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.
Read more: 6 Of The Best Gadgets For Bicycles, According To Cyclists
Staying Connected
As is typical for my show floor crawling, I'm packing two phones, but this year is a bit different. I'm 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, I'm also carrying the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 which is brand new to the world.
I'm no stranger to using an iPhone to capture images of technology, and I typically carry a book-style foldable to pull up my calendar, so I know where I have to be. The Fold7 can also take great photos, but its main job will be to keep me on the right path.
One big difference this year is, in addition to T-Mobile's International Plan, which I also used to cover last week's Honor launch event in London, I'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. I'm getting a seven-day unlimited plan for $26, as compared to a 10-day plan from T-Mobile for $35.
On The Floor
There are two pieces of tech I'll be relying on when I'm on the show floor. The first is a Dell Premium 14 laptop that the company sent over, continuing my tradition of testing a brand-new laptop while covering a trade show. It's still early on — I set it up a couple of days ago, but I used it for most of my 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 are capacitive. It's definitely a cool (and clean) look, but it takes some getting used to.
The other piece of tech that I'm 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 I can hastily write down notes in my notebook during a press conference and the recorder transcribes the talk using AI. I've only done a couple of preliminary tests with it (which is why I also brought the Mobvoi TicNote, another AI voice recorder as a backup) but so far it has performed quite well.
Other Odds And Ends
Meanwhile, also in my bag I have a few other devices that I will use on the floor. The first is my set of Meta RayBans. There are a few reasons why. First, the camera on the RayBans is pretty good, though it's not as good as the iPhone nor the Fold 7. Most of the time I use them to take backup photos, just in case. Also, the Meta RayBans have speakers in the arms, so I can hear when I get an email, Slack message, or other notification when I'm on the show floor. I have found that to be quite handy.
I'm 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 I don't have to worry about carrying a separate cable. Speaking of integrated cables, I'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 I need to charge my laptop or phone on the show floor, I'll have what I need.
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