Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are using IFA 2026 in Berlin to show how they want AI to work across the home, not just inside individual appliances.
Samsung opened its main IFA exhibition Wednesday at Humboldt Carre in central Berlin, ahead of the trade show's Friday opening at Messe Berlin. The company is presenting "AI Living" across TVs, home appliances and Galaxy devices.
Samsung first introduced the broader "Your Companion to AI Living" theme at CES in January. At IFA, it is bringing that approach to its 2026 lineup for Europe.
The exhibition includes Micro RGB TVs and Vision AI Companion, a conversational AI feature that can provide information and personalized content recommendations while viewers watch TV. Samsung is also showing the Bespoke AI Family Hub refrigerator and high-efficiency appliances linked through its connected-home ecosystem.
The aim is to make those products work as part of a wider system. Samsung's pitch centers on devices and services it already controls across smartphones, TVs and home appliances.
LG is taking a different approach.
Its main new feature at IFA is ThinQ Claw, a text-based AI agent announced on Monday. LG says the system can use information about a user's schedule, preferences and home conditions to recommend actions and coordinate connected devices and services.
In one scenario shown by LG, ThinQ Claw checks available ingredients and suggests a meal and recipe. In another, it uses calendar information to help prepare the home before a trip or adjust indoor conditions before the user returns.
ThinQ Claw is still being presented as an IFA demonstration. LG has not announced a commercial launch date, pricing or the countries where it will be available.
LG is also showing an energy-management system built around Homey, the smart-home platform developed by Dutch company Athom. LG acquired an 80 percent stake in Athom in 2024.
Homey supports devices from multiple manufacturers. At IFA, LG is demonstrating how it can connect appliances with smart meters, solar panels, home batteries and electric-vehicle chargers to manage household energy use.
ThinQ Pro, LG's platform for managing devices and facilities in multifamily housing and commercial buildings, is also making its European debut.
The contrast between the two companies is becoming clearer. Samsung is extending AI through an ecosystem built around its own devices and platforms; LG is putting more weight on a context-aware agent and connections with third-party devices.
IFA 2026 runs from Friday to Tuesday and is set to host more than 1,900 brands from 49 countries, according to the organizer.
mjh@heraldcorp.com
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