There were many exciting reveals at IFA 2025. From a phone that doubles as a projector, speaker, and camping light, to a laptop with a rotating screen, to the now-inevitable swathe of AI devices, plenty of unique gadgets made headlines.
Still, my favorite device probably slipped under your radar.
The EnerGeek GT01 2-in-1 Magnetic Power Bank from Baseus might not sport a sexy name, but this clever gadget exemplifies what innovation is about. It’s the only gadget revealed at IFA 2025 I’ll actually buy, but I wish it weren’t.
The EnerGeek GT01 solves a problem every traveler experiences
It can replace your power bank, cable, and charger
The EnerGeek GT01 is essentially a power bank with a detachable plug. It sports a 10,000mAh battery capacity that can charge at 45W over a wired connection or 15W over a Qi2-compatible wireless pad.
Its two USB-C ports and Qi2 pad can be used simultaneously, with the USB-C ports splitting the 45W between them.
There’s a cute LCD that displays the charge level and an estimated time remaining, but the key feature is the detachable plug.
The plug with one USB-C port can be detached from the power bank and wireless charging pad, and the entire package is a little smaller than your phone. It’s not the first of its kind, but it’s perfectly executed.
Qi2 is more exciting now that the Pixel 10 has Qi2 magnets built in, so this charger is perfectly poised to take advantage of the increasingly common Qi2 phones in future years.
I travel frequently, and I’d rather not cart around a power bank along with multiple cables and chargers. The EnerGeek GT01 replaces all of these, and I can’t wait to use it whether I’m taking the train or flying internationally.
But the implications of the EnerGeek GT01 go further than being a nifty travel accessory that I’m excited about. Among a sea of flashy but useless devices, it stands out as one of the few new devices revealed at IFA 2025 that solves a problem.
I’m tired of innovation that doesn’t mean anything
Give me solutions, not more problems
Most of the new gadgets revealed at IFA 2025 fit neatly into two categories.
The first is better versions of things we already have. See the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514, Samsung Galaxy Tab S11, Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro, and the Belkin BoostCharge Retractable Car Charger as examples.
The second category is tech that wows on first impressions, but doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. The DOOGEE V Max Play is the most obvious example of this. Is a 480p projector built into a smartphone cool? Definitely. Is it something we need? No.
I could count the number of times I wanted a projector on my phone on my fingers, even if my hands were chopped off.
Lenovo showed off a prototype of a laptop with a rotating screen, but beyond the ability to doomscroll through reels on a big screen, I struggle to see how I would use this.
IFA 2025 is about promoting innovation in tech, but it was in short supply this year.
I cringed at the number of ways companies are desperately trying to incorporate AI into their products; SwitchBot’s AI Pet is the creepiest thing I’ve seen all year.
What I look for at IFA every year are products that solve problems. I’m not talking about packing a bigger battery into a smartwatch or making a laptop weigh less than a kilogram, but new solutions to problems.
That’s what innovation is, not cramming AI into smart lights.
It’s depressing that I’m excited for a charger
Perhaps I’m being too cynical about IFA. Many of the devices revealed only exist thanks to the skills of talented engineers; Lenovo’s rotating laptop screen is much more complex than it appears on the surface.
I’m amazed by how much tech was packed into the DOOGEE V Max Play, and the extendable cable in Belkin’s 75W charger can reach to the back of your car. But if none of these devices existed, my life wouldn’t change a jot.
The EnerGeek GT01 neatly solves a problem with no fanfare. Even the maker didn’t seem enthusiastic about promoting it; the press kit Baseus sent me had the relevant information hidden away at the very end.
But to me, this little device exemplifies what innovation is about.
Baseus also revealed a nifty 20,000mAh charger that doubles as a 4G hotspot, but I can’t quite see the need for this when phones exist.
Keep your eyes on the EnerGeek GT01 when it launches this November for $90. Until then, I’ll sit back and think of how fun doomscrolling would be on the DOOGEE V Max Play’s projector.
