Tech Innovations Set to Transform Smartphones in 2025

From Android to Gemini: 5 ways tech became cool again in 2024

How many years do we need to be told VR is the future before it actually takes off? Rounding the corner into 2025, I feel energized and enthusiastic about what's to come. Tech has been in a lull for a long time. There have been incremental improvements. However, recent years have been calm compared to the late 1990s and early 2000s, when processing power continuously skyrocketed, MP3 players and Napster took the world by storm, the iPhone debuted, and social media burst onto the scene. It was starting to feel like we had hit a long plateau with no end. That changed in 2024, and 2025 will be even better. ✕ Remove Ads 2024 was a pivotal year for technology. Artificial intelligence broke into the mainstream, found its way into many devices and apps, and offered users a ton of value. The year also proved that budget-friendly smartphones can provide great user experiences without breaking the bank. Meanwhile, foldable phones showed that form-factor innovation is far from dead. Health tech stepped up with promising advancements in apps, wearables, and personal data integration. Lastly, Android 15, the Pixel 9 Pro, and other excellent Android devices made sure Apple wasn't the only conversation in tech. However, not everything was perfect. AR/VR and the Metaverse struggled to find their footing, and then there was the Sonos debacle. Let's dive into five ways tech became cool again in 2024. 5 AI hit the mainstream and kept moving fast Chat, search, devices, and apps all got smarter ✕ Remove Ads 2024 was the year artificial intelligence hit the mainstream. It became a tangible presence in our daily lives. AI chatbots, such as Google Gemini, evolved into agentic assistants, capable of carrying out complex, multistep tasks. Google began incorporating AI into its search results, developed Gemini and NotebookLM, and advanced on-device AI with Nano. Smartphones like the Google Pixel 9, Samsung Galaxy S24, and other devices harnessed AI to optimize performance, enhance photos, and more. It felt like AI touched nearly everything in tech this year. 2024 brought a rapid pace of AI development. New Gemini models emerged weekly, often delivering significant new features with each iteration. AI proved its potential to automate tasks and unlocked new approaches to creativity and coding. Its ubiquity and rapid advancement fueled AI's buzz and helped make tech cool again. 4 Budget smartphones found their sweet spot Owning a budget smartphone was no longer a burden ✕ Remove Ads For years, budget smartphones were synonymous with major trade-offs. In the past, many of these entry-level devices struggled to run the Android operating system smoothly. They were simply sub-par. But that's changed with remarkably capable budget phones, such as the Samsung A15, A25, and Motorola Moto G series, available on the cheap. Budget phone manufacturers found their sweet spot, delivering impressive features and performance without the hefty price tag. Processors became more efficient, displays got sharper, and many budget phones offered bells and whistles such as rapid charging. Even the cameras on entry-level smartphones got better, though they still don't rival the best smartphones. Many of today's budget-friendly devices challenge the notion that you must drop more than $1,000 to get a good daily driver. That's great news for thrifty shoppers and those in emerging markets with less buying power. It's the kind of democratization that is making tech cool again. ✕ Remove Ads 3 Foldable phones showcased new form factors Experimentation did not die as some have feared If you've been lamenting that every smartphone has the same form factor, you needn't look any further than foldables to find the antidote to boring. The category has started to turn the tide on burdensome problems such as fragile hinges and sub-optimized app experiences. While there were still some snags, such as the notorious green line issue, Motorola and others released some excellent foldable smartphones at various price points. The foldables category saw the most experimentation in smartphone hardware. Tri-fold devices that unfurl to become tablet-like were unveiled, horizontal, book-style foldables became more common, and bendable concepts were bandied about. The category caught my attention this year, and I might grab one in the near future. Breaking the form factor mold helped foldables earn their spot among the coolest tech of 2024. ✕ Remove Ads 2 Health tech illuminated the future of care New apps, devices, and data integrations showed what's possible Integrating patient records into Google Health Connect was a significant health tech development in 2024. Having your entire medical history (from vaccinations and health conditions to lab results and doctor's notes) readily available alongside your daily activity and sleep data could be valuable for preventive care, disease management, and diagnostics. Storing your complete history in one place and using AI to provide analysis and proactive recommendations is a game-changing app. You'll be able to integrate data from your smartwatch, ring, and other wearables into this complete dataset. This level of integration could bring about a new era of personalized healthcare. For example, someone with a family history of heart disease could track their activity levels, sleep patterns, and nutrition and correlate them with cholesterol readings from their medical records, within a single app. ✕ Remove Ads On a societal level, this tech-driven revolution could have a massive impact by making more proactive and insightful care available to everyone. In 2024, health tech didn't only make tech cool again. It showed potential for hugely positive social impact as we roll into the coming years. 1 Apple wasn't the whole story in tech A new Android OS, excellent smartphones, and AI leadership put Google front and center While Apple continued to loom large in the premium smartphone market with the iPhone 16, 2024 was a reminder that the company has serious competition. While it was an incremental improvement, Android 15 further cemented Android as a viable alternative to iOS. The Pixel 9 Pro solidified its position as a top-tier flagship smartphone, boasting impressive camera capabilities and seamless integration with Google's ecosystem. For those who rely on Workspace and Google's AI apps, Apple's walled garden looks more like a children's playground. ✕ Remove Ads Related 5 ways NotebookLM helped me work much smarter in 2024 NotebookLM has become my second brain Posts8 Google also asserted its leadership in AI with advancements in Gemini, the debut of NotebookLM, and its integration of AI across much of the Google ecosystem. While the iPhone 16 delivered incremental improvements, it didn't have much of a wow factor. Apple played it safe with AI and was almost a year late to the party. Apple's relatively low velocity allowed Google and other Android manufacturers to steal some of the spotlight. The refinement of Android OS, better devices, and the rise of AI-powered experiences created a more dynamic landscape. Competition is good for consumers. By shifting the conversation away from Apple, Google did its part to help make tech cool again in 2024. ✕ Remove Ads It wasn't all perfect: laggards and losers Despite all the successes tech notched in 2024, there were a few bumps in the road. The AR/VR space continued to struggle. While well-received for its capabilities, Apple's pricey Vision Pro headset scaled back production due to soft demand. Meanwhile, Meta stepped in, hoping to fill the void with a less-expensive alternative. In informal conversations with a Whatsapp group of about 100 people, I found that a handful of members who own AR/VR devices are enthusiastic about them. However, the Metaverse, in particular, feels like a Meta pet project rather than a solution to a real problem. Where this category goes in 2025 is anybody's guess. My money is on continued sluggishness with a few bright spots. Related How many years do we need to be told VR is the future before it actually takes off? VR has been the next big thing for three decades now Posts11 ✕ Remove Ads Then there was the Sonos debacle. The perennial innovator of distributed home audio solutions took a tumble with the disastrous rollout of its mobile app, released in May. Bugs, missing features, and performance issues alienated diehard fans and set internet chatter ablaze. Simply adjusting EQ settings and queuing songs became impossible with this huge gaffe. It wasn't cheap either, with reports pegging the cost to rehabilitate the app between $20 and $30 million dollars. As the company was already financially strapped, it shifted priorities and delayed product launches to focus on putting out fires. As a longtime Sonos fan, I hated to see this happen, but it earned Sonos a spot among the greatest tech disasters of 2024. The second golden age of tech is upon us 2024 was a year of rebirth for the tech industry, a reminder that experimentation and innovation are still on the roadmap. With awesome new hardware, software, and AI solutions debuting in 2024, the potential for technology to have a positive impact on our lives was underscored. While there were missteps and challenges along the way, tech's trajectory and velocity were better than they've been in years. ✕ Remove Ads As we step into 2025, the momentum is palpable. The seeds planted in 2024 (the advancements in AI, the exploration of new form factors, and the focus on personalized health) will grow into more remarkable innovations in 2025 and beyond. I will plant the flag now: This is the second golden age of tech, and it's just getting started.

