SlashGear's IFA 2025 Innovation Awards

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Technological progress, much like computing, is an exponential process. It moves slowly at first, gradually figuring out what works and what doesn't, and then, it explodes forward in a magnificent maelstrom of new ideas, developments, and devices. In the span of a single year, technology can jump ahead of where it was by leaps and bounds as software is updated, and hardware is improved. Honestly, it can feel a little difficult to get a handle on, but that's exactly why we have technological conferences like Innovation For All; better known as IFA.

The IFA 2025 conference has kicked off in Berlin, Germany, where the best and brightest minds across the technological sphere have gathered together to show off what they've cooked up. From augmented reality glasses and new forms of smart lighting, to portable power solutions and mess-busting robot vacuums, it's a who's-who of innovative design. 

There's so much innovation going on, in fact, that we here at SlashGear have once again rolled out our coveted Innovation Award to highlight standout developments throughout the conference floor. Brands like Anker, Govee, Narwhal, Rokid, and others have earned this award through their sheer commitment to moving the proverbial needle forward. If you have any interest in technological development, these are the brands and devices that should be on your radar.

A widely recognized name in the smart home and Internet of Things (IoT) segment, Aqara arrived at the IFA 2025 show floor, showcasing the new FP300 multi-sensing kit. This wireless multisensing hub takes a unique approach and combines PIR and millimeter wave (mmWave) sensing for holistic presence and home environment sensing. Beyond the tech stack, the most notable aspect of Aqara's latest is the operational convenience, thanks to a 2-year battery life.

The sensing suite on Aqara FP300 includes mmWave, PIR, light, temperature, and humidity sensors, which makes it an ideal choice for round-the-clock security. Additionally, the simultaneous adoption of 60GHz mmWave and PIR technologies ensures that it can detect even the smallest movements, while also minimizing false alarms using AI algorithms and self-adaptive sensitivity.

With a promised 120-degree sensing field of view and 20-foot range, you can rest easy knowing that Aqara's multi-sensing wireless hub can detect and accordingly serve warnings about everything from unexpected intrusions to the harmless activities of pets and robots. For added versatility, users can also adjust the sensing range, set timeouts, and tweak the sensor activity to best suit their needs.

On the connectivity front, the Matter-compatible FP300 plays well with Thread and Zigbee protocols. So, whether you are invested in Apple's Home platform, or rely on Google, Alexa, or Samsung's Smart Things ecosystem, you can seamlessly integrate Aqara's new sensor in your home or workspace. Aqara's focus on innovative tech, broad compatibility, and a focus on user convenience naturally earned a SlashGear IFA Innovation Award for the FP300 multi-sensor hub.

In just a little over a decade, the field of robotic vacuums has shown incredible development. Gone are the basic devices that toddle ineffectually along the ground, replaced by powerful agents of cleanliness backed by carefully curated artificial intelligence. The pursuit of robotic vacuum perfection is what has earned robotic vacuum brand Narwal a place among the top five manufacturers, alongside a commitment to practical features and understanding user needs.

The latest fruit borne of that hunt is the SlashGear IFA Innovation Award-winning Narwal Flow, a hybrid vacuuming and mopping robot designed to not only get your floors clean, but do so in a thorough and intelligent manner. The Narwal Flow is equipped with a 22,000Pa vacuum, packing suction force powerful enough to capture 100% of loose particulates on hard floors. This vacuum is assisted by the floating main brush and dynamic side brush, both of which are designed to be completely tangle-proof. With CarpetFocus technology, the Narwal Flow can power through thick carpets and rugs, intelligently hunting down embedded dirt and hair, and sweeping it all away.

The Narwal Flow is also equipped with the FlowWash mopping system, blasting away tough stains with heated water from its dual tanks at up to 113 degrees Fahrenheit. The EdgeReach mop extension exerts 12N of downward force to follow the water jets, providing a firm, deep scrubbing. With dual-direction mopping and re-mopping, the Narwal Flow can systematically disassemble even the most stubborn, ground-in stains.

