Think phones are boring? Here are 4 reasons why 2025 was a big year for smartphones, and none of them are AI
Was 2025 a boring year for smartphones? Thin phones flopped, big time. The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold elicited a collective yawn from my colleagues.
Phones are boring! I hear them say as they gaze into Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses or get sucked into Steam Decks. Phones aren’t as new as those gadgets, but that doesn’t make this year boring. It was a very exciting year for phones, from an expert’s perspective.
Apple changed the iPhone design, and every iPhone got better
Most importantly, though, Apple brought its base model iPhone into modern times with a telephoto zoom lens and more powerful hardware all around. The screen can finally refresh at a modern 120Hz, fast enough to keep up with iOS 26.
Android phones beat iPhones in benchmark tests
The real Snapdragon advantage is its efficiency. Phones with the Snapdragon 8 Elite platform saw significant battery life improvements, in addition to performance gains. This phone drinks from the battery like it’s a sippy cup. We’re seeing phones that can last more than two full days… Android phones, that is. Apple’s phones are lagging behind in performance and now longevity.
A company nobody has heard of is making the best phones
It’s geek mythology: there’s a quiet company you probably haven’t heard of that makes the best Android smartphone ever (and I’ve tried almost all of them). It doesn’t advertise much. It doesn’t sell the phone at your carrier’s store. You almost have to be in the know to know about them. That might be the point.
As long as it isn’t sitting on Verizon’s shelves next to the Galaxy S25 Plus, the OnePlus 15 will remain the insider’s choice. But trust me, this is a choice you want to make.
Google stole the iPhone’s most unique feature
Are magnets in smartphones a big deal? It depends on who you ask. If you ask a longtime iPhone owner who has accumulated a collection of MagSafe accessories, then yes, it’s a very big deal. Ask anybody else about the feature, and they’ll tell you they could take it or leave it. That’s because they don’t know. Until you’ve gone all-in on magnets, you can’t appreciate how much easier they make your smartphone life.
I use magnets everywhere, and now my Google Pixel 10 Pro fits into that magnetic lifestyle. I have bedside charging docks so my phone can be my alarm clock. I have desktop chargers at home and at work. I have magnetic battery packs that let me charge my phone on the go without a wire. But charging is just the beginning.
My wallet is a magnetic slap-on wallet from UAG that attaches to my iPhone or my Pixel (or my other phones when I’m using a magnetic case). It has a built-in stand, which I’ve come to appreciate scrolling my feeds in a cafe. I also use a magnetic tripod for photos and time-lapse video. I use a magnetic camera mount to shoot videos for my job.
I have a lot of magnets, and I use them with my phone every day. Adding magnets is a big deal, trust me.
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Source: www.techradar.com
Published: 2025-12-06 06:00:00
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