5 things that could change smartphones forever in 2025

Table of Contents Table of Contents Silicon as standard Trifolding or rollable screens Make AI more personal A revolution of the Ultra More buttons for all The phones to watch out for in 2025 It's been a phenomenal year in phones, and competition has never been so fierce in every market segment. For the affordable bracket, the Google Pixel 8a was joined by the Nothing Phone 2a and OnePlus 12R, while the premium segment saw the launch of several excellent phones, like the Google Pixel 9 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro, Galaxy S24 Plus, and the OnePlus 12. Then there are ultra-premium phones and foldables, two categories that Samsung has long dominated in the U.S. However, the company now faces more competition at home and abroad than ever. Samsung launched the Galaxy S24 Ultra in January, but it was the Galaxy Z Fold 6 that posed the biggest challenge. In the U.S., Google launched the fantastic Pixel 9 Pro Fold, while outside the U.S., Honor unveiled the Magic V3. Dozens of phone makers are pushing the boundaries of smartphones in their current and future forms, and some of them have already shown us what future phones can be like. Here are five innovations that I want to see adopted widely this year that could change smartphones forever. Silicon as standard It's time for a battery revolution, especially in the U.S. Companies like Honor and Oppo have adopted silicon-based battery technology, which offers up to 34% higher density. In other words, it allows us to get bigger batteries without compromising thickness, and they can still offer incredibly fast charging. I've tested multiple phones with silicon-based technology -- including one that I can't talk about for a few weeks -- and they represent a huge step toward a battery revolution. The Honor Magic V3 foldable is 4.3mm thin when unfolded, but still has a 5,150mAh silicon-carbon battery. The battery life is excellent, and it usually lasts longer than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold or Galaxy Z Fold 6. Silicon-based batteries also support fast charging; the Magic V3 supports 66-watt wired charging, the Oppo Find X8 Pro supports 80W, and the phone I can't talk about supports even faster charging. All of these also support 50W wireless charging. Each of these manufacturers already offered charging speeds similar to those of previous battery technology. I'm hopeful that other companies adopting silicon in their batteries follow the mold of superfast charging. Trifolding or rollable screens One of my biggest highlights of 2024 is the Huawei Mate XT. We've seen a trifolding phone (aka, a foldable phone with a display that folds into three) concept before, and Samsung even showed us a prototype, but Huawei beat everyone to market. The Mate XT is geeky and glorious, but it's not widely available. Where one phone maker goes, others usually follow, and I'm hoping that we will see the foldable category evolve this year. It's been six years of the current format of foldables, but the form factor hasn't yet been perfected. A phone display that becomes iPad mini size is one thing, but a phone display that can unfold to become a 10-inch tablet is entirely another. Speaking to non-techie people I know throughout the year, it feels like the trifold and rollable categories could pose the answer they seek. I hope we'll see each of these form factors evolve this year, but I do suspect that we'll be much closer to understanding the ideal foldable form factor by the end of the year. Make AI more personal I'm a fan of Apple Intelligence for one key reason: generative AI doesn't provide as much daily utilitarian value to me as Apple's more personal approach. In particular, Notification Summaries is an excellent feature that has transformed how I manage my life. Unfortunately, most AI features focus on creativity, not productivity. Generative AI creates the most buzz for a short moment, but eventually loses its transformative value in our daily lives. Instead of being a must-have, it becomes a gimmick. This won't enable long-term commitment to using AI, and as more companies use the term to describe any form of intelligence, the stock placed in AI by end users will diminish. The answer is pretty simple: AI must also focus on solving more everyday problems. Think personal assistant, not intelligent robot. Apple Intelligence takes some steps toward this, but phone makers need to showcase a killer use case for AI this year so that customers can truly buy into it. Don't just focus on creative tasks; give us the intelligent parts as well. A revolution of the Ultra Phone naming conventions are different for each manufacturer, but there's also an accepted industry standard that every phone maker roughly follows. For years, there was one flagship, and then we entered the era of the Plus, the Pro, and the Pro Max. We're also firmly in the era of the Ultra, but phone makers are already making a key mistake. Instead of a true Ultra that pushes the boundaries in every way, current Ultra phones mostly feature a secondary telephoto camera. The Galaxy S24 Ultra tries to go further with a different design and the included S-Pen, but all Ultra phones follow the same basic philosophy. I hope the Ultra lineups will evolve in 2025, especially as more Ultra phones are launched and companies aim to differentiate themselves. Bigger batteries, faster charging, new experiences, a rollable display, a fourth camera, etc. -- something to ensure the Ultra standard keeps growing. More buttons for all It's funny how certain features go in and out of style. Camera buttons were a hallmark of the early experience with most feature phone cameras, but they quickly went out of fashion. Sony has long offered a camera button on its smartphones, but everyone else ditched it -- until September 2024. The iPhone 16 series saw Apple bring back a dedicated camera button, and Oppo soon followed with the Find X8 series. Those two phones are the two phones I use daily, and it's taken just three months for the camera button to be commonplace in my workflow. Crucially, it means I can reprogram the power button or the Action Button to perform another task instead. Of course, I can pair the iPhone with the Clicks Keyboard and get dozens of shortcuts, but I don't use that feature all the time. The Find X8 series adopts the camera button in a simpler way than the iPhone, focusing on launching the camera and zooming in or out. Apple also uses the Camera Control button to switch between modes, and iOS 18.2 added Visual Intelligence functionality as well. Vision and AI are a big part of the future, and easy access to your smartphone camera will be part of that. If we're going to adopt camera buttons, however, it needs to be more than a simple camera button. Let me swipe through camera modes or launch Gemini Live with one button. Apple also proved with the Action Button that adding a programmable button is a good thing, and I hope that more phone makers will offer a similar feature as well. Rather than dispose of physical buttons, I'd love to see phone makers offer additional ways to launch shortcuts and access features. The phones to watch out for in 2025 With a new year upon us, one thing is clear: the fight is on. Samsung is the industry leader, but everyone is hot on its tail. Google proved that it's finally taking smartphones seriously; the result is Google's best-ever phone lineup and one that converted me into liking Pixel phones. What will this year's Google Pixel 10 series bring? In the U.S., there's also OnePlus, which has proven that it can make excellent smartphones over the past 18 months. The OnePlus Open is still one of the best folding phones on the market after its launch last year. Will 2025 bring us the next generation of OnePlus and Oppo foldable phones? The Oppo Find X8 Pro is my Android phone of choice right now, so how will the OnePlus 13 fare when it launches in two weeks? Of course, the big elephant in the room is Apple. AI is everywhere, and so is Apple Intelligence, but it isn't fully available yet. A rollout of features over nine months means a lot of opportunities for a positive user experience, but the company made a lot of bold promises around the Apple Intelligence features. I can't wait to see what WWDC and the iPhone 17 series bring -- and that includes the rumored iPhone 17 Slim. Join us next week as we descend upon Las Vegas for CES 2025. Happy New Year!

