4 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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More from IFA 2026: the biggest tech and gadget announcements

Emma Roth
Emma Roth
Govee doubles up on its permanent outdoor lighting.

The Permanent Outdoor Lights 2 Pro sport a dual-layer design that allows “the upper and lower light zones to display different colors and effects simultaneously,” according to Govee. They’ll cost $499.99 for 100 feet when they launch on September 7th.

Govee is also releasing a new version of its COB Strip Light Pro, which costs $169.99 and uses a chip-on-board design to smooth out the spotty look of standard LED strip lights. They have slightly denser LED placement than the previous version.

<em>The Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights 2 Pro.</em>
<em>The Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights 2 Pro.</em>
<em>The Govee COB Strip Light 2 Pro.</em>
<em>The Govee COB Strip Light 2 Pro.</em>
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The Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights 2 Pro.
Image: Govee
Emma Roth
Emma Roth
Govee’s AI ceiling light will cost $400.

First revealed at CES, Govee’s Sky Ceiling Light uses AI to create “personalized lighting based on users’ moods and daily needs.” The 21-inch Matter-compatible light also automatically adjusts its color, temperature, and brightness depending on the time and weather. It launches on September 4th.

Image: Govee
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
Packard Bell is back, and more colorful than ever.

Acer, which has owned the historic PC brand since 2008, has resurrected it in a line of cheap, cheerful, and exceedingly colorful hardware, ranging from a 14-inch laptop to a portable food steamer. It all goes on sale in Q4 this year, though for now it’s only hitting the market in Europe.

<em>The €499 DotBook is the most expensive part of the lineup by far.</em>
<em>So colorful!</em>
<em>The DotLine is a 4G feature phone, while the DotLook glasses have speakers but no camera.</em>
<em>These are the DotBass headphones.</em>
<em>This suitcase vinyl player has built-in LED speakers, but Bluetooth out too.</em>
<em>Weirdest of all, a portable mini-steamer for reheating leftovers, in partnership with Steasy.</em>
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The €499 DotBook is the most expensive part of the lineup by far.
Photo: Dominic Preston / The Verge
Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Samsung is getting in on the MacBook Neo competition.

Samsung announced a new Galaxy Book6 laptop at IFA. It’s a 14-inch notebook with Intel Wildcat Lake processors, starting with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. And it’ll start at $799.

It’s got more ports than the Neo and a much higher watt-hour battery. But, oddly, Samsung omitted the keyboard’s backlight just as Apple did. Not my top choice of things to copy, but okay.

<em>No extra fun colors here, just gray and violet silver — which I can’t help accidentally reading as “violent silver.”</em>
<em>Perfection apparently doesn’t require typing in the dark.</em>
<em>Solid ports, but <a href="https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-expands-the-galaxy-book6-lineup-making-galaxy-book-more-accessible" target="_blank">Samsung’s specs</a> don’t mention USB speeds. The video port is HDMI 1.4.</em>
<em>Wildcat Lake is a pretty power efficient chip, and the Galaxy Book6 has a sizable 61.2Wh battery with support for 45W charging.</em>
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No extra fun colors here, just gray and violet silver — which I can’t help accidentally reading as “violent silver.”
Image: Samsung
The robot butler dream doesn’t have legs

After years of living with home robots, I think we’re chasing the wrong machine.

Jennifer Pattison Tuohy
Dominic Preston
Dominic Preston
A smaller Atlas handheld.

Alongside a laptop / handheld hybrid concept, Acer is expanding its Predator Atlas line with a smaller 7-inch model. The Windows 11 handheld comes with up to an Intel Arc G3 Extreme CPU and Arc B390 GPU. It’s due in Q4, after the Atlas 8 releases this month. Pricing for both remains unknown.

<em>The Atlas 7 is another gaming handheld that runs Windows 11.</em>
<em>The 7-inch IPS-level touchscreen is FHD, with a 120Hz refresh rate.</em>
<em>Ports include two Thunderbolt 4, microSD, and a headphone jack.</em>
<em>It’s smaller than the Atlas 8, but still a sizeable handheld.</em>
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The Atlas 7 is another gaming handheld that runs Windows 11.
Image: Acer
Cameron Faulkner
Cameron Faulkner
A bright, desk-friendly 5K Mini LED display is coming next year.

Acer’s $1,199 Nitro XV275X P is coming Q1 2027, and it has some appealing specs. Its 27-inch matte IPS screen has 2,304-zone Mini LED backlighting (up to 1,400 nits), with support for 5K via HDMI 2.1, USB-C or DisplayPort 1.4 at 165Hz refresh rate and a fast 0.5-millisecond response time, or 330Hz at QHD. It seems just as good for productivity as for gaming with its 90W USB-C charging, KVM switch, and picture-in-picture settings.

Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Antonio G. Di Benedetto
This Acer laptop offers easy repairs and two generations of processor upgrades.

Acer is announcing the Vero 16: a 16-inch laptop with tool-free internal access. The battery and SSD are user-replaceable, and the hinge and ports are also removable. Acer also says the processor can be upgraded for “at least two generations.”

An Acer service center will conduct the upgrades — not the user. And for now all pricing is TBD. The Vero 16 is launching outside North America in Q1 2027.

<em>The Vero 16’s innards are accessible without the need for tools.</em>
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The Vero 16’s innards are accessible without the need for tools.
Image: Acer
Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Antonio G. Di Benedetto
Alienware’s next OLED monitors are a 32-inch RGB stripe model and a 25-inch QD-OLED with 560Hz refresh.

Alienware has been on a tear with its recent OLEDs. Now, its next big monitor is the AW3226Q, a 4K 32-inch tandem OLED with 165Hz refresh and RGB stripe subpixels for clearer text — expected this fall for $699.99.

Alienware is also teasing the AW2527HX, a 25-inch QD-OLED with 560Hz refresh, co-created with Team Liquid and designed for esports. Pricing is TBD until its Q1 2027 launch.

The golden age of OLEDs continues.

<em>The Alienware AW3226Q.</em>
<em>The design of the AW3226Q keeps things pretty simple like other recent Alienware OLEDs.</em>
<em>A look at the I/O for the AW3226Q. It includes HDMI 2.1 FRL, DisplayPort 1.4, and a few USB ports.</em>
<em>The esports-focused AW2527HX has a tilting and telescoping stand, allowing for close-up positions. Its small stand can also be positioned to accomodate a mouse pad and diagonal keyboard right beside it.</em>
<em>A flip-down headset hanger is always a nice touch, and frankly should be on all monitors.</em>
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The Alienware AW3226Q.
Image: Dell
Cameron Faulkner
Cameron Faulkner
More buttons for the original Switch Pro controller.

Jsaux has launched the Elite Extender, a $39.99 accessory for the original Nintendo Switch Pro controller that reminds me a bit of Sony’s Back Button Attachment for the PS4. It adds up to four mappable buttons for your most frequently-used buttons or for macros. The accessory boasts a 1,800mAh battery, though the host controller’s Amiibo functionality won’t work while it’s attached.

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Cameron Faulkner
Cameron Faulkner
A capable little controller that lets you offer a helping hand.

Jsaux is launching the S1 Pro, a small $49.99 wireless controller that can wake the Switch 2, and connect to various other platforms via Bluetooth, 2.4GHz, or USB-C. It features Switch-like TMR sticks, gyro controls, and adjustable trigger throw distances. But its marquee feature is that it lets you connect two S1 Pros to a single 2.4GHz transmitter, and swap player assignments in local multiplayer games at will, so player two can jump in to help with a difficult part.

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Image: Jsaux