Anker had a big IFA 2026 on several fronts. For starters, along with a suite of new gadgets, the company announced that all of its sub-brands — including Eufy, Soundcore, and Solix — would be brought back under the Anker branding. Then, Anker took out Best of IFA for its debut over-the-counter hearing aids.
Announced at IFA, the Anker RIC Hearing Aids Pro are a subtle accessibility device built on the company’s AI technology. While Anker didn’t confirm pricing or a release date beyond a vague 2027 window, it shared some details about the underlying tech.
Within the RIC Hearing Aids Pro is the Anker Thus AI chip. Revealed a few months ago, the chipset designed for headphones combines memory and processors, which is meant to speed up AI processing.
Image: Anker.
Using this chip, Anker’s hearing aids run 40 billion operations per second, the company claims. Four beamforming microphones then lock onto whoever’s speaking, isolating their voice while cutting out background noise. Theoretically, it should help the wearer hear others better in noisy environments.
According to Anker, the RIC Hearing Aids Pro last up to 12 hours on a full charge. When paired with the included charging case, wearers can get up to 36 hours of use. In a pinch, the case can provide up to two hours of use with a five-minute charge.
Alongside the hearing aids, Anker announced an avalanche of smart gadgets. Security cameras, robot vacuums, an in-house-developed robot mower, earbuds, and even sleep speakers adorned the IFA 2026 show floor. Previously separated by sub-brand, each category will carry Anker’s name — for example, Anker Eufy or Anker Soundcore — before everything eventually transitions solely to Anker’s branding.
Other IFA 2026 winners
Elsewhere, Insta360’s Luna Ultra gimbal camera won Best of Tech at IFA 2026. Launched in June, it was the first mass-market portable gimbal camera with two lenses. One is a 20mm lens with a large one-inch sensor, while the secondary telephoto lens can punch in up to 6x at “lossless” quality or up to 12x via digital zoom.
Shortly after Insta360’s launch, DJI followed up with the cheaper Osmo Pocket 4P. Functionally similar, DJI’s dual-lens gimbal camera stacks the lenses on top of one another, while the Luna Ultra positions the lenses on the same horizontal plane.
I am back again testing a fitness watch, and this one is a little different to most. This is the Amazfit Active 3 Premium, a GPS running and fitness smartwatch that is doing things a little differently.
This is my first time testing an Amazfit device, and the Active 3 Premium’s low $239 retail price has me questioning how this is even possible.
This is going to be a difficult watch to review. Not because it’s hard to use, but because at $239 in Australia, there’s so little to compare it to at this price.
With that said, this watch is actually rather smart-looking. I have the Apex Silver version, which combines the classic look of an all-black silicone band with a stainless steel silver bezel. The silver is also two-tone, with an almost matte-looking backing and a shiny, more reflective silver on the front-most part of the bezel. This is a watch you can easily wear when dressing up for events and functions, which I was not expecting at all.
I found the Active 3 Premium was instantly comfortable on my wrist. This is possibly a combination of its lightweight design, coming in at just 38 g without the strap, and its flexible silicone strap. The strap has lots of adjustment intervals for getting the perfect fit using the classic pin buckle style. The watch itself has a thickness of 11 mm, which is nice and streamlined as well.
Images: Jay Marshall.
Features and performance
The Active 3 Premium delivers on features in a big way. This watch is designed primarily for runners, yet it caters for so much more. With over 170 sports modes and the ability to detect both activity and specific movements (like strength training), it’s a comprehensive wearable.
When it comes to running, which is my area of expertise, the Active 3 Premium covers all bases. Of course, you can use the watch like your everyday GPS fitness watch that tracks your runs. But from there, Amazfit has packed in some features you would normally expect from more expensive products. Things like lactate threshold, running power, ground contact time (GCT), track run mode, virtual pacer and many more. There is even a coaching feature called Zepp Coach, an AI digital fitness guide that can help you by creating personalised running and workout plans.
Image: Jay Marshall.
