We’re just a couple of days away from one of the biggest dates on the technology calendar – Berlin’s legendary IFA event scheduled to kick off at the beginning of September. Each year, the biggest names in the business turn up to show-off what they’ve got in store for the rest of the year and hopefully get one (or two) up on their rivals.

This year, expectations are higher than ever before for the simple reason that technology as a whole has moved forward leaps and bounds since IFA 2012. So prior to any of the big names letting slip what’s in store, what are we most likely in for in terms of show-stoppers?

Chances are it’s going to be a three-way fight for the spotlight:

Samsung

As usual, Samsung will be kicking its autumn campaign off in real style. First and foremost, this September is 100% guaranteed to bring the debut of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 – the third generation version of the iconic and genre-defining Phablet. While official details are still pending, the general impression is that the Note 3 will be bigger and better in literally every conceivable way. Along with a larger touchscreen close to the 6-inch mark, the Note 3 will be powered by Samsung’s octa-core Exynos 5 processor and generally pack more grunt than a pigpen.

And if that wasn’t enough, there’s now also talk of Samsung bringing along the fabled Galaxy Gear Smartwatch to help bolster its efforts. This will basically be something like a mini-smartphone that you wear on your wrist, which connects wirelessly to your smartphone or tablet PC to serve as a remote control and perhaps an extra screen. Check out the Sony SmartWatch 2 for a closer look.

Sony

Next in line comes Sony, which is said to be bringing the Honami smartphone along to IFA for its grand unveiling. One of the longest-rumored devices of the year by far, the Sony Honami will take the place of the Xperia Z as the flagship for the range. Along with a 5-inch 1080p HD screen and Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core CPU under the hood, the Honami is expected to present a stunning 20.7-megapixel camera the likes of which will set a new standard for much of the industry.

Just like the rest of the top-end Xperia range, the Honami will also be 100% dust and water-proof opening up infinite opportunities for snaps and HD videos in places you wouldn’t normally even think of taking your phone.

Reading suggestion: Samsung Galaxy Gear Wearable Smart Watch

HTC

Last but not least, HTC is expected to bolster its range with the aptly-titled HTC One Max. The name’s a bit of a giveaway – think along the same lines as the standard HTC One, only with a 1080p HD screen stretched out to nearly 6-inches and even more power under the bonnet. With a 4-Ultrapixel camera to the rear and a quite painfully gorgeous metal body, chances are the HTC One Max will be the fiercest foe the Samsung Galaxy Note range has seen to date.

Exciting times ahead!

This blog post was brought to you by Lisa Morton on behalf of Consumercheckpoint.co.uk. Click here to find out more about Consumer Checkpoint and the latest Consumer Checkpoint tech news.