Android in 2024: 10 Milestones Worth Revisiting

As we put the wraps on 2024, it's time to take a look back at some of the major stories and trends that graced Android, the world's most dominant mobile operating system over the course of the year. ✕ Remove Ads 1 The Year of AI-Powered Phones The Samsung Galaxy S24 series kicked off 2024 not with exciting new Android features or revolutionary hardware but with Galaxy AI. Samsung marketed these as AI phones, and it would hardly be the only phone maker to do so. The Pixel 9 series was packed with AI features, giving buyers the power to generate images that the world is arguably better off without. Unlike Galaxy AI, however, much of Google's Gemini software is available to any other Android phone. So even if you bought a Motorola phone or one from OnePlus, you still have access to AI, for better or worse. With Apple Intelligence having received an even more lukewarm reception, AI not only came to Android first, but for the time being, Android AI is also better. ✕ Remove Ads 2 All Hail Google Messages and RCS 2024 was a big year for RCS. People can now message each other over RCS regardless of whether they use Android or iPhone. For the time being, this largely means typing indicators and higher-quality pictures, with the hope for encrypted chats somewhere down the road. Android phone makers have largely consolidated around Google Messages as Android's one (and, following the discontinuation of Samsung Messages, only) RCS app. Some of us, including yours truly, don't necessarily see this as a good thing. 3 Pixel Hardware Absolutely Crushes It ✕ Remove Ads To most reviewers, 2024 was a good year for Pixel hardware. The Pixel 9 series was a noticeable step up from the Pixel 8 generation in terms of build quality and style. These phones now feel every bit as premium as the Samsung Galaxy phones and iPhones they compete with. Though, as nice as the hardware feels, these phones now feel less distinguishable from iPhones. For some, it's worth pausing to pour one out in honor of Pixel's previous, more distinctive design. 4 Android 15 Didn't Ship on Pixels Android 15 launched in 2024, and while it contained plenty of quality-of-life improvements, that isn't what stood out this year. Rather, it's that this year's Pixel phones were the first to launch without a new version of Android. Google released this year's Pixels in late summer, but Android's release date came around its usual time in the fall. ✕ Remove Ads That's not to say that changes aren't in store for Android's release cadence as well. The first developer preview for Android 16 landed in November, with a final release expected within just the second quarter of 2025. 5 Foldable Phone Hardware Is Already Boring Foldable phones have been around for over half a decade, and while they haven't yet fully gone mainstream, they're no longer experimental either. In 2024, foldable phones are not only mature devices; you might even call them boring. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 looks like the perfection of the device Samsung envisioned with the original Z Fold. The phone is no longer just for first adopters, but it is largely an iterative refinement compared to the Z Fold 5, which was itself a slightly refined Z Fold 4. ✕ Remove Ads The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold garnered positive reviews, but it did mark a departure from the unique form factor found on the original Pixel Fold. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is very similar to the OnePlus One. Both have conventional phone form factors when closed. I like the smaller size of the Z Fold 6, but the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition (released only in South Korea) shows that in 2025, Samsung is likely to follow the rest of the industry in making its book-style foldable similar in size to conventional slab phones. For a few short years, companies used the foldable form factor as a chance to experiment. That time appears to have already passed. 6 Samsung Releases a Smart Ring Before Apple ✕ Remove Ads Smart rings aren't new in 2024. Oura, after all, is on its fourth generation. Yet this was the first time one of the major phone makers tossed their hat into the ring. Samsung debuted the Galaxy Ring over the summer. While now drastically better than the competition, it does offer full integration with a phone ecosystem in a way you don't get from the other rings. Unfortunately, at $400, the ring is a hard sell for many, even die-hard Samsung fans (I paired a Galaxy Ring with my Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Watch 6, but even at half price, I decided not to keep it). Yet since the ring doesn't require a subscription, it actually comes out cheaper long-term than the leading smart rings. 7 Phones Gain PC-Level Performance You may have missed this development if you primarily use your phone as just a phone, but today's flagships now pack as much power as PCs. No, a phone won't beat out a maxed-out desktop rig, but that's a distinction not applicable to the majority of people. I'm writing this article on a Galaxy Z Fold 6 docked to a 4K monitor, and the performance is smoother than any PC I've ever owned. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is a powerhouse, and the Snapdragon 8 Elite coming to the latest phones is an even more capable chip. ✕ Remove Ads Yet, as tempting as it is to focus on Qualcomm, the bigger story is the increased competition. We know Apple is crushing it with its A-series chips in mobile phones, but now we're seeing staggering performance come out of MediaTek as well. The Samsung Galaxy S10 series tablets switched from Qualcomm Snapdragon to a MediaTek Dimensity 9300+. I challenge you to pick up the tablet and see if you can spot a difference. Go ahead and put it through its paces. Render video. Fire up a game. The whole nine. 8 The Best Year to Buy a Mobile Game Controller Yet Mobile game controllers are nothing new. Backbone took these accessories up a notch in 2020 with the release of a fan-favorite controller that turned phones into Switch or Steam Deck-like handhelds, joined by the likes of the Razer Kishi. New models have continued to trickle out. ✕ Remove Ads This year, we saw an emphasis on bringing full-sized game controls to our phones. There's the Razer Kishi Ultra, the most comfortable Kishi yet. 8BitDo also got into the game with its Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller. I personally own the GameSir G8+ Bluetooth controller (very similar to the GameSir G8 Galileo), which holds my foldable phone just right. 9 Google Gets Ruled a Monopoly Google had a difficult year in US courts. Over the summer, Google lost a case against the US Department of Justice, arguing that Google had used illegal practices to squeeze out competition and establish a monopoly in online search and advertising. We do not yet know what the remedy will be, with options including splitting off Chrome or Android into separate companies. ✕ Remove Ads Later the same year, as a conclusion to a lawsuit between Epic and Google, Google was ordered to open up the Play Store. In addition to changes to the Play Store, this ruling could spur the creation of alternative app stores that are able to compete on fairer grounds. 10 Android XR 2024 saw the continued development of glasses and headsets that place computing directly in front of our eyeballs. Google wants to make Android the platform developers build on top of, much like everyone but Apple does with phones. To make that happen, Google debuted Android XR. Android XR is the first version of Android targeting a new platform since the release of Android Automotive in 2017. The first Android XR devices are expected to arrive in 2025, with companies like Samsung and Xreal known to be working with the software. ✕ Remove Ads I'm a big fan of my Xreal glasses, which I primarily use for gaming and the occasional video. If you want an experience similar to the image above, you can already try out something close by picking up an Xreal Beam Pro. I've used one, and if the hardware were less underpowered, it'd be pretty dope. I've covered Android for a long time, and while I acknowledge that smartphone design has gotten somewhat boring, I've never enjoyed using Android more than I have now. My Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a true 3-in-1 device that has locked me into Android by replacing most other gadgets in my home. It's my phone, PC, eReader, tablet, and more. I follow Android not as the OS that powers my phone but the software that powers my entire digital life. I look forward to seeing what 2025 has in store. ✕ Remove Ads

What to expect from Google in 2025 -- Pixel 10, Android 16, Pixel Watch 4 and more