There were some features I really enjoyed while I was out and about, running the streets and trails. Turn-by-turn navigation is great when you have a set course to run. It kept me on track and took the thinking out of my running with real-time updates and turn instructions. Automatic rerouting paired perfectly with this, as when I inevitably did go off course, it quickly planned a new one to get me back on track. And this all happens without any input needed while I shuffle along, trying to get my fitness in for the day.
Health and smart features are another key area that I like to look at when judging a fitness watch. Once connected to my phone, the Active 3 Premium didn’t miss a beat. Not only could I easily view call, SMS and app notifications, I could also answer calls with the built-in microphone and speaker. A very cool feature I didn’t know I needed until now.
I also have a bit of an attachment to digging into my day-to-day data. I like to check things like sleep length and stages all the time, as well as sleep score. All of this is tracked with the Active 3 Premium, and it’s easy to view on the watch or in the Zepp app.
Images: Jay Marshall.
GPS and heart rate
As I have said many times, wrist-based heart rate tracking is never something you can fully trust. However, things have come a long way over the last few years, and some of the high-end GPS watches are doing a decent job these days. To test the heart rate accuracy of the Active 3 Premium, I put it up against my Garmin Fenix 8, which I have found consistently reliable.
For this test, I wore both watches at the same time during a 15 km trail run. In the graph below, the Garmin is indicated by the blue line and the Amazfit by the red line. With so many elevation changes on trails, this makes for a great all-round test for the watch. As you can see, there is some discrepancy between the two lines throughout.
Image: Jay Marshall.
Although I was generally happy with the GPS tracking at a basic level, it was clear to me that it wasn’t as accurate as my other, more expensive GPS watches. One of the reasons for this is likely that the Active 3 Premium uses single-band GPS tracking. Although single-band uses less battery, dual-band provides much higher location accuracy and therefore the data is more accurate. I particularly noticed this when moving through difficult areas such as deep into trails or between buildings in the city.
In my test run while wearing both the Amazfit and the Garmin, the Amazfit came up approximately 200 m short over the 15 km run, or about 1.3 per cent. This isn’t a huge amount, yet small differences can be crucial, and on a different course this could be a much bigger margin.
I also noticed my VO2 Max score on the Active 3 Premium is some way off from what my other watches indicate. I am typically around the 50 to 53 mark, whereas I was seeing 45 to 46 on this watch. It’s hard to know the exact reason for this, as a VO2 Max score is simply an estimate based on a lot of factors. And to truly know your VO2 Max, you would need to be tested through a lab-based graded exercise test. Not something your everyday athlete has access to. This is certainly not a deal breaker.
Images: Jay Marshall
Battery life
Battery life on the Active 3 Premium is decent, with up to 12 days of typical use. Amazfit rates it at up to 24 hours of continuous GPS, which is very good for your typical runner. Do note that using the watch with music while in GPS mode will significantly reduce the battery life to around 10 hours. If you choose to adjust your watch to have the always-on display (AOD), the watch will only last around four days instead of 12.
Image: Jay Marshall.
Display and interface
Another surprise to me was the screen quality. I guess I was expecting a memory-in-pixel (MIP) display or something somewhat pixelated, yet the Active 3 Premium swings big again. A 1.32-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 466 x 466 and up to 3,000 nits of brightness is nothing to turn your nose up at. Now, I personally love a watch with a larger screen, so this is a little small for my liking. Yet having an AMOLED display is still a huge win in my books. It’s bright. It’s saturated. And it’s enjoyable to use. All of this is also covered by sapphire glass, so you can be confident it will hold up well against scratches.
The Active 3 Premium comes with four buttons, which are easy to use alongside the touchscreen. I always like the tactile feel of a button, especially when I’m hot and sweaty out there on my runs. I didn’t love the quality of the buttons on this watch, and they come across as a little cheap, with coloured markings on them. Not my favourite stylistic choice here, yet they serve a purpose, and they are handy to have.
Images: Jay Marshall.
