2025 has been one of the most interesting years for smartphones in recent memory. Google and Apple, respectively, pushed the envelope for launch events and thin smartphones. Foldables are maturing into a viable option for consumers instead of a pricey gimmick, and AI continues to spread into every new product. Let’s dig into these trends to see if they have any staying power for 2026.
Launch events broaden their audience appeal
Google broke from tech tradition during its 2025 Made by Google event by moving away from a series of jargon-filled keynotes from company leadership. By switching to a celebrity talk show format hosted by Jimmy Fallon, it’s clear that Google hoped everyday consumers would join the journalists and industry insiders who typically watch tech events.
Celebrity cameos aren’t new to tech events, but this is perhaps the first example of tech executives taking a secondary role as talk show guests instead of solo presenters. In fact, Fallon’s dominance marked a big departure from the iconic solo presenter keynotes that helped make Steve Jobs a household name—and set the standard for most modern product launches.
Many industry insiders viewed the event as a publicity stunt, but the significant increase in viewership on the YouTube stream showed that Google’s new strategy connected with a wider audience. According to Statista Consumer Insights, Google’s smartphone market share still lags behind Samsung, Apple, and Xiaomi, so the change in launch event format may boost sales. Will this prompt competitors to follow suit with similar events? It’s still too soon to tell.
iPhone Air pushes the boundaries
The debut of the iPhone Air is one of the most polarizing smartphone developments of 2025. While many consumers appreciate the thin design, the small design makes several compromises. In general, the $1,000 iPhone Air struggles to justify the loss of features compared to the $800 iPhone 17—it has fewer camera options, less battery life, and slower charging speeds. In essence, size is the only compelling reason for many consumers to choose the iPhone Air over another model.
Future versions of the iPhone Air will likely find a better balance of features for discerning consumers, but even this first-generation model will leave a lasting impact on the larger smartphone market. Apple’s ability to create trends means that many rivals will surely follow suit with similar models to fill a new thin smartphone segment—or possibly push flagship smartphones into a thinness war. The next few years will prove whether lightning can strike again for Apple’s innovations.
Foldables are finding their footing
After early growing pains, the technology behind foldables has matured enough that even Apple is rumored to jump into the category in 2026. For now, Samsung is the dominant player in the foldables market, with the $1,600 Galaxy Z Fold 7 finally reaching quality levels rivaling standard smartphones—it’s surprisingly compact in its folded state too.
There’s even good news on the pricing front, with the $600 Motorola Razr providing a relatively affordable option for consumers on a budget. Plus, the flip phone format means a smaller overall size compared to mainstream phones—not everyone wants to carry a tablet in their pocket.
If predictions about the elusive iPhone Fold hold true, then 2026 will perhaps be the most significant year yet for foldables.
The march of AI continues unabated
It seems like every industry now rushes to integrate artificial intelligence tools, but smartphones are still at the forefront for most consumers. Whether it’s Apple Intelligence on the iPhone, Google Gemini on the Pixel 10, or Galaxy AI on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, built-in AI has become a standard feature on flagship smartphones.
Still, a May 2025 CNET survey suggests that smartphone users are ambivalent to AI features when choosing to upgrade a device. Notably, the survey highlights the top three factors holding respondents back from AI adoption on smartphones: unwillingness to pay extra money for AI (50%), privacy concerns (41%), and general disinterest (29%).
Manufacturers and retailers should take note that simply using AI as a marketing buzzword is a disservice to consumers. However, it’s possible to address consumer reservations by proactively improving education around AI rather than tossing them in the deep end.
Taking a direct approach to the implications and best practices of using AI on smartphones will ultimately benefit consumers and their relationship to AI. Still, consumer trust is a give-and-take relationship—companies must be receptive to feedback and adjust their AI policies accordingly. Companies that fail to understand consumers will ultimately fall behind in the AI race.
Overall, 2025 had a couple of potential watershed moments with Google’s talk show event and the iPhone Air debut. Still, the rest of the smartphone market is following the usual playbook of yearly iterations on a proven formula.
See also: Global Smartphone Market Sees Year-Over-Year Growth
