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For the first decade of the life of the smartphone industry, progress was absolutely rapid. We went from the iPhone in 2007 to the iPhone X in 2017, with phone makers implementing massive changes to design, performance and software with each new generation.
However, over the past five years or so, this progress has slowed, with phone makers pushing for marginal gains, squeezing as much absolute performance as possible out of existing technologies. Again to watch Applethe jump from the iPhone 13 to iPhone 14 in 2022 it felt more like a leap as the last phone launched with the same camera, design and chipset as its predecessor.
Indeed, at the beginning of 2024 we will see a phone market dominated by very similar pieces of hardware – whether you prefer the iPhone 16, Samsung Galaxy S24o Google Pixel 9the average flagship sports a powerful processor, about 6.2-inch display that looks great, a dual or triple rear camera system that takes great photos, and a long battery life. A plateau had formed.
With phone makers effectively neck and neck in terms of hardware, it looked like AI would be the next big decision maker between brands, with Apple Intelligence and Google Gemini Ushering in an era of software rivalry not seen since the early days of iOS vs. Android.
However, as the year progressed, I kept hearing about new hardware technologies popping up time and time again in rumors, or bundled into new flagships from lesser-known phone makers. Now, looking at the new year, I am convinced that we will see the mobile hardware race restarted in 2025.
A battery boost
The first development that really got me excited for mobile phone hardware next year is the silicon carbon battery. Although it is not technically new – the first phone with a silicon-based battery was released in 2023 by Honor – last year saw the adoption rate of this excellent new technology begin to accelerate.
Since our Oppo Find X8 Pro reviewI daily drive the phone and its 5910mAh battery, which continues to amaze me. Lithium-ion phone batteries are more common at the moment, but how Tom’s guide note that silicon has a higher energy density, which means that a silicon battery can store more charge in the same amount of space.
What this translates to a great flagship like the Find X8 Pro charges once every two days and leaves the house with 30% charge knowing that it will see you for an evening. For smaller phones like the iPhone 16, silicon-carbon technology could finally give users a truly reliable battery life throughout the day. After trying it myself, I think it could change the game in 2025.
A powerful performance boost
Sticking with internals, 2024 was the first year in a few in which we saw significant gains in the world of chipsets. After a few lackluster generations from Apple and Qualcomm, we were treated to a push forward from both sides.
U A18 chipset found in the iPhone 16 boasts 30% faster processing and 40% faster graphics than the A16 found in the iPhone 15. While the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite almost doubled the performance of the A18 Pro found in the iPhone 16 Pro when our US Mobiles editor Philip Berne ran benchmarks to compare the two.
The first Snapdragon 8 Elite phones are starting to come out from Chinese phone makers like Xiaomi and Nubia, although I’m particularly excited to see what Samsung it does with the chipset in the noise Galaxy S25 Ultra. The world’s most powerful phone with the world’s most powerful new chipset? That’s reason enough to be excited here.
MediaTek has also emerged as a worthy challenger to Apple and Qualcomm, supplying many mid-range and budget phones, as well as Chinese flagships. Speaking from experience, the flagship Dimensity 9400 chipset found in the Find X8 Pro absolutely rips – I’ve yet to find a way to slow the thing down. It’s great to have a new competitor in the mix as we head into the new year.
Finally some decent zoom
There is still a lot to be excited about in terms of photography. If the rumors are to be believed, 2025 could be the year we see a flagship launch with a 1 inch sensor thanks to the rumor. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. There have been other phones produced with a 1 inch sensor, such as the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and Oppo Find X7 Ultra. But these are not widely available – a 1 inch sensor camera from Samsung, Apple, or Google would set a very high bar for the entire industry, and without a doubt shake up our list of i best camera phones in the process.
I expect telephoto cameras to become more and more impressive even in 2025. U iPhone 17 Pro it is rumored to ship with a 48MP 5x zoom camera optimized for video – that’s four times the resolution of the 12MP zoom snapper found on the iPhone 16 Pro. Further advice suggests that Samsung has developed a telephoto lens with a brighter aperture to help with low light photos. Some might consider this a niche aspect of the phone’s design, but I’ve long thought that zoom is a crucial part of the phone camera experience and I’m hyped to see some progress made.
With some of these technologies already available, and others that exist only in the ether of rumors and rumors, it is up to the phone manufacturers to take the potential with new models or develop the rumored technology into reality. I expect even more surprises in display technology, sustainability and repair, and adventurous design choices.
All told, one thing remains clear: the stage is set for some exciting mobile hardware developments in 2025.