Both the vacuum and mopping systems are backed up by Narwal's proprietary NarMind™ Pro Autonomous System, utilizing dual RGB cameras, 3D depth mapping, and 10 TOPS processing to carefully map out a work strategy, including safe pathing, object recognition, dynamic edge cleaning, and dry-wet separation cleaning. When it's done for the day, the Narwal Flow returns to its dock to have its dustbin automatically emptied and its mops washed, dried, and sanitized.

Pitaka landed a SlashGear IFA Innovation Award nod for its stunning range of iPhone 17 series protective cases that fit the unique needs of users with versatile design, looks, and material choices. The well-regraded brand relies on cutting-edge Fusion Weaving tech to create a diamond lattice-inspired pattern with yarns, while the fusion of Orca resin with aramid fiber delivers the foundations of a material that offers 2x impact resistance.

For shoppers who seek minimalism for their flagship Apple smartphone, the Pitaka Ultra-Slim case delivers an aerospace-grade aramid fiber build and a featherlight profile that offers a tight fit. This MagSafe-ready case serves an industry-first four-layer integrated button for superior tactile feedback, while also satisfying the aesthetic choice of buyers with a variety of eye-catching textures and color choices.

For iPhone users who seek a more durable solution, the Pitaka Aramid ProGuard offers peace of mind with its in-house CrushCore engineering that offers military-grade drop protection and reinforced corners for added resilience, thanks to the arched design and flexible air cushions. This one combines a beautiful woven design with grain-inspired surface texture, MagSafe compatibility, and a precision cut design offering a snug fit for all iPhone 17 series devices.

Pitaka's Aramid UltraGuard Case addresses the needs of an audience that values top-tier durability above all else. This one delivers top-of-the-line shock resistance, a wrap-around design for 360-degree protection achieved through 3D thermoforming, metallic buttons, and a woven design. Made out of high-quality Aramid fiber and TPU materials, Pitaka's Aramid UltraGuard case also plays well with magnetic charging gear without adding too much weight to the iPhone.

One of the key weaknesses of simpler robot vacuums is that they can't always get wherever you need them to. Whether they're stopped dead by bumps between doorways or can't fit under the couch, if they're not able to reach every square inch of a room, they're not doing their jobs properly. 3i has been putting its cutting-edge, industry-leading developmental prowess toward solving this particular snafu. The result is the 3i Q10 Ultra, a SlashGear IFA Innovation Award-winning robot vacuum that can truly reach even the most stubborn nooks and crannies of your home.

The 3i Q10 Ultra is an ultra-compact robot vacuum, able to slide into spots that bulkier models wouldn't even be able to approach. The device measures in at 29.8 cm wide and 7.89 cm tall; narrower than a vinyl record, and shorter than a baseball. With this slim body, the 3i Q10 Ultra can slip under the largest, bulkiest furniture to take out those ancient dust bunnies, as well as into tight nooks and corners to battle against forgotten debris and dirt. The 3i Q10 Ultra is also more than a match for ground-based obstructions, like door thresholds and rugs, thanks to its AirLift™ technology. With a combination of liftable universal wheels and a pump system, the 3i Q10 Ultra can lift itself up and over obstructions up to 3.5 cm tall.

Of course, with impressive navigational capabilities must come equally impressive mess-busting equipment, and the 3i Q10 Ultra is certainly no slouch in that department. Its vacuum sucks up deep dirt and dust from even the thickest carpets with up to 20,000Pa of suction force, while its UltraReach™ mop extends outward by up to 3.1 cm to reach into little spaces and corners, backed up by the edge-cleaning side brush. With the help of DualRay™ laser navigation, the 3i Q10 Ultra can safely navigate even the most cluttered rooms, charting a safe path and avoiding obstacles, as well as recognizing objects and contaminants with its built-in AI.

