New Samsung TVs to get virtual launch, as the QLED TV brand bows out of IFA 2020

IFA 2019 (Image credit: Future)

Want to know the latest with new Samsung TVs? Unlike previous years, Samsung won’t be having a physical presence at IFA 2020 this coming September, despite the massive onsite tech expo still being scheduled to go ahead.

The Korean Herald stated that Samsung – usually one of the biggest attendees – would be a no-show, with Samsung confirming the decision to TechCrunch shortly after.

“We have taken the exciting decision to share our latest news and announcements at our own digital event in early September. While Samsung will not be participating in IFA 2020, we look forward to our continued partnership with IFA in the future.”

Instead, AV enthusiasts will be able to tune into an online reveal of Samsung’s upcoming QLED TV releases and (possibly) prototype sets.

IFA isn’t usually as big an event for Samsung TVs as CES, which operated in Las Vegas every January – and it’s likely any truly large announcements will be saved until then, when Samsung launches its 2021 TV range. For context, the main Samsung TV reveal at IFA 2019 was a new 55-inch size for the Q900R 8K QLED.

We’re unsure what exactly Samsung will have cooking, but we don’t expect it will be anything we’d need to be in person for.

To attend, or not to attend

Much of the tech world is uneasy about congregating en masse in a single conference center in Berlin, and for good reason. Even as the majority of Europe eases lockdown measures, even small group gatherings in the pub still feel risky, with social distancing guidelines in the UK still asking the public to keep 1-2 meters of distance away from each other.

It makes sense for TV brands to think twice about risking the health of their employees when virtual options are available, especially given how crowded the main halls of IFA can get. Not to mention ‘hands on’ demonstrations of new hardware, which we’re sure a lot of journalists will want to steer clear of.

Via Engadget

Henry St Leger

Henry is a freelance technology journalist, and former News & Features Editor for TechRadar, where he specialized in home entertainment gadgets such as TVs, projectors, soundbars, and smart speakers. Other bylines include Edge, T3, iMore, GamesRadar, NBC News, Healthline, and The Times.