[Berlin = E-Daily Reporter JAEMIN SONG ] On the 4th (local time), the Messe Berlin exhibition hall in Germany, where Europe’s largest home appliance trade show, “IFA 2026,” opened, resembled several houses more than a home appliance store. Spaces modeled after living rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms were furnished with TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, and air conditioners, while mobile devices, lighting, and energy and security services connected them all. The home appliance show, which used to pit the performance of a single refrigerator or washing machine against another, has transformed into an arena for competition in artificial intelligence (AI) home solutions that sell “the entire home.”

Chinese companies demonstrated this shift most clearly. A total of 932 Chinese firms participated in this year’s IFA, accounting for nearly half of all exhibitors. Whereas in the past they would pack their booths with inexpensive products to showcase volume, this year they prominently featured ecosystems that seamlessly integrate TVs, home appliances, mobile devices, automobiles, and robots.

TCL created the “Inspiration Habitat,” which combines displays, home appliances, and interior design. In the bedroom, AI detected the user’s sleep patterns and indoor air quality to adjust the air conditioner and curtains. Hisense realized a home where the kitchen, laundry, HVAC, and energy management systems work together in sync with the user’s situation through its “AI Companion Suite.”

Xiaomi, participating in IFA for the first time, displayed over 380 products—including smartphones, home appliances, electric vehicles, and humanoid robots—in a 3,300-square-meter exhibition hall. The layout, which led visitors through the kitchen, living room, and bedroom before connecting to electric vehicles and robots, showcased a “people × cars × home” ecosystem. With the addition of robotics companies such as Unitty, AjiBot, and Dobot, China’s offensive has expanded from low-cost home appliances to AI homes and physical AI.

As Chinese companies rapidly enter the AI home market—currently dominated by SamsungElectronics and LGELECTRONICS—the bar for differentiation has risen. The new battleground is no longer limited to simply connecting various home appliances; it has shifted to how accurately AI can understand users’ lifestyles to drive devices and services.

In response, SamsungElectronics and LGELECTRONICS have expanded their AI home ecosystems—which were previously centered on home appliances—to encompass all aspects of daily life. SamsungElectronics highlighted “AI Living,” which connects mobile devices and wearables to cover leisure and health management, while LGELECTRONICS showcased “AI Butler,” which anticipates users’ needs and proactively activates necessary functions and services.

“AI Living” manages users’ daily lives by linking not only TVs and home appliances but also smartphones, smartwatches, and smart rings. The concept was brought to life in a real-life residential setting, demonstrating how appliances regulate energy consumption while Galaxy devices and Samsung Health monitor health metrics such as sleep and exercise.

The exhibition format has also changed. SamsungElectronics moved its main exhibition venue from Messe Berlin’s CityCube to an invitation-only space at Humboldtplatz in downtown Berlin. This was done to allow European business partners to directly experience the features of “AI Living” and the connectivity between devices, and to discuss business opportunities. At Messe Berlin, the company operated a “Creator Hub” to maintain consumer engagement.

LGELECTRONICS placed emphasis on an interactive AI Home, where AI directly controls connected appliances. When users notify the Agent AI “ThinQ Clow” via messenger that they are returning home, it activates the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and lighting in advance, taking the user’s lifestyle patterns into account. The company plans to expand this to detect product malfunctions, suggest maintenance, and even link to the purchase of consumables and subscription services.

The scope of energy management has also been expanded to cover the entire home. Using the smart home platform “Homi,” the company integrates home appliances, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, as well as solar power and energy storage systems (ESS), to manage power generation and consumption holistically. Approximately 46% of the exhibition space was designated as consultation areas exclusively for business partners, as the company moves to expand the supply of AI Home and built-in solutions.

AI homes are seen as a new growth engine for the stagnant home appliance market. According to market research firm Fortune Business Insights, the global home appliance market is estimated to grow at an average annual rate of 6.7% from this year through 2034. However, the smart home appliance market is projected to grow by 14.9% annually over the same period.

From the perspective of home appliance manufacturers, AI Home allows them to expand their revenue structure beyond the sale of individual products to include services. This approach involves generating new revenue streams—such as maintenance, energy savings, subscriptions, and e-commerce—based on customers’ lifestyle data.

Baek Seung-tae, Executive Vice President and Head of the Home Solutions Business Division at LGELECTRONICS, said, “It will be difficult for Chinese companies to continue their low-price offensive to increase market share,” adding, “While price and capacity used to be the key competitive factors, the focus of competition is now shifting to how well a product delivers a positive customer experience.”