The smartphone market could seem boring (and, in response to some, has peaked in sure areas) and in want of a reset. The iPhone and Samsung Galaxy smartphones could already be in near-perfect kind, and as a lot as we respect them, it does point out that tech firms have reached a plateau. Transferring ahead, we’re more likely to see a future the place the shape issue and performance of smartphones stay largely unchanged, with solely incremental enhancements in {hardware} and software program with every technology.
That being mentioned, telephone firms proceed to drive volumes and submit file earnings every quarter. Because the market shifts towards premium telephones to extend ASPs in areas like India and Southeast Asia, and as regulators exert larger stress to mandate modifications to units and enterprise fashions, manufacturers face mounting stress to boost the smartphone expertise and maintain client curiosity.
All indications recommend that the next-generation smartphones in 2025 is probably not drastically completely different from their predecessors however may change into extra clever, with AI-making apps and interfaces extra personalised. Moreover, the market foresees the introduction of slimmer designs, developments in battery know-how, and telephones providing improved safety towards cyber fraud and spam calls. Nevertheless, because the yr progresses, sure tendencies are more likely to emerge that would form the long run trajectory of smartphones.
Slimmer smartphones
Smartphones aimed on the mainstream market haven’t modified a lot prior to now few years, with telephone manufacturers persevering with to recycle designs. This yr, nevertheless, Apple and Samsung — arguably the largest telephone manufacturers on the earth — may shake up their method with new “slim” fashions in 2025. Each firms will take a look at the market by releasing slimmer smartphones, with Apple introducing the iPhone 17 Slim and Samsung launching the Galaxy S25 Slim.
Nevertheless, attaining slimmer profiles requires reengineering how smartphones are designed, and within the course of, they could should forgo sure options — presumably the SIM tray, a number of bodily buttons, and maybe even swap to a brand new digital camera system, battery sort, or antenna system to cut back the smartphone’s thickness and make it lighter.
Apple has tried one thing comparable with the 12-inch MacBook, however the gadget was a compromise. Nevertheless, the corporate succeeded final yr with the iPad Professional, which measures solely 5.1 mm, making it Apple’s thinnest product ever. It stays to be seen how Apple will handle to cut back thickness and create a smartphone slimmer with out compromising the expertise one would anticipate from the iPhone.
Maybe the largest query is: who would be the target market for the iPhone 17 Slim and the Galaxy S25 Slim? Solely time will inform, however slimmer smartphones, in the event that they meet up with customers, could mark the start of a brand new design language.
Tighter AI integration and brokers all over the place
2024 was the yr when tech firms started rolling out AI options on smartphones, with firms like Apple and Google promising deeper AI integration into their working programs. Nevertheless, neither the options nor the execution stood out. It was a muddled expertise, with barely any AI characteristic standing out by itself. Whereas there gained’t be a full cease on the pace at which these firms plan to roll out AI-centric options on smartphones, there will probably be new methods (and presumably higher implementation) to embed AI into the on a regular basis smartphone expertise.
Anticipate a plethora of AI options to be introduced all year long, there may also be a deal with deeper and tighter AI integration into the person interface, whether or not by LLM-powered voice assistants like Gemini and Siri or by including an AI agent (software program that learns, creates actions, and executes them) into the most well-liked apps.
Improved safety
Circumstances of adware assaults and malware injections on smartphones surged in 2024, as cybercriminals continued to take advantage of small screens by new strategies, together with SMS messages, spam calls, in-app chat hyperlinks, and extra. In India, nevertheless, UPI frauds and WhatsApp scams put hundreds of thousands of smartphone customers in danger from hackers. Not simply Android smartphones, however Apple’s iPhone — as soon as thought of protected from adware and cyberattacks — wasn’t spared both.
Nevertheless, as these assaults change into extra subtle and cybercriminals discover new methods to realize entry to customers’ units, firms should make rip-off tech a larger precedence to guard customers from assaults. Privateness and safety additionally must change into an integral a part of the working system, leveraging encryption, biometrics, and on-device AI.
The excellent news is that there was some progress. Corporations, together with Google, Apple, and Meta (which owns WhatsApp), have launched a collection of options to make their apps and smartphones extra proof against on-line threats. The most recent iOS 18, as an illustration, features a built-in password supervisor app, and app builders will now have the ability to supply a brand new method to pair equipment whereas defending details about close by Bluetooth units. The dangerous information is that consciousness of security measures remains to be missing, and customers don’t essentially take these options significantly, gravitating as an alternative towards extra common options which can be closely marketed.
New software program options to curb smartphone dependancy
With stress from the European Union to deal with smartphone dependancy and rising calls to restrict the utilization of social apps amongst youthful customers, tech firms are being pressured to make modifications to their working programs and enterprise fashions to make smartphones much less distracting. Android and iOS already supply software program options reminiscent of Focus Mode to mute distractions when customers want quiet time or a psychological break from their smartphones.
Nevertheless, this yr, we may see a spate of options deeply built-in into the working system that permit customers block interruptions and resist the temptation to make use of a telephone when it’s not wanted — new methods to show smartphones into “dumb telephones” and provides dad and mom extra management over how their youngsters use a telephone to foster safer and more healthy on-line habits.
Repairable tech
A brand new pattern that emerged final yr and should develop even greater in 2025 is the elevated name to make smartphones extra reparable. Tech firms, together with Apple, Google, HMD and others, have began to supply extra entry to their units by key documentation and instruments. The best way these firms have elevated the proportion of recycled supplies of their units, together with using modular elements reminiscent of batteries and screens that may be simply changed, is more likely to proceed in 2025 to enhance repairability and recyclability.
It’s an indication that the tech we use each day is turning into extra repairable, as customers’ right-to-repair legal guidelines within the US and Europe give customers extra energy to restore their units. This isn’t solely good for the atmosphere but additionally helps units last more and reduces the stress on customers to shortly purchase new units as an alternative of repairing them. Nevertheless, there are nonetheless some questions on whether or not repairable units will enhance product high quality or if they may give tech firms extra energy to hike costs by promoting costly “restore kits” and spare elements to customers.
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