Recapping 2025’s Biggest Smartphone Launches: iPhone Air, Galaxy Z TriFold, S25 Edge, More

In 2025, the smartphone industry saw big launches with remarkable advancements in AI integration, high-performance processors such as the Snapdragon 8 Elite series, cutting-edge camera technology featuring 200MP sensors and advanced periscope lenses, and innovative foldable designs.

Here’s a list of major smartphones that captured the attention of the tech world in 2025.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Series

Samsung introduced the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra at its early-year Galaxy Unpacked event. The devices packed powerful AI capabilities, promising a more intuitive and contextually aware user experience.

Apple iPhone 16e

Apple kicked off the year with the iPhone 16e, a surprising entry-level model priced at $599. It delivered near-flagship specs, including the A18 Bionic chip, a 6.1-inch OLED display, a 48MP Fusion camera, Apple’s C1 modem, Face ID, USB-C connectivity, and Apple Intelligence support.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge

In May, Samsung sparked the slim-phone trend with the Galaxy S25 Edge, unveiled at a virtual event. This ultra-thin device measured just 5.8 mm thick and weighed 163 gm, earning the title of the slimmest Galaxy S series phone. It featured a 200MP main camera and 12MP ultrawide, though it reportedly struggled with sales.

Google Pixel 10 Series

Google expanded its “Pixelverse” at the Made by Google event in August, revealing the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Powered by the Tensor G5 chip, these devices introduced the Material 3 Expressive interface.

Apple iPhone 17 Series And iPhone Air

Apple presented the iPhone 17 series at its September event, including the standard iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the new ultra-slim iPhone Air. The lineup brought the A19 chipset family, improved cameras, bigger batteries, and 120Hz displays across the board. The Air stood out for its 5.6 mm profile, becoming the slimmest and most lightweight iPhone ever created.

OnePlus 15

The OnePlus 15 was the first global flagship with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, offering exceptional efficiency and performance. It included a triple 50MP camera setup with OIS on the main and periscope lenses, plus a substantial 7,300mAh battery.

Vivo X300 Pro

Vivo’s X300 Pro arrived with the Dimensity 9500 chipset, a 6.78-inch 120Hz LTPO Amoled screen, and a Zeiss-tuned camera system highlighted by a 200MP periscope telephoto. It also featured a 6,510mAh battery with 90W charging and an optional 2.35x telephoto extender accessory.

Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold

Samsung closed the year with the Galaxy Z TriFold in December, its first commercial tri-folding phone. This device unfolded from a compact form into a 10-inch tablet, incorporating dual titanium hinges, the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, 16GB RAM, a 200MP primary camera, and a 5,600mAh battery.