Panasonic is over 100 years old, something the company is proud of because it emphasizes its heritage — and confirms its longevity. At this year’s IFA trade show in Berlin, the company had a wide focus, from audio to TV, of course, but also kitchen devices and smart home solutions.
Let’s start with TV. Panasonic’s OLED screens have regularly won accolades and this year’s event promised next-generation picture quality. It announced the introduction of Prime Video Calibrated Mode, so that when you’re watching TV streamed from Amazon’s Prime Video, the brightness, color temperature and motion are all calibrated automatically for the optimum picture quality.
Other TV announcements included a Thermal Flowcooling system — usually employed to drive OLED screens so they can safely go brighter.
This year is the sixtieth anniversary of Technics and the audio brand revealed a brand-new turntable, the SL-40CBT which has direct drive design, an updated new look and the addition of Bluetooth streaming, so compatible wireless speakers and wireless headphones can play what’s on the turntable — which means you have greater flexibility when it comes to deciding where to put it.
The tonearm is made of aluminum and comes in a new S shape, designed to enable extra-precise groove tracking — this is vinyl, after all.
The wood body comes in three colors, charcoal black, light grey and terracotta. Although it’s aimed at music enthusiasts, its design and the Bluetooth capability will likely find a wider audience. It’s on sale this month for $899.
Technics has had some success this year with earbuds, with its AZ100 in-ears winning praise. They’re now available in a fetching midnight blue color variation as well.
Panasonic has long featured sustainability in its products and this IFA talked about making a positive green impact. It has previously launched products with modular designs, aimed at extending the life cycles of product and making them more repairable.
New commitments from the company include decarbonization of the business and a move to clean energy supplies. Panasonic says that two sites, one in the U.K. and one in Germany use hydrogen fuel cells.
Additionally, a 50-year-old plant in Cardiff, Wales, has been fitted with power sources designed to make greener manufacturing possible. It uses hydrogen fuel cells powered by green hydrogen, plus solar PV and battery storage. All managed by a bespoke energy management system.
Panasonic also revealed that it’s ahead of its goal for net zero factories. Right now, the goal was that 37 or the Panasonic Group’s 200 factories would have hit zero CO2 emissions, but it’s currently at 45. The other 155 will get there by 2030.