SlashGear At IFA 2025: What We're Bringing To Cover One Of The Biggest Tech Shows In The World

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IFA is back, and so is SlashGear, checking out the very best tech that the EU has to offer. Never fear; much of this tech will be making its way to the States, but before it can, we need to go check it out. So that's what we'll be doing all week — bringing you the very best tech we can find on the show floor (and beyond)!

But in order to do that, we need to document it, and that requires our own tech that we brought with us. As is becoming common with us here at SlashGear, the gear we are using to cover the technology on the show floor is ever evolving. After all, we regularly test out the latest in technology, so it makes sense that when we find something that does a better job, we're going to use it.

Our mission is to find the best that IFA has to offer, and we're going to use the best tech we have at our disposal to do just that. Here's what's in our bags.

As is typical for Adam's show floor crawling, he's packing two phones, but this year is a bit different. He's carrying the iPhone 16 Pro Max on the eve of the iPhone 17 event that just got confirmed — so this is a sort of last hurrah before this phone gets replaced. On the other hand, he's also carrying the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, which is brand new to the world.

Adam's no stranger to using an iPhone to capture images of technology, and he typically carries a book-style foldable to pull up his calendar, so he knows where he has to be. The Fold 7 can also take great photos, but its main job will be to keep him on the right path.

One big difference this year is that, in addition to T-Mobile's International Plan, which he also used to cover last week's Honor launch event in London, he'll also be using an eSIM from a company called KnowRoaming. This is an app-based eSIM company that allows you to just download an app, buy whatever plan you need, and it installs the SIM straight to the phone. It's pretty easy and also relatively cheap. He's getting a seven-day unlimited plan for $26, as compared to a 10-day plan from T-Mobile for $35.

There are two pieces of tech Adam will be relying on when he's on the show floor. The first is a Dell Premium 14 laptop that the company sent over, continuing his tradition of testing a brand-new laptop while covering a trade show. It's still early on — he set it up a couple of days ago, but he used it for most of his flight over here. The distinguishing feature of this laptop is the keyboard, which is basically a flat piece of plastic.

The keyboard keys are cut out, like you'd expect, but the trackpad doesn't have boundaries, and the top row of buttons is capacitive. It's definitely a cool (and clean) look, but it takes some getting used to.

The other piece of tech that he's testing on the floor is an AI recorder built into a pen. It's called Flowtica Scribe, and it does just what you think. It's a voice recorder built into a pen. The obvious benefit here is that he can hastily write down notes in his notebook during a press conference and the recorder transcribes the talk using AI. He's only done a couple of preliminary tests with it (which is why he also brought the Mobvoi TicNote, another AI voice recorder as a backup) but so far it has performed quite well.

Meanwhile, Adam's bag also has a few other devices that he will use on the floor. The first is his set of Meta RayBans. There are a few reasons why. First, the camera on the RayBan glasses is pretty good, though it's not as good as the iPhone nor the Fold 7. Most of the time he uses them to take backup photos, just in case. Also, the Meta RayBans have speakers in the arms, so he can hear when he gets an email, Slack message, or other notification when he's on the show floor.

He's also carrying along a Mophie Powerstation Plus 10k battery pack. This is a 10,000 mAh battery pack with a built-in USB-C cable. It's handy because then he doesn't have to worry about carrying a separate cable. Speaking of integrated cables, he'll also have the Baseus 70W 6-in-1 charger, which has plugs for any region and a built-in USB-C cable, so in case he needs to charge my laptop or phone on the show floor, he'll have what he needs.

Jack doesn't consider himself an Apple fanboy, but he's also all-in on the ecosystem. Sure, it can be absurdly expensive and has its frustrating quirks, but it's also really convenient when all your devices seamlessly communicate and you can use 20+ years of muscle memory to operate them. Because of their premium price tags, Jack only updates each gadget every five years or so. Late last year, with hefty tariffs looming on the horizon, Jack upgraded to an iPhone 16 Pro and a MacBook Pro M3 Pro.

This is Jack's first experience with Apple Silicon, and he couldn't be more impressed — especially after years of using an Intel MacBook Air that struggled to run more than two apps at once. Since he only gets a new computer about twice a decade, he makes sure to futureproof them with tons of extra RAM and storage space. He's currently indulging in running all the fun extra battery-sucking features he can before OS updates start to become more and more designed around M4 chips and beyond.

On Prime Day, he upgraded to Apple AirPods 4, and it's his first experience with active noise cancellation (ANC). He really had his doubts — growing up as a pedestrian in NYC, he's used to always monitoring his surroundings (I'm walkin' here!). But ANC has been a game-changer. He never realized just how loud everything is, and the ANC came in especially handy during his 13-hour flight from Los Angeles to Berlin. One Apple gadget he hasn't updated in forever is his Apple Watch Series 5. While he'd love all the new features introduced since 2019, he can't justify the expense considering his Series 5 is still going strong — even if he has to charge it two or three times a day.

Believe it or not, this is Jack's first time leaving the United States. One thing he still hasn't gotten used to is the kooky power outlet designs used by other countries. In Germany, plugs deliver 230V at 50 Hz. As soon as his flight to Berlin was booked, Jack did his research to find which power adapter was worth investing in.

He ended up going with the Bestek Universal Travel Adapter for a few reasons, including its strong customer reviews. It's equipped with three American-standard outlets as well as four USB-A ports, so he doesn't need to worry about unplugging Peter to charge Paul. It also comes with three other types of adapter extensions that can be used in countries with different standards, like Japan and the U.K. Now that he's finally got his passport, Jack's ready to see the world — and already has the adapters for the journey.

Of course, you've got to have something to actually plug into the adapter. For his trip to Berlin, Jack brought his trusty Anker 735 Charger (Nano II 65W). Whenever staying at a hotel or visiting relatives, he takes this with him. The foldable charger is incredibly compact and lightweight, and is rated for 65W, which is enough to charge a MacBook Pro. It also has one USB-A and two USB-C ports, including smart charging options. With all these outputs in a single tiny plug, Jack can charge his phone, computer, and Apple Watch all at once without needing to remember to swap things out.

When he had his old iPhone 11, Jack made sure to keep a backup battery built right into the case, but since his new iPhone 16 Pro can last a lot longer, he went with a much thinner and lighter option that's also MagSafe-compatible. With the QecVec MagSafe power bank, he doesn't need to bother carrying a cord in his pocket everywhere he goes. He loves the slim size of the 10,000 mAh power bank, though it runs hot pretty quickly. For what it's worth, even the best-rated wireless banks from well-known brands seem to have this issue. Perhaps an upstart brand at IFA will debut a MagSafe power bank that's finally cracked the problem?

To keep his power bank, wall charger, and an assortment of different cables — including USB-A to USB-C, USB-A to USB-mini, USB-C to USB-C, and his Apple Watch charger — all together, Jack uses the CAOODKDK Electronic Travel Organizer. The case is sturdy and water-resistant and has several mesh and zippered pockets to keep smaller items like flash drives secure. It has two main separate compartments, which he uses to separate cords/adapters from accessories.

Finally, Jack is using IFA as an opportunity to try out something new — the Huion Keydial Mini Bluetooth Programmable Keypad. It's really meant more for apps like Photoshop, GarageBand, or ProCreate, but he has never met a keyboard shortcut he doesn't like when drafting articles and reviews. With the keypad, he's mapped over 15 different Google Docs and Google Sheets shortcuts that usually require you to awkwardly press three or four buttons at once. Time will tell if this was a genius move or a waste of $42.