IFA 2013 preview - Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Gear, Xperia Z1, lens cameras and more!

Our complete guide to whats coming out of Berlin next week

After a relatively low-key CES and Mobile World Congress earlier this year, its time for IFA or Internationale Funkausstellung, to give it its full name the annual consumer electronics show held in Berlin at the end of the summer. And this years IFA looks to be the the busiest yet for major Android announcements and product unveilings. The show proper begins Friday, Sept. 6, but the big press conferences start from Wednesday, Sept. 4.

IFA has traditionally been a major event for Samsung, and of course the Korean company is sure to have its share of big announcements this year, too. But were also expecting phones, tablets, cameras and more from other manufacturers like Sony and LG.

Naturally, well be live from Germany next week to bring you full coverage of IFA 2013. Check past the break to learn about all the awesome Android stuff were expecting to see.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Gear and possible tablets

Samsungs got its second Unpacked event of 2013 on the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 4. Once again its being held at the Tempodrom in central Berlin thats the thing in the photo above that looks like a glowing, upturned umbrella. Well be liveblogging the whole shebang, and Samsung will also have a live video stream; the action kicks off at 7pm Berlin time (1pm EDT).

Of course well see the Galaxy Note 3 a device thats been partially leaked in recent weeks. We more-or-less know that itll pack high-end smartphone internals supposedly a Snapdragon 800 for the LTE variant, and the new Exynos 5 Octa in non-LTE markets along with oodles of RAM and a camera thatll probably be an upgrade on that of the Galaxy S4. (Specifically, 13 megapixels with OIS is rumored.)

We also know the front of it will probably look like a Samsung phone no surprises there though if the reported 5.68-inch screen size is accurate, itll mean that the Note 3 will fit in roughly the same footprint as the Note 2, only with narrower bezels. As usual with the Galaxy Note range, however, the most interesting part of the Note 3 will be what you can actually do with all this hardware. Surely therell be a host of new software features, and thats what were expecting Samsung to spend much of Wednesdays presentation talking about.

This year theres also a lot of hype surrounding Samsungs entry into the smartwatch arena, with a device known as the Galaxy Gear. The name, and the fact that its a watch, has been all but confirmed at this point, and in a recent interview a Samsung exec also quashed rumors that itll use the companys flexible AMOLED technology. So were probably getting a wearable device that actually looks like a watch, as opposed to the kinds of magical space-age bangles weve seen in concept drawings.

The use of the Galaxy brand suggests the device will run Android, and its going to be really interesting to see how Samsung has adapted Jelly Bean to run on such a low-power device. At the same time, Samsungs Android lineup is all about delivering the maximum number of cool, eye-catching features, and so were sure to see some unique possibilities when the Gear is paired with a GS4 or Note 3.

Finally, were long overdue a decent high-end Android tablet from Samsung. Weve heard rumors and more rumors and we certainly hope itll be time for the Galaxy Note 12.2 or whatever flavor of Galaxy Tab is next, to make an appearance at IFA. Samsung can make awesome-looking tablet displays, as evidenced by the Nexus 10 and newer devices like the Ativ Q. Next week well be crossing our fingers for some Android tablets that arent as forgettable and overpriced as the current Galaxy Tab 3 range.

Sony Xperia Z1, Z1 'mini' and crazy lens cameras

Another longstanding big player at IFA, Sony also has its big press conference on Sept. 4 at 4pm CET (10am EDT), just hours ahead of Samsung. On the smartphone side, were going to see the Xperia Z1 the smartphone formerly known as Honami and thanks to a steady stream of leaked information and photos, we already know an awful lot about Sonys late 2013 flagship.

According to these leaks, itll pack a Snapdragon 800 CPU and a 20-megapixel camera with Sony G Lens, and itll look a lot like the Xperia Z, only with taller bezels. It also appears that Sonys reworked its skeleton frame design, as it did between the Xperia Z and Z Ultra. The Z1s trim seems to have a more metallic finish, compared to the Zs soft-touch, which should help it to be less of a lint magnet than its predecessor.

Itll also be interesting to see whether the Z1 sports a Triluminos display like the larger Xperia Z Ultra; during our brief time with the Ultra back in June we were impressed with the clarity this delivered compared to earlier (and admittedly lackluster) Sony phone displays.

There are also rumors of a smaller version of the Z1 (a Z1 mini, perhaps) going by the codename Itsuki. This device has only emerged in shaky photos and rumors in the past week or so. But if, as is being reported, the Itsuki can deliver a Snapdragon 800 CPU alongside a 4.3-inch, 720p screen, it could instantly conquer the small-form-factor Android phone space. (Thats assuming the manufacturer can successfully charm international carriers.)

Finally, onto Sonys lens cameras a class of product that sounded too crazy to be real when we first reported it weeks ago. Yet subsequent leaks have essentially confirmed that Sony is working on a compact camera within a lens that straps to the back of your smartphone, turning it into an oversized viewfinder. There are reportedly two models coming, an entry-level unit with point-and-shoot optics and 10X optical zoom, and a higher-end one based on the Sony RX100 Mk. II compact camera. The idea is to provide high-end imaging as a smartphone accessory, in response to devices like the Nokia Lumia 1020 and Galaxy S4 Zoom.

The lens cameras are rumored to work with both Android and iOS, which if true could shake up mobile imaging in a big way assuming the price is right.

LG More G2, the G Pad 8.3 and maybe something with a 1440p screen

LG has already announced its 2013 flagship phone, the G2, and a U.S. release is expected by the middle of next month. So at IFA were expecting the Korean manufacturer to focus on the unannounced tablet that it sorta-announced a few days ago. The LG G Pad 8.3 will show us LGs vision what a small-form-factor tablet should be in 2013, and if the one press render leak weve seen is accurate, therell be a lot of crossover with the G2 in terms of hardware design. Itll also be interesting to see what LG can offer on the software side to compete with the new Nexus 7, which will be reaching even more markets over the next month.

Finally, were interested to see what LGs going to do with that 5.5-inch, 1440p smartphone display its cooking up. The obvious choice would be another Optimus G Pro perhaps a G2 Pro or G Pro 2. The G Pro isnt old by any means, but LG has cycled through product quickly in the past, and a new oversized phone with such an eye-popping display could present it with a way to leapfrog local rival Samsung.

Others

But it isnt just about the big press conferences. Well be hitting the show floor to bring you devices from the smaller manufacturers, and theres always some interesting stuff to be found at the European carrier booths. At the same time, IFA is about more than phones and tablets, so we might even see Android embedded in new classes of device. (Weve already had an Android-powered oven. How about an Android refrigerator or dishwasher?)

Therere also going to be new phones and tablets from Archos on the way. And on the HTC side, there've been rumors in recent weeks surrounding the blue HTC One, theHTC One "Max"and the Mini+, the miniature phone for your phone.

So stick around for a busy, busy week of new Android devices. And hit the comments to let us know which youre looking forward to the most!

Via: IFA 2013 preview - Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Gear, Xperia Z1, lens cameras and more!