Was 2025 a boring year for smartphones? Thin phones failed. Samsung Galaxy Z triple foldable prompted a collective yawn from my colleagues.
Phones are boring! I hear them say while looking in Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses or get sucked into Steam decks. Phones are not as new as these gadgets, but that doesn't make this year boring. From an expert's point of view, it was a very interesting year for phones.
Apple redesigned the iPhone, making every iPhone better
It's been a huge year for Appleand a rare moment when we saw an Apple experiment. This year the company tried out two new phones – iPhone 16e in February and iPhone Air in September. Not the best iPhone models, but that wasn't the point. The point was to try something new: C1 modem in the iPhone 16e, and the thinner the more iPhone Air's rugged design.
Even Apple's flagship iPhone 17 the launch was remarkable. iPhone 17 pro got a redesign that seems to me to be the biggest departure from Apple's minimalist look. The combination of textures, colors and materials, as well as the lack of symmetry, make this redesign at least the most significant in my memory, if not the most controversial.
But most importantly, Apple has brought its base iPhone model up to date with a telephoto zoom lens and more powerful hardware. The screen may finally update at modern 120HzFast enough to keep up with iOS 26.
Android phones beat iPhones in performance tests
I'll just say this: Snapdragon 8 Elite it's a better chipset than the one Apple uses in your iPhone. It's not just about the benchmark results, although the fact that Qualcomm finally beat Apple in mobile benchmarks is really important. Of course, this is only in multi-course tests. And most graphics tests. But still…
The real advantage of Snapdragon is its efficiency. Phones with the Snapdragon 8 Elite platform have significantly improved battery life and also increased performance. This phone drains the battery like a sippy cup. We're seeing phones that can last more than two full days… That is, Android phones. Apple phones are falling behind in performance and now durability.
A company no one has heard of makes the best phones
It's a myth among geeks: there's a quiet company you probably haven't heard of that makes the best Android smartphone ever (and I almost tried All of them). It's not particularly advertised. The phone is not sold in your carrier's store. You almost should be in the know know about them. Perhaps that's the point.
OnePlus 15 – the ideal Android smartphone. It has incredible performance and is the most reliable phone you will want to buy. The battery life is literally incredible, but it charges so quickly that you can charge it for days while you shower and get ready to leave.
Until it sits on Verizon's shelves next to Galaxy S25 PlusOnePlus 15 will remain the choice of insiders. But trust me, this is a choice you want to make.
Google stole the iPhone's most unique feature
Are magnets in smartphones important? It depends on who you ask. If you ask a longtime iPhone owner who has amassed a collection Accessories MagSafethen yes, this is very important. Ask anyone else about this feature and they'll tell you they can take it or leave it. It's because they don't know. Until you invest in magnets, you won't be able to appreciate how much easier they make life for your smartphone.
I use magnets everywhere, and now mine Google Pixel 10 Pro fits into this magnetic lifestyle. I have bedside charging docks so my phone can be an alarm clock. I have desktop chargers at home and at work. I have magnetic batteries that allow me to charge my phone wirelessly on the go. But charging is just the beginning.
My wallet is magnetic wallet from UAG that attaches to my iPhone or Pixel (or my other phones when I use a magnetic case). It has a built-in stand, which I fell in love with while scrolling through the feed at the coffee shop. I also use a magnetic tripod for photos and time lapse videos. I use a magnetic camera mount to take videos for my work.
I have a lot of magnets and use them on my phone every day. Trust me, adding magnets is a big deal.
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