Similar to previous years, Google had a strong 2024 that saw a slight shakeup in its lineup -- with mostly new naming conventions that unified its Pixel phone series. The biggest surprise was arguably the introduction of the Pixel 9 Pro XL, which is the spiritual successor to last year's Pixel 8 Pro. Meanwhile, Google followed up its first foldable phone with an even better one with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Aside from hardware, we also saw how Google continued to lead the way with its robust set of Google AI features. In a year that also saw the release of competitors such as Galaxy AI and Apple Intelligence, Google's AI features in its Pixel phones still managed to make lasting impressions. Now that 2024 is in the past, we're looking forward to what 2025 has in store for Google -- especially considering how it would mark ten generations of Pixel phones. Historically speaking, we can expect the Pixel 9a to be the first major hardware release for Google. Even with fiercer competition than years past, the Pixel 8a manages to retain its crown in being the best cheap phone -- so the Pixel 9a can't afford to be a minor refresh. What's interesting is that Pixel 9a rumors hint that the mid-range phone could launch earlier, with an announcement tipped for mid-March and subsequent release by the end of that month. Another interesting tidbit is that we could very well see a dramatic redesign, complete with a camera that's flush against the back of the phone. Given how Google has opted for a camera bar of sorts with its A-series phones the last few years, this certainly would be a big change. While the camera's speculated to drop down from the current 64MP shooter to a 48MP, it could come with newer pixel binning algorithms and potentially a larger sensor to deliver better results. As for the rest of the phone, it's tipped to gain the Tensor G4 chip and a slightly bigger battery. The Pixel 9 showed many how the Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro Fold were overrated, so we're hoping the same turns out true for the Pixel 10 -- which would mark ten generations of Google's phone lineup. Considering how its previous two predecessors saw price hikes over each other, we're hoping that Google keeps the price of the Pixel 10 at $799. So far, the rumors hint that the Pixel 10 will feature a 6.3-inch display that could have an improved Acuta display with a wider refresh rate of 1-120Hz -- whereas the current Pixel 9 has a 60-120Hz refresh rate. There hasn't been much revealed about the camera setup, but nonetheless we hope it gains better pixel binning techniques since it's unlikely to not have a dedicated zoom camera. What's also notable about the Pixel 10 is that the rumors point at it being powered by the first Google-made Tensor G5 chip, which is reportedly being built using TSMC's 3nm process. This would inherently add more processing power than the current 4nm Tensor G4, so it could also see improved power efficiency to get longer battery life. More importantly, this new chipset could introduce even better Google AI features. We're confident that Google's going to keep its existing phone lineup intact, so we expect there to be a Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL in 2025 -- presumably in the fall when the new Pixels are traditionally announced. Last year we saw how the Pixel 9 Pro had all of the Pixel 9 Pro XL's features, including the same telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, so there's a good chance the cameras could end up being the same for the two models. Their current sizes and displays may not be a huge change from their respective predecessors, so that could mean a 6.3-inch OLED for the Pixel 10 Pro and a 6.8-inch OLED for the Pixel 10 Pro XL. But considering how Apple increased the size of its display in the iPhone 16 Pro Max, this could give Google reason to do the same with the Pixel 10 Pro and push the screen-to-body ratio even further. It's worth pointing out that the Pixel 9 Pro XL has the brightest screen we've ever tested, reaching an astounding peak brightness of 2,469 nits -- so it's likely that the Pixel 10 Pro XL could eclipse this. Rounding out the rest of the phones, they're believed to run the same Tensor G5 chip as the rest of the entire lineup. We're also going to want to keep a close eye on any new exclusive features that could distinguish the Pros from the standard models. With last year's Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL, they both had Video Boost, Night Sight Video, and Super Res Zoom Video. Google ditched the naming convention of its first foldable phone and ended up unifying it with the rest of the Pixel 9 series, so we ended up getting the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. There's been very few leaks about its successor, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, but it has a tall order to fill after the impressive upgrades we saw with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. There was no comparing the two, as the newer Pixel 9 Pro Fold showed off a completely new thin and light design that made the original Pixel Fold dated and chunky. With the Pixel 10 Pro XL, we suspect that Google will try to trim off even more from the phone. More importantly, the cameras will really need to have more upgrades given how the performance of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold was a smidge better than the original. Aside from that, Google could bolster the foldable's battery life with help from the Tensor G5 chip -- which shouldn't be too hard considering that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold already had a longer battery life than any of its direct rivals. Google finally gave us a little variety by introducing two size options (41mm and 45mm) with the Pixel Watch 3. This should continue on with the announcement of the Pixel Watch 4, which could likely coincide with the Pixel 10 phone lineup. There's little known about the Pixel Watch 4 at this point, but the leading rumor actually makes a suggestion about the Pixel Watch 5 instead -- that it would be running a custom Tensor chip. The current Pixel Watch 3 runs a Qualcomm SW5100 CPU and Cortex M33 co-processor, so it's unknown yet if the Pixel 4 will again lean on this chipset or if Qualcomm will release something else between now and the smartwatch's release. Although there are still many phones just getting the update to Android 15, next year's Android 16 release could come much earlier than before -- with a rumored date of June 3. The Android 16 developer preview 2 is actually available now, but most of the changes are more technical than consumer facing. One of the interesting reports hint at a huge multitasking upgrade with Android 16, wherein the bubbles API tool could be extended to all apps instead of just chatting apps that currently use them. In theory, Android apps running could work if they're bubbled, which would give users a faster way of switching apps when multitasking. Beyond this, we're eager to see what new AI features we'll see integrated into the platform. Currently, the company's Pixel phones exclusively get the latest Google AI features, but we've seen how the company has rolled out some of them outside of its Pixel phones -- much like how Magic Eraser eventually became a native feature with the Google Photos app. Knowing how much AI has been the biggest trend of 2025, Google is likely to continue developing newer features for all of its devices.