Anker is an industry leader in charging technology, having pioneered the mainstream adoption of GaN technology and other widely-praised innovations such as ActiveShield and InstaCord. At IFA, the company unveiled the Anker Prime Power Bank (26W, 300W), a high-performance charging solution that also earned a well-deserved SlashGear IFA Innovation Award.

The latest from Anker is a true powerhouse, not just in terms of sheer capacity, but also owing to its high power output that is enough to top up everything from your phone and tablet to a MacBook Pro. With a net output of 300W that can be delivered simultaneously to multiple devices, the USB Type-C port on this power bank solely delivers 140W of raw power to power-hungry electronics. Moreover, the built-in display lets you keep an eye on the power stats, whether it's an inbound top-up or outbound delivery, to keep your devices running.

Yet, it's not just power delivery where this Anker device excels. It can also accept dual-port 240W charging input, which lets you fill an empty tank up to 40% in merely 10 minutes. Additionally, with a 17% reduction in size and a 10% cutdown in weight, the Anker Prime Power Bank (26W, 300W) is an all-rounder package that deserves a place on your desk and inside your backpack for hassle-free on-the-go productivity.

The field of wearable tech is still relatively young in the grand scheme of things, but that just makes its progress in recent years all the more fascinating. Smart device brand Rokid has been a pioneer in human-device interfacing and augmented reality since its founding in 2014, developing both professional-grade solutions and consumer-ready wearables for all kinds of use cases. Rokid's latest development, which has earned it a SlashGear IFA Innovation Award, is the Rokid Glasses; a pair of augmented reality glasses that demonstrate the intersection between cutting-edge functionality and sleek, fashion-forward design. This ambitious wearable raised $1,307,559 in an ambitious Kickstarter campaign, and is well on its way in development.

The Rokid Glasses are equipped with the latest and greatest tech in the wearable scene, including a 12-megapixel smart camera, artificial intelligence integration, and immersive augmented reality functionality, all packed up into a sleek and stylish pair of frames weighing in at a nose-friendly 0.1 pounds. The dual monochrome green Micro LED + diffractive optical waveguide display lenses offer 480×398 resolution per eye and 1,500 nits of brightness; clear enough to see at a casual glance without being painful or overbearing. With those displays, you can get real-time multilingual translation, object recognition, transcription and teleprompters, live navigation, and even ChatGPT integration.

In addition to its visual capabilities, the Rokid Glasses boast impressive audio functions as well. The Rokid Glasses are equipped with dual HD directional speakers, as well as a 4-mic array for receiving vocal input. The mics are backed by AI-powered noise cancelling, so you don't need to worry about random noise and chatter messing with your inputs. Naturally, the Rokid Glasses can sync up with your phone to receive calls, read notifications, and play music without the need for additional earphones.

In less than a decade, Govee has earned a reputation as one of the most reliable and innovative labels when it comes to ambient lighting solutions. At IFA 2025, the brand revealed the Govee Permanent Outdoor Light Prism, touted as the industry's sole Tri-Light outdoor system that integrates a trio of LED units in a single package. Engineered atop the in-house LuminBlend color management solution, and designed to deliver triple-lighting effects, Govee's clever approach attracted a SlashGear IFA Innovation Award.

At the heart of Govee's Permanent Outdoor Light Prism system is a fully custom optical structure, a result of countless experiments and research to create a unique light-blocking architecture. The end result is a design that ensures clear lighting zones without any hue overlap and eye-catching effects. Of course, it won't be a Govee ambient lighting solution without deep customizability. To that end, the companion mobile app allows users to pick between dynamic and flowing gradients, while support for digital assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant ensures that your lights also respond to voice commands.

Coming to the installation part, the 3M adhesive and screw ports ensure easy setup and minimal maintenance hassles, while the resilient build ensures that these lights stay on even in temperature extremes in the –30°F to 140°F range. Furthermore, the IP67-rated dust and water-resistant design and solid electrical architecture ensure that the Govee Permanent Outdoor Light Prism lighting system stays operational for thousands of hours across all seasons.

