen sharing. The RS9P628GPFE model is also compatible with Hisense’s new Dish Designer software upgrade – an AI-powered meal planning tool that offers recipe suggestions, inventory management, alignment to nutrition goals and even considers dietary restrictions.

Samsung was presenting its vision for 'AI Home: Future Living, Now', demonstrating how the company is building AI into everyday life. The company's all-in-one washer-dryer Bespoke AI Laundry Combo offers washing and drying in a single cycle, while also boasting a sleek design and a 7-inch touchscreen that enhances usability. It also delivers energy efficiency gains, with the wash cycle being 20% more efficient than the A-grade standard, as well as advanced heat pump drying technology that reduces drying time by up to 60% and energy consumption by up to 75%.

In LG's AI Home Solution Zone, visitors were able to see how LG AI ThinQ AI and ThinQ ON work in harmony to simplify everyday life. Demonstrations showed ThinQ AI recommending healthy menus, automatically preheating ovens, recognising individual users by voice, and adjusting lighting, temperature, and music to match their preferences. LG was also highlighting its suite of AI-powered laundry solutions, below, with its new LG HeatPump WasherDryer – also known as LG WashCombo – which integrates the essential benefits of LG’s washer and dryer in an all-in-one unit. 

Liebherr was showcasing its latest model incorporating its industry leading BluRoX technology, the FNXa 522i full-vacuum freezer. This is the world’s first large electrical appliance to achieve Bronze Cradle to Cradle Certified® status, thanks to BluRoX insulation technology and a focus on sustainability, repairability and recyclability. The company was also previewing its CBNbsa20 575i Prime fridge-freezer, launching to the UK market early 2026, that delivers 20% lower energy consumption than appliances in the highest energy efficiency class A.

ASKO was marking its 75th anniversary at IFA 2025 by showcasing what it describes as ‘its strongest line-up to date’. For the first time it presented a fully connected product portfolio powered by the ConnectLife app. A special tribute to ASKO’s design heritage was highlighted with Eero Aarnio’s iconic Ball Chair, pictured below, and to further celebrate this milestone, ASKO hosted an exclusive press day, bringing together leading media representatives from around the world, and live cooking demonstrations with the Michelin-starred chef Wilfrid Hocquet and sommelier Valentin Bufolin. 

Bosch was also highlighting how it is harnessing the powers of AI. The automatic dish recognition function in the premium Series 8 ovens now identifies up to 100 dishes and automatically selects the optimum settings. This is said to make baking, cooking, and roasting effortless – for everything from coffee cake to baked brie, so that users can concentrate on other things while the oven takes care of the settings for guaranteed perfect results.