The year ahead will be highly competitive from both a hardware and software standpoint for smartphone suppliers. Vendors will need to continually revamp their AI platforms and foldables to catch the eye of smartphone customers.
In 2024, the major smartphone makers each unveiled their own flavor of on-device AI features. Apple Intelligence, Google's Gemini AI and Samsung's Galaxy AI were front-and-center as the vendors unveiled their new lineup of devices.
Consumers can expect to see more upgrades to AI on smartphones next year. Apple recently unveiled its iOS 18.2 release, which included AI updates to Siri and the Writing Tools feature.
If 2024 was the year of AI on smartphones, 2025 is shaping up to be the year of the foldables.
When Apple launched the iPhone 16 this fall, Huawei unveiled its Mate XT tri-fold smartphone, drawing over 3.6 million pre-orders for the device in China. Meanwhile, the industry is awaiting a tri-fold phone by Samsung, expected to arrive in 2025 or 2026.
Next year will be a "critical year for foldable smartphones," explained Runar Bjørhovde, analyst with Canalys, a sister company to Light Reading, in a recent LinkedIn post. Bjørhovde explained that 2024 is on track to deliver the highest shipment to date of foldable phones, adding that the market is being heavily influenced by new foldable vendors such as Tecno, Google Pixel, OnePlus, Nubia, ZTE and more.
"However, the [foldable] segments share of the total smartphone market is still only 1.5%, making it highly niche," said Bjørhovde.
(Source: Canalys)
New customers are also hesitant about foldables, with concerns around price points, usability and durability. Smartphone vendors will need to focus on developing partnerships to enhance gaming and entertainment software that will lure in new customers, added Bjørhovde.
Current foldables open like a book or accordion, but in 2025 some vendors could also release foldables with screens that unfurl in new ways. Take another look at Samsung, which launched the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 foldables this year. Rumors are emerging that in addition to a tri-fold phone, Samsung may be working on a rollable phone. The vendor is reportedly working on a phone with a 12.4-inch rollable screen, set to launch later in 2025, reported TechRadar.
New smartphones from Apple and Google
Foldables won't be the only front-and-center smartphones released next year. There's also talk that Apple could release the iPhone SE 4 in early 2025. The device will likely include the A15 Bionic chip, 8GB of RAM and 5G, according to the Hindustan Times.
The A18 chip is also currently used in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. The iPhone SE 4 will have a similar design to the shape of the iPhone 12 with a 6-inch screen, and the 8GB of RAM is twice that of the iPhone SE (4GB RAM) released in 2022, according to Tom's Guide, which referenced a leaked specs sheet for the iPhone SE 4. The sheet hints at an appealing price point of $499 or $549.
"The specs sheet also lists a base storage of 128GB and a battery bump up from 2,018mAh on the current SE to 3,279mAh," according to Toms Guide. "Meanwhile, there will be a single 48MP rear camera and a 12MP selfie camera. Apple is also including USB-C, support for Wi-Fi 6 and an IP68 rating for water and dust protection."
Next year, Google plans to release a lower cost Pixel 9a series of smartphones, according to Forbes. While the smartphone will be a more affordable version of the Pixel 9, which launched in September 2024, it will likely have pared down features to meet the lower price. Google also released a new foldable in September – the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which is longer (6.3 inches) and thinner (5.1 millimeters) than its predecessor.
Move over AI, here come holograms
In 2025, holographic displays on smartphones might outshine AI applications.
Earlier this year, a group of scientists from the University of Tokyo created 3D holographic displays using an iPhone screen instead of a laser, according to The Debrief. Using the smartphone screen is a simpler and more cost-effective approach than using lasers to create holographic displays.
Still, the industry will likely see more AI applications on smartphones as vendors look for ways to differentiate their devices. This also means service providers will need to account for the increased network traffic by smartphone owners using bandwidth-hungry applications.
The year ahead will be highly competitive from both a hardware and software standpoint for smartphone suppliers. Vendors will need to continually revamp their AI platforms and foldables to catch the eye of smartphone customers. 2024 might be winding down, but this is no time to sleep on developing the next upgrades for AI and foldables.
"As titillating as some of Apple's new features might be, one is left with the nagging concern that Apple actually is meaningfully behind in its AI deployment," wrote analysts with MoffettNathanson after the iPhone 16 release this fall. "Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that yesterday confirmed that it will be another year before iPhone makes a more meaningful step forward."
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