Hyrox integration
For those of you who may not know, Amazfit is the official wearable partner and timekeeper of Hyrox. This means the brand is heavily promoted throughout Hyrox events around the world. In turn, Amazfit includes some interesting integration features. Playing with the Active 3 Premium, I noticed there are three activities specifically created for Hyrox: Hyrox training, Hyrox simulation and Hyrox race. These activities help the athlete track the unique exercises that are included in their sport. So if you are an aspiring Hyrox athlete, an Amazfit watch is probably a great choice for you.
Image: Jay Marshall.
Who is the Amazfit Active 3 Premium for?
New runners and those on a budget are squarely the target market for the Amazfit Active 3 Premium. This watch is purpose-built for those looking to get into running or other outdoor activities. It isn’t a super-accurate device for hardcore athletes, but it will certainly track your fitness well enough.
Amazfit Active 3 Premium
Bundling high-end features into an affordable device, the Amazfit Active 3 Premium takes on pricier fitness watches.
Features
8
Value for money
10
Performance
7
Ease of use
8
Design
7
Positives
Amazing value for money
AMOLED Display
Hyrox integration
Negatives
Small screen size
GPS and heart rate tracking isn't as accurate as premium fitness watches
Dual-armed robots might be the next frontier for home cleaning, based on Dreame’s announcement of the X60 Ultra Extreme at IFA 2026 over the weekend. It also revealed a robot capable of steam-cleaning your floors.
Following a similar approach to Mova’s V70 Ultra Complete robot, the Dreame X60 Ultra Extreme has both an extendable side brush and an extendable mop. It’s an attempt by the brand to make a robot that doesn’t miss edges or corners when cleaning.
Dreame says that the dual-jointed arms let the side brush extend as far out as 12cm, while the mop reaches up to 18cm. Some premium robot vacuums are already adept at cleaning close to edges, but there’s often a slight gap between walls and where the robot can reach, especially when there are skirting boards to contend with.
The X60 Ultra Extreme’s mop and brush extend to reach further into edges and corners. Image: Dreame Tech YouTube channel.
Also shown at IFA was the Dreame Aqua20 Ultra Roller, a rare robot vacuum with steam-cleaning functionality. According to Dreame, the Aqua20 uses 180°C combined with hot water and its roller mop technology to clean sticky messes off hard floors. Like the X60 Ultra Extreme, the Aqua20 Ultra Roller also sports an extendable mop designed to clean corners and edges.
Typically, cleaning appliance brands reserve steam technology for upright wet-dry vacuums. Dreame branching out with a steam-cleaning robot is a novel step, one that could filter down to other robots in the near future.
Also capable of cleaning with steam is the recently launched Dreame T16 Pro TriForce wet-dry vacuum. At IFA, it was flanked by the Pro CarpetFlex and Ultra T16 models, further expanding the brand’s cleaning range.
Although Dreame didn’t confirm its price, the brand locked in a September Australian launch for Aqua20 Ultra Roller. “Later this year” was the X60’s launch window, while the T16 models are TBC.
Ever since cutting the cord, headphones have become one of the most versatile gadgets anyone can own. Traditionally dominated by over-ear and in-ear designs, recent years have seen open-ear headphones grow increasingly popular.
Only a few years ago, open-ear headphones were a relative footnote compared to other form factors. In 2022, the open-ear format accounted for less than five per cent of global headphone sales. Now, according to NielsenIQ, wireless open-ear headphones currently make up 17 per cent of the global market.
However, this data doesn’t include North America or Russia, so it may not be fully representative of the entire world’s headphone habits, but it still paints a picture of changing preferences.
Why the shift towards open-ear headphones?
For many, comfort is a driving factor behind the recent trend. Open-ear headphones sit on top of or just outside the wearer’s ears. The exact type of fit depends on the specific design; some open-ear headphones clip on like earrings (like the OpenDots 2), while others hook around the top of ears (like the OpenFit Pro). It’s a fundamental difference compared to in-ear headphones, which penetrate the wearer’s ear canals, a design more reliant on a secure fit.
