A year in mobile tech: What 2025 actually brought us

Grade: C+

It's time to look forward to what the next 12 months will bring for the gadgets and gizmos we love to use. It's always a mix of fun, wishes, and actual expectations.

Usually, nobody circles back to see how these crystal ball predictions turned out. This is exactly what I'm going to do!

I made four big predictions last December about how the mobile tech market would move during 2025. I based these on a little bit of insider knowledge, some common sense, and current trends. Let's take a look at how things have fared.

Foldables were all the rage in 2025

Last year, I said that one of the biggest trends in 2025 may be the rise of foldable phones.

"Manufacturers are pushing the boundaries of smartphone design, offering devices that seamlessly transition between phone and tablet modes. These devices are becoming more affordable and reliable, making them a compelling option for consumers seeking a versatile mobile experience."

And that's pretty much what happened. We not only saw "budget" foldables improve with offerings from Motorola and Samsung, but also the dawn of phones that fold twice; tri-folding phones are here and aren't going away.

One thing I expected but didn't see was a significant rise in popularity. The foldable market is sustainable, with companies selling enough products to continue designing, developing, and manufacturing them, but it didn't surge in a big way. With more models available, there are more of them in consumer hands, but you won't see as many people using them as I thought.

The year of AI

Last year, I said that "Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly integrating into various aspects of mobile technology. AI-powered features are enhancing user experiences in numerous ways ... Expect this to continue throughout 2025, with companies trying to find new ways to use AI. Some of them will be great and useful; others will not. Like it or not, AI is the future of software. At least until something better comes along."

That not only turned out to be true, but AI was everything in 2025.

AI has expanded into every aspect of our devices, from keeping things running smoothly to trying to be a true personal assistant that can help you before you even ask. Of course, there are plenty of gimmicks there, too.

You use AI every day, even if you don't realize it, because the people who dream up the ideas that drive mobile tech seem to care about nothing else.

A rapid 5G expansion didn't happen

I predicted that 5G network technology would boom in 2025, offering us new and better ways to use both he devices we already have as well as future devices like AR. That didn't really happen.

That said, 5G did expand, but not in any way that consumers would notice. Tech like RedCap was promoted as a way to enhance your smartwatch, but if it did, we didn't notice. All of this did offer new ways for private 5G networks, like the ones found in a giant assembly plant, to flourish, but for us, it seemed like business as usual.

The devices are ready for it, and we all want better and faster networking that brings new features, but the infrastructure just hasn't been laid yet.

Sustainability has gone to hell

Last December, I expressed that sustainability had to be improved and predicted that companies would give us more than lip service and actually do something. Unfortunately, things went in the opposite direction.

Yes, Google is part of initiatives like carbon-emission schemes, but the company is also wasting billions of gallons of water to power its AI data centers. Throw Meta, Nvidia, Amazon, Microsoft, IBM, Oracle (should I continue?) into the mix, and we're not trying to heal the planet; we're rapidly destroying it.

This can't continue. Burying carbon dioxide in canisters under Indiana isn't going to fix it, nor is buying carbon credits or recycling fishing nets. Tech giants have let their thirst for AI run amok, and soon, we'll pay the price.

If you're a tech enthusiast, 2025 turned out to be a very interesting year. It brought plenty of cool and innovative products like tri-folding phones or AI that comes closer to actually being intelligent. It might not have been everything I had imagined it would or give us that one thing we really wanted, but all in all, it was a pretty good year.

As long as you don't need clean water.