Tech to Expect in 2025: Samsung Headset, iPhone 17 'Slim' and More - Video

Here's a rundown of some of the new tech we could see from big hitters like Samsung, Apple and Google in 2025. New year, new tech, 2024 has brought lots of game changing gadgets. Think, you know, a little headset from Apple and Samsung's first smart ring, just to name a few. 2025 is right around the corner and it already looks like there are some exciting new products heading our way. Here's what we could see next year. Let's start with Samsung's upcoming wearable, an XR headset. It's called Project Mohan. My fellow CEtter Scott Stein got an early hands on demo of it and described it as having the fit and. Of a MetaQuest Pro, but the video quality of an Apple Vision Pro. This project Mohan headset runs on Google's new Android XR operating system for headsets and glasses. The look of Android XR resembles Vision OS, but it also uses Gemini AI which can see what you're seeing. Both Project Mohan and Android XR will launch in 2025. Samsung is also coming out with smart glasses and we'll hear more details about them next year. For now, Scott got to demo Google's in-house glass. is called Project Astra. These glasses feel similar to Meta's Ray bands. They have a display in the right lens that can show, say, directions or captions. Plus there's a camera, speakers, mics, and some input buttons. We don't know exactly when Samsung's headset or smart glasses will come out or how much they'll cost. Samsung Galaxy S25 series phones are definitely coming next year. We just don't know exactly when. We're expecting the usual lineup. Base S25 and S25. Plus models and a flagship S25 Ultra. The company's Q3 2024 earnings report said we'll get them sometime in the 1st 6 months of 2025. So perhaps they'll come at a January unpacked event. In that same earnings report, Samsung said these models will offer an improved version of its Galaxy AI suite of artificial intelligence features. Plus, in addition to rumors of enhancements like better chips and cameras, a leaked video suggests the S25 Ultra will ditch those quintessential square edges for round. ones like the iPhone has. According to well-known leaker Ice Universe, that leaked video is legit. Ice Universe also took to X to share a leak suggesting this new top of the line model will be the thinnest model yet. It's looking like 2025 will be the year of thinner smartphones. Not only is Samsung's next flagship phone rumored to be thinner, but the company is also reportedly introducing a new Galaxy S25 slim model. South Korean outlet ET News said its release could trail behind that of the other Galaxy S. Se phones by a few months and land in Q2 of 2025. It's also rumored that Apple will release an iPhone 17 slim model. According to analyst Ming Qi Kuo, this model could replace Apple's iPhone Plus. Reports from a few analysts suggest that it will come out in 2025 as a member of the iPhone 17 lineup. Bloomberg says this new model could basically be the iPhone equivalent of the MacBook Air. Kuo has also reported that this iPhone 17 Slim might only have one main camera. Switching the ultrawide and telephoto cameras found in Apple's top of the line phones. The only other iPhone Apple currently sells with just one camera is the SE, which, speaking of, rumor has that Apple will give us a new budget iPhone SE4 next year. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said it could debut in early 2025, so maybe it'll come out in Q1, like the first gen and 3rd gen iPhone SEs did. Reports suggest that the iPhone SE4 will look a lot like the iPhone 14, so it may ditch the home. That would truly mark the end of an era as the iPhone SE is the last iPhone in Apple's lineup with a home button. Why am I getting emotional? Bloomberg has also said that the new iPhone SE will support Apple Intelligence, the company's suite of new AI features which is currently only available on the new iPhone 16s and the 15 Pro and Pro Max. It's cool that these new AI tools could be available on Apple's updated budget iPhone because, as my fellow CEtter Lisa Edichio pointed out, it would make them much more accessible. Google is also expected to introduce a new budget Pixel A series phone next year, the Pixel 9A. According to Android headlines, it'll be available for pre-order in March and will be released before the end of the month. Per images leaked on X, the Pixel 9A will apparently ditch that signature camera bar for an oval shaped module. Google's Pixel 10 phone lineup is also expected in the second half of 2025. According to Android headlines, we'll be getting the typical 4 phone lineup a Pixel 1010 Pro. 10 Pro XL and 10 Pro Fold. The rumor mill is already buzzing with what AI tools the Pixel 10 series could feature. A report from Android Authority claims that the Pixel 10 will be powered by a new Tensor G5 chip that will support a video generative machine learning tool that will allow users to edit videos with AI in the Photos app. The report also says that another sketch to image tool is in the works that could allow you to transform your drawings into images with AI. Samsung already has a similar tool. We're also Expecting to see some new foldable phones next year. I've mentioned Google's rumored Pixel 10 Pro Fold, but we could also get updated Galaxy Z series phones next summer, a Galaxy Z Fold 7 and ZFlip 7. According to a report from Ross Young, these phones will have larger displays than their predecessors. Rumor has it Samsung is also going to come out with a brand new trifold phone in 2025 to compete with Huawei's MateXT triple folding phone. While the Huawei phone folds into this kind of backward Z shape. ET News has reported a leak that Samsung's trifold will feature an unfolding mechanism where its two side screens fold inwards. This is similar to the folding mechanism of the FlexG prototype Samsung showed at CES 2022. If I had to name a single tech buzzword this year, it would be AI, and I think it's safe to say that will continue in 2025. We can expect updates to Samsung, Google, and Apple's AI tools. I've already mentioned some of them. We also know that Apple Intelligence will bring additional. theory functionality in 2025. Siri will be able to draw upon your personal context, that is information like your messages and notes to answer your questions. Like, for example, what recipe your friend recommended to you over text a few weeks ago. There is also a rumored to be an integration between Apple Intelligence and Google Gemini next year. Apple has worked with OpenAI to incorporate chat GPT into Apple Intelligence. In an interview in June, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, said he wanted to see Gemini. Integrated into Apple Intelligence, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently reported that an Apple Intelligence Geminilab could come next year, although he didn't say exactly when or what it could look like. We'd be remiss if we didn't talk about what could be coming next for arguably the biggest AI chatbot of all. OpenAI's chat GPT. In a recent Reddit Q&A, OpenAI's chief product officer Kevin Weil said he thinks chat GPT being able to carry out tasks autonomously will be a big theme in 2025 in the same Q. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said he thinks Chat GPT's next product breakthrough will be agents that can perform tasks independently, although he didn't specify a timeline for this. So it seems like completing tasks on its own will be important for Chat GPT in 2025, although it remains to be seen exactly what this will look like. That is just some of the tech we could see in 2025. Which of these rumored products are you most excited for? Let me know in the comments below and thank you so much for watching.

Google in 2024: the hits, the misses, plus what to expect in 2025

The end of one year and the start of another is the perfect opportunity to assess how the biggest names in tech are faring - and specifically in this case, Google. There are a lot of different departments that make up the company that is Google, and we saw new products and upgrades across most of those departments in 2024. Here, we're going to take a long look back at the year that's just gone, and pick out the Google hits and the Google misses from everything that happened. After that, we've got some pretty good ideas about what Google has planned for 2025 - and it's possible that next year might be even busier for the company than this one was. Google's year really got underway, at least from a hardware point of view, with the launch of the Google Pixel 8a. As with earlier phones in this mid-range series, it did a very decent job of balancing price and performance, and we described it as our "favorite bargain phone" in our Google Pixel 8a review. Since then we've had the launch of the Google Pixel 9 series of course, and we'd say the phones are mostly big successes across the board: solid designs, good performance, and lots of AI. The Google Pixel 9 Pro is especially impressive, and we had plenty of praise for it on the way to awarding it 4.5 stars out of 5 in our Google Pixel 9 Pro review. The pick of Google's hardware hits in 2024, however, may well be the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Okay, it's ridiculously expensive, but you can blame that on the form factor. Our Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold review tells it like it is: this is the first handset to really work as both a foldable and as a normal handset when it's closed shut. As far as its biggest and most well-known devices and apps are concerned, it's been a successful year for Google. Its best ever Pixels, plus apps and AI tools that are smarter and more helpful than ever. However, it's not all been positive for Google this year - and we do have a few entries to put in the negative column. We've mentioned the good aspects of Gemini AI in 2024, but there was plenty that was bad as well: early in the year Google had to pull image generating capabilities after inaccurate and offensive pictures were produced - and it's something that's still not fully fixed (it's also a problem plenty of other AI companies are having as well, to be fair). Then we had the AI Overviews introduced to Google Search that infamously recommended glue as a pizza topping, thanks to a jokey post on Reddit that was taken as a serious recommendation by Google's AI. It led to many turning off AI Overviews, but the feature does now seem to be more reliable than it was. Away from AI, the Pixel Watch 3 wasn't the most overwhelming of upgrades, even though we were largely positive in our Google Pixel Watch 3 review. It's disappointing to see the Pixel Watch series pushing out Fitbit watches and trackers after Google's acquisition of Fitbit, and it feels as though Fitbit fans are being hard done by. Considering how strong the Fitbit brand used to be, that's definitely a miss for Google. Then there are the products Google has killed or canceled this year - something it does far too often. Google Podcasts has gone, the fantastic Google Chromecast series has been retired (although the new Google TV Streamer is pretty decent), and on top of that it looks like we're not getting any more Google Pixel tablets (which is a shame). It's likely to be more of the same, but even better, for Google in 2025. AI will of course be taking center stage again: we've already seen early demos of tools such as Project Astra, and it is unlikely to be too long before Google pushes out its own AI agents that can take over multiple computing tasks for you. Expect faster, more capable AI, integrated more deeply into the Google apps and services you rely on. We know that the likes of OpenAI, Apple, and Microsoft aren't going to let up with their own AI endeavors, and there's no way Google will want to be left behind - so expect Gemini on Android 16 to get even more control over apps, for example. Speaking of Android 16, we know it'll arrive on phones somewhere between April and June - earlier than normal for an Android launch - and the developer preview is already available. No major new features have been announced yet, but no doubt several are in the pipeline, as well as further Pixel Drops. When it comes to hardware, the Google Pixel 10 is almost certain to be landing around the middle of the year (the speculation has already started), though it's not clear yet whether we'll see four different handsets as we did this year. There should also be another mid-ranger in the form of the Google Pixel 9a, though if early leaks are to be believed, then it'll look significantly different to its predecessor. It's less certain whether we'll see a Pixel Watch 4 during 2025, or anything from the Google Nest smart home series, even though updates are overdue. While there were plenty of hardware launches from Google during the course of 2024, it seems as though products such as the Google Nest Hub have been forgotten about. Add in the usual updates to Google's apps and services, which happen on a monthly or even weekly basis, and there's plenty in store for 2025. Keep an eye out for Google I/O 2025 sometime in May, where we should hear a lot more about Google's plans for the rest of the year - here's everything announced at Google I/O 2024.