Everyone needs a steady internet connection these days, whether it's to maintain your steady stream of entertainment and socials, or to maintain vital connections with your professional work. That said, not everyone has a static address, or even if they do, they may not be able to be home all the time. Relying on random open Wi-Fi is both inconvenient and potentially risky. If you want strong, speedy internet from nearly anywhere in the world, that's a job for the IFA 2025 Innovation Award-winning uCloudLink/GlocalMe MeowGo G40 Pro, a portable Wi-Fi hotspot produced in tandem by mobile network brands uCloudLink and GlocalMe.

The uCloudLink/GlocalMe MeowGo G40 Pro utilizes HyperConn™ AI & CloudSIM technology to intelligently monitor network signals around you and automatically connect you to whichever one is the fastest and least congested. Both uCloudLink and GlocalMe have secured partnerships with over 390 network providers across 200 countries, providing you with several connection options available wherever you travel to. Thankfully, you don't need accounts and credentials for every single one of those many providers; the uCloudLink/GlocalMe MeowGo G40 Pro manages all of your connections from a single account, sparing you the anxiety of having to constantly connect and reconnect to random signals. Once you've got a signal, a combination of Wi-Fi 5 and 4G CAT13 connection keeps you chugging along at a steady clip, with download/upload speeds of up to 390Mbps/150Mbps.

Despite its impressive technical chops, the uCloudLink/GlocalMe MeowGo G40 Pro is built for convenience and resilience. It's both smaller and lighter than an apple from the grocery store, and its internal 3200mAh lithium battery pack can get you up to 15 hours of continuous usage. It can also get up to 10 different devices online simultaneously, either via Wi-Fi or direct USB connection; perfect for when you're sharing the road with family or friends.

One thing every household should have at least one of is a strong, reliable flashlight. You never know when you're going to need a quick light, whether you're in the midst of a severe blackout or just need to find something in a dark basement. To fit its variable purpose, a good flashlight should be built tough, reliably long-lasting, and of course, powerfully bright. All these features and more can be seen in the flagship developments of portable lighting brand Olight, and its ArkPro Series flashlights. These two flashlights, the Olight ArkPro and Olight ArkPro Ultra, have earned an IFA 2025 Innovation Award from us here at SlashGear for their exceptional lighting power, situational versatility, and innovative design. 

The Olight ArkPro flashlight boasts remarkable strength and function in its small, silver-graphite body. Despite being compact enough to comfortably fit in your hand, it's a full 4-in-1 EDC flashlight, including a pure floodlight, a spotlight, a UV light, and a green laser, all with no halo, glare, or beam hotspot. The green laser in particular can be activated simultaneously with any other lighting mode; making it great for targeted illumination while performing repairs, sending signals, or in specific situations. The Olight ArkPro is also built to last as long as you need it, with a 2000mAh battery running for up to 14 days with 1 lumen, as well as charging via USB-C and Olight's proprietary MCC magnetic charging system.

For more intense lighting needs, the next step up in the ArkPro Series is the Olight ArkPro Ultra, Olight's first self-developed LED flashlight built for more extreme situations. The Olight ArkPro Ultra features the same 4-in-1 lighting modes, dual-mode charging, and pure flood light quality as the Olight ArkPro, albeit with even brighter, more powerful clarity. In addition to these features, the Olight ArkPro Ultra boasts the Arkbeat Breathing Light, a glowing, pulsing symbol that activates when the light is turned on, as well as micro-perforated engraved indicator light that adds a subtle, stylish touch when the light is activated. All of this is packed into a body of OAL™ aerospace-grade alloy: A specially-formulated metal that's nearly twice as hard as 6061 aluminum, and more resilient than titanium, granting it extra resistance against sudden drops, errant scratches, and generally extreme conditions.