Plenty of eastern promise on show at IFA

Despite the absence of Apple, which only does its own big events and skips the likes of this and Mobile World Congress, there was a lot to talk about from the major manufacturers

Messe Berlin, the giant conference centre in the German capital, is an ugly piece of work. The exterior is unpleasant to look at, while the interior is a confusing mess to get around. But it’s also home to IFA, probably the largest consumer electronics show on the planet, and this year it was an event that felt like it really mattered.

Despite the absence of Apple, which only does its own big events ...