What's in store for Google Pixel in 2025?

Google saw the Pixel brand succeed like never before in 2024, setting the stage for a big year in 2025. Here's what to expect from Google Pixel as 2025 nears. This issue of 9to5Google Weekender is a part of 9to5Google's rebooted newsletter that highlights the biggest Google stories with added commentary and other tidbits. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox early! First in line will be Google's annual budget release, the Pixel 9a which is reportedly coming in March 2025. The device is said to stick with the same price point and make some minor spec changes, but ultimately be pretty similar. The biggest change is to the design, which seems to ditch the recognizable camera bar that Google has used on its past few generations of Pixel. Another leak revealed four new Pixel 10 series devices coming later on in the year. These would include Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. There were rumors a while back that a Flip-style foldable Pixel could be coming in 2025, but evidence on that has been slim in the time since. Something that's likely not coming in 2025 is a new Pixel Tablet, as Google's plans for the next sequel have reportedly been shelved (though future tablets may still be coming). Beyond that, it's also very likely we'll get a Pixel Watch 4 sometime in the new year, and there's always a chance of new earbuds too. The Pixel Buds A-Series are certainly due for a refresh, assuming Google wants to keep that budget option available, but there's no word on that just yet. There are also those elusive Pixel Tablet accessories, the stylus and keyboard, that keep surfacing, but haven't been released. Google has already confirmed that Android 16 will be released considerably earlier than prior releases. The company mentioned that this will "better align with the schedule of device launches," strongly hinting that Pixel 10 will probably stick with its August release window as was established by 2024's Pixel 9 series. By the end of 2025, there will be another "minor SDK" release for Android 16. Currently, Android 16 is gearing up for its beta release, which will start in January ahead of final builds coming sometime after April 2025. This update is also noteworthy because it applies everywhere, as Google is bringing this release to every Tensor-powered Pixel phone, including the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro which recently got an extended timeline for updates. One of the most important things coming in 2025 for Google Pixel is a big step forward for Tensor chips. As has been reported, Google is shifting from a partnership with Samsung which provided a foundation in Exynos for Tesnor chipsets to a fully custom design that Google will produce through TSMC. In theory, this should boost battery life through better efficiency, as well as providing Google an opportunity to focus even closer on its priorities for what a Pixel chipset should do. AI continues to be a key focus for Google in the Pixel lineup, and 2025 will see Google expanding this further. There are surely a lot of Gemini features coming, but one of the most important is Project Astra, which Google says will be coming in 2025. Project Astra was first shown off at Google I/O 2024, and is a key focus of Google's Android XR initiative. What else might be coming in 2025? Looking at the software side of things, there's plenty of room for Google to introduce new features especially in the vein of Gemini. In terms of hardware, there's always a chance Pixel Tablet plans could change, or that Google truly does have a flip phone hiding in the wings. But, as it stands today, there's not a ton of firm evidence. What Pixel releases are you looking forward to in 2025? Samsung's 2025 plans leak We're just a few weeks out from Samsung's first big launch of 2025 in the Galaxy S25 series, and leaks just keep coming. Most recently, skin maker dbrand published the best look we've had at the trio to date. Meanwhile, reports out of Korea claim that Samsung is slashing its plans for 2025 foldables. Android Auto redesigns music player In the latest updates, Google is rolling out a revamped music player for Android Auto apps, adding some more color from Material You-style theming, as well as some cosmetic tweaks. 9to5Mac: Apple's upcoming AirPods Pro 3 may equip an all-new health feature 9to5Toys: Review: MOD's Easy 3 and Easy SideCar 3 e-bikes provide fast-paced fun that will turn heads

What to expect from Samsung Galaxy in 2025: Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy XR, Galaxy AI and more