Interestingly, NielsenIQ’s research found that sound quality is a lower priority among open-ear headphone buyers. For those shopping over-ear and in-ear headphones, sound quality is the most important factor. Conversely, design, fit, and comfort are king when choosing open-ear headphones. Sound quality is still considered important, albeit a lower priority than whether or not the headphones are comfortable to wear all day.
Some headphones, like the OpenDots range, are like wearing earrings. Image: Shokz.
The research claims that these less intrusive headphones are becoming increasingly popular among people who wear headphones for long periods, whether for work or exercise. 64 per cent of open-ear headphone users wear them for more than two hours a day, according to NieslenIQ, compared to 57 per cent for over-ear, and 54 per cent for in-ear.
It’s a data point that makes logical sense: if the headphones are comfier, people will likely wear them for longer. On the surface, it might seem like a simple observation. But when one or two form factors dominate the market for so long, it takes a while for newcomers to gain ground.
Meta might be known as the current king of the smart glasses world, but ongoing privacy concerns, combined with a closed ecosystem, mar the company’s attempt to make the form factor mainstream. HTC, on the other hand, which has just launched the VIVE Eagle AI glasses in Australia, wants to nip privacy fears in the bud.
Known for its VR headsets, HTC designed the VIVE Eagle AI specs to encourage people to spend less time glued to their phones. Capable of translating languages and snapping photos via a built-in 12MP camera, the specs also connect to the user’s choice of AI platform.
HTC gives more power to the public
HTC’s approach to privacy follows similar attempts to other brands, with a bit of a twist. Like other specs, the VIVE Eagle has an LED light that flicks on when the camera is in use. This LED’s brightness adjusts based on ambient lighting to try to make it clearly visible at all times. If someone covers the LED, or if the glasses aren’t being worn, the camera is disabled.
Perhaps the biggest privacy feature is that non-wearers can stop recordings, not just the user. According to HTC, if the wearer is recording video and someone says “stop filming”, the recording stops.
While it doesn’t necessarily stop someone from starting a recording in the first place, it at least gives people on the other side of the lens slightly more control. However, it does raise further questions. Will HTC embark on an education campaign to let the public know they can use a phrase to stop recordings? Why should the onus be on the public instead of smart glasses wearers?
It’s far from an open-and-shut case, but at least a tech company is trying something different.
Choice of AI
Another criticism of Meta’s smart glasses is the reliance on Meta AI. If you want to use the company’s glasses, you’re stuck with Meta’s AI technology. Conversely, HTC lets users choose their AI agent of choice.
Via the VIVE Connect app, there’s the option of using Google’s Gemini or OpenAI’s ChatGPT. On top of that, the VIVE Eagle can process speech and text language translations via its own AI technology. This requires a paid plan, however, which starts at $4.99 per month (a 24-month VIVE AI Plus plan is included with the glasses).
Now available to pre-order, the HTC VIVE Eagle AI glasses cost $799 in Australia. They launch on 14 September, with Harvey Norman the first local retailer to stock the specs.
Often, at major trade shows, exhibitors plan their presence around a single show-stopping announcement. Something that will make people go out of their way to seek it out on a crowded show floor. Ecovacs took a different approach at IFA 2026. Confident in its technology, the home robotics brand opted to lean on its established robotic ecosystem that covers floors, windows, pools, and lawns.
Still, there were closer looks at some of Ecovacs’ latest devices. Among them was the roller mop-wielding Deebot X12S OmniCyclone, a more powerful robot vacuum that just launched overseas. Window cleaning also got a look in, with the Winbot W3 Omni (currently available in Australia) featured.
After its big outdoor robotics launch in July, Ecovacs already has an eye on the next-gen devices. These include the GOAT T robot lawnmowers, equipped with edge trimmers and a 360-degree LiDAR navigation system, plus the brand’s latest Ultramarine L1 Pro pool cleaner.