The past twelve months have been as big as ever for Samsung Galaxy devices. The Korean tech giant's mobile products have remained some of the best in their respective categories, with ventures into new areas like smart rings or AI features having turned out successfully too. But now it's time to consider what 2025 holds. The rumor mill has already told us to look out for the Galaxy S25, Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Ring 2, and Samsung has already shown off the Galaxy XR headset that we expect to actually launch this year. But there will likely be more to see from Samsung's phone, tablet, laptop and wearables divisions, as we'll get into. There's a Galaxy Unpacked event on the cards for January, so we should see some of the new products there and then. But we look forward to these other products hopefully being revealed over the next twelve months. Samsung's already confirmed the Galaxy S25 series will arrive in the coming year, with leakers and our best assumptions suggesting it'll arrive at the January Unpacked event. We can assume that like in previous years there will be three models on offer, with the standard Galaxy S25 at the bottom and the Galaxy S25 Ultra sitting at the top. All of these models are thought to be gaining a new, rounder (and larger in the case of the base model) design, Snapdragon 8 Elite chips and the Ultra should be getting some unique upgraded cameras. However, this could come at the literal cost of increased prices. But alongside these, or instead of the underappreciated Plus model, a new Galaxy S25 Slim model could be coming that will offer users a skinnier and lighter flagship phone experience, at least according to the rumors. This could launch separately from the other Galaxy S25s later in the year, however. Expect Samsung to talk a lot about Galaxy AI and whatever new capabilities it has as part of the S25 launch too. We don't know as much about 2025's Samsung foldables as the Galaxy S models, but the rumors so far suggest this could be a big year for the Z Fold, with it receiving larger displays based on those used on the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition, and an overall slimmer design. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 may also get larger screens inside and out, and an Exynos chip in place of the usual Snapdragon chip which could have implications for performance too. On the other hand, this could be a year where Samsung starts to pivot away from foldables. Both models have been tipped to get a major production cut, meaning fewer units built. If it's an accurate trend, this could signal we're hitting a plateau in consumer interest in foldables. Normally, Samsung introduces a new smartwatch alongside its foldables, and there are already some rumors about what the Galaxy Watch 8 could receive. Look out for a microLED display, a squarer design and possible blood glucose monitoring if/when it appears in 2025. There's currently no sign of a higher-spec Pro version of the Watch 8, or even a Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 model this year. But we'd imagine Samsung will offer one (or perhaps even both) to users who want something more rugged around their wrist capable of tracking health data, location and more even in the toughest conditions. The Galaxy Ring was a brand-new wearable for Samsung this year, and we've already heard rumors about the follow-up. The Galaxy Ring 2 could take the Oura-challenging wearable we know and add more size options, a thinner band and longer life per charge, making an appealing package all the more interesting. On top of that, there are claims that the Galaxy Ring 2 could launch earlier than scheduled, although exactly when has yet to be tipped. The original Galaxy Ring came out in summer, so it may only be a couple of months into the new year when the upgraded edition makes its debut. Possibly the most interesting of all of Samsung's launches in the coming year, we may finally get to try out Samsung's XR headset. Project Moohan, as it's currently known, is real, but beyond it using a Snapdragon XR Plus Gen 2 chip to run things, and Android XR as its platform, it's still a bit mysterious. However, it'll be good to see the Apple Vision Pro finally get a proper challenger in the productivity-focused VR area, going by the Android XR demos that Google's showed off so far. And once Samsung kicks things off, more companies are likely to adopt the Android XR platform and try their own hand at a headset. Project Moohan is interesting in itself, but what it leads to in coming years could be even more impactful. While not a physical product, Galaxy AI still bears the name of Samsung's mobile products, and with January 2025 marking a year since it was introduced, it seems inevitable that there will be an update of some kind. Samsung's already said that AI will be a a priority for the Galaxy S25 series, and rumors suggest that a generative AI-capable version of Bixby could be one of the big new additions. As for features beyond that, and the iterative upgrades to current features like summarization, translation and image editing and generation, it's not clear what else Samsung might add. But perhaps there will be an exclusive debut of a new Google/Gemini ability that will later be made available to all new Android devices, like we saw with Circle to Search on the Galaxy S24. Galaxy Buds 4 We don't have any rumors about next-gen Samsung earbuds, but there's a chance we could see hints of a replacement for the Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro by the end of the year. Samsung doesn't replace its Galaxy Buds every year like with many of its other Galaxy products, but hopefully there will be rumors about how it'll improve on the current (but already excellent) models. Galaxy S25 FE For the past few years, Samsung's budget edition of its latest flagship has arrived several months later. Assuming that's still the case, a Galaxy S25 FE, which cuts out some of the S25's features but reduces the price by a couple of hundred dollars, will appear this year. And we really hope it does, because the Galaxy S24 FE has turned out to be one of our favorite phones of the year. Galaxy Ax6 Lower down Samsung's smartphone range, we find the Galaxy A series which, going by Samsung's current numbering system, will all end in 6 this year. Samsung does cheap phones well; offering an attractive breadth and quality of features for the asking price. But hopefully this coming year, Samsung's budget models are offered worldwide rather than divided between different markets like we saw with the U.S. getting the Galaxy A35 and the U.K. getting the Galaxy A55. Galaxy Tab We will likely see a new generation of Galaxy Tab tablets by the end of next year, although there's a chance Samsung will decide to hold back until 2026 for a new edition of its premium slates. These could be powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset like the Galaxy S25 series is tipped to be, but we may also see the Dimensity 9400, the direct replacement of the chip in the current Tab S10 models, used instead. What we're more likely to see is the Galaxy Tab A10 series of cheaper tablets arrive. It's been over a year since the Tab A9 launched, so even on Samsung's slower update timing, that should mean an upgrade appears in 2025. Galaxy Books 2024 was a busy year for Samsung laptops, as we got the Galaxy Book 4 series powered by chunky CPUs and GPUs for top-tier performance, followed by the Galaxy Book 4 Edge line, which use Snapdragon X Elite chips for a lighter design and speedier productivity and now the Galaxy Book 5 Pro just before the end of the year, to refresh the Galaxy Book 4. The Galaxy Book Edge series seems next in line for an update, presumably using the next generation of Snapdragon laptop chips for increased power and AI processing abilities. But considering the speed with chich Samsung's upgrading its laptops right now, and given the rumors of RTX 50 series graphics cards, it feels likely that the Galaxy Book 6 series could also be on the way next year.