Ecovacs went deep on strategy at IFA 2026
These devices almost took a backseat to Ecovacs’ message about its status in the market. Adopting the tone of an investor call, the company claims that its robots are used in more than 38 million homes globally, with robot shipments growing by 44.1% in the first half of 2026. Notably, 51% of Ecovacs’ revenue came from outside China during Q2 2026, the first time the company has recorded more revenue from international markets than domestic.
But according to the company’s leadership, growing bigger isn’t about flooding the market with more robots.
“The future of home robotics is not about adding more products,” said David Qian, CEO of Ecovacs Robotics. “It is about giving people more freedom from everyday tasks.”
He added that making robots for different purposes, like vacuuming or mowing the lawn, doesn’t require starting from scratch each time. Many of the company’s devices use similar technologies, especially through navigation and obstacle avoidance.
“By reusing around 80% of our core technologies and adapting 20% to each scenario, we can bring robotics from floors and windows to lawns and pools,” Qian said.
Perhaps it’s a sign that Ecovacs intends to dominate the home robotics market via considered iteration, not by overwhelming shelves with as many robots as possible.
First it was gardens, now it’s the pool: Roborock has joined the procession of home robotics brands to debut a robot pool cleaner. Lifting the veil on the RockAqua P1 at IFA 2026, Roborock wants to take the pool-cleaning fight to the competition.
Designed to clean shallow platforms as small as 15cm — in addition to a pool’s floor and walls — the RockAqua P1 is powered by a motor capable of sucking upwards of 25,000 litres per hour. It’s equipped with a dual-filter system: one designed to capture small particles, like sand, and another for leaves and larger pool litter.
Roborock hasn’t locked in the RockAqua P1’s Australian price yet, but the company confirmed a January 2027 launch. Australia and New Zealand will be the first regions to get Roborock’s debut pool robot, timed with the middle of the Southern Hemisphere’s summer. It’ll come head-to-head with other robot pool cleaners from competing brands, including Mova and Ecovacs.
Bolstering its outdoor robotic range, Roborock also announced the RockNeo Q2 LiDAR, a new robot lawnmower. Made to cover lawns up to 800m², the new RockNeo uses the titular LiDAR technology to navigate yards without wires. It can also do your lawn edges within 3cm automatically.
Roborock’s latest robot lawnmower might still be a while away, though. The company only just brought its autonomous mowers to Australia for the first time this month, so the model at IFA likely is a teaser for what’s to come.
Robots inside the home
Among the focus on outdoor tech, IFA 2026 wasn’t devoid of Roborock’s well-known robot vacuums. Alongside the company’s upcoming wet-dry vacuum range, there are also two robot indoor cleaners on the way.
Up first is the Roborock Saros 20 Flow, an upgraded version of its flagship model that replaces spinning mop pads with a roller mop. It has the same 36,000Pa suction power as its predecessor, so the mopping power is the main upgrade.
The Saros 20 Flow, like the Qrevo model, can also cross dual thresholds up to 8.8cm. Image: Roborock.
By using a roller mop, the Saros 20 Flow produces more downward force, which should help improve mopping performance. It also uses an array of pressurised water valves to constantly clean the roller mop while in use to prevent tracking dirty water throughout the house.
However, roller mops tend to result in bulkier robots. Bulkier robots mean more chance of not fitting under low-hanging furniture. Roborock’s alternative is the Qrevo Edge 3 Pro, a similar robot in terms of suction power and the use of a retractable LiDAR sensor. But instead of using a roller mop, it relies on spinning mop pads, which Roborock claims apply 14N of downward force.
Both robots are relatively thin, but the Qrevo Edge 3 Pro can fit under even more furniture. Image: Roborock.
As a result of using different technology, the Qrevo Edge 3 Pro stands as short as 7.95cm. By comparison, the Saros 20 Flow is 8.98cm tall. Both offer similar self-cleaning technology and overall power; mop type and clearance height are the main differences.
In Australia, both the Roborock Saros 20 Flow and Qrevo Edge 3 Pro will cost $2,799. According to Roborock, the Qrevo model will arrive by the end of the month, while the new Saros will launch by early October.
