Motorola and OnePlus in 2025: A year of triumphs and trials in mobile tech

Motorola: C+

Motorola has proven that there are benefits to being an underdog, as it means there’s plenty of room to grow. The company has done just that while demonstrating it can keep up with the industry's top dogs. Despite some misses, Motorola had a solid 2025 with some impressive highlights that leave me wanting more.

A winning strategy

Last year, I wondered whether Motorola could keep up in the premium market. In 2025, it feels like Motorola found a winning strategy and ran with it.

The company not only launched the rather enticing Razr 2025 series, but also emulated a tried-and-true strategy from companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google by offering three different models. This included the affordable Razr 2025 and the premium Razr Ultra 2025, which ended up being my favorite [flip] phone of 2025.

Motorola also seems to have found its stride in design. It heightened its focus on CMF (Colors, Materials, and Finish) across its lineup through its partnership with Pantone, offering vegan leather, Alcantara, and even wood on its phones, harkening back to the days of Moto Maker.

We even got a thin phone to compete with the Galaxy S25 Edge and iPhone Air, proving that Motorola isn’t going to sit by and let Samsung and Apple have all the fun.

If anything, this has all improved Motorola’s reputation, transforming it from just a budget Android phone maker to one that can hang with the best of them.

Two steps forward, one step back

Despite its impressive flagship and even midrange hardware like the Moto G Stylus 2025, there was a notable hole in its lineup: a flagship option for consumers who don’t want a foldable phone. Last year, I had hoped that Motorola would finally challenge the likes of Samsung's Ultra phone in 2025 with a follow-up to the excellent Edge Plus 2023, but alas, we never got it.

We also got a new smartwatch, but still no Wear OS or a true Moto 360 revival. That felt odd at a time when Android OEMs like OnePlus are proving they can make compelling devices to strengthen their device ecosystems, something Motorola truly needs. Motorola introduced new tablets and its first laptop, but unfortunately, neither came to the U.S.

On the software front, Motorola didn't move the needle very much. Hello UX is largely unoffensive, and there are some clever uses of AI like Look & Talk and the ability to choose from a wide selection of AI models like Perplexity. However, the overall software/AI package still feels less mature and cohesive than Samsung’s One UI, and I often end up ignoring Moto AI in favor of Gemini and Circle to Search.

Motorola also continues to trail its rivals in software updates, offering one of the shortest update promises for flagship phones and less consistently than others. This ultimately reduces the overall value of its phones, since they'll lose support sooner than those of Samsung, OnePlus, or Pixel.

Ultimately, Motorola still lacks compelling software differentiators. While its camera software and algorithms have improved, there's little reason to buy a Razr over a Pixel or Samsung phone if you want great photos.

Motorola is getting comfortable

… but hopefully not too comfortable. The company has made a triumphant comeback with the impressive Razr series, and its budget phones are decent enough for the price.

That said, it feels like Motorola is still trying to find its footing in building a hardware and software ecosystem. At a time when companies like Samsung and Google have made AI so accessible and easy to use, Motorola's lack of software focus feels like a glaring misstep.

Ultimately, Motorola hasn't really given us anything to keep us interested, whether that’s a cohesive family of devices or the software that holds it together. And aside from some genuinely useful Smart Connect features, there isn’t anything to tether us to its products.

OnePlus: B+

It's been an interesting year for OnePlus. The company has seemingly been hanging on in the U.S., and despite its waning popularity and market share, it has given us some of the most impressive devices we’ve seen in several segments. OnePlus has more than proven it can give companies like Samsung a run for their money, yet it has yet to overcome its biggest hurdle in one of the world's largest smartphone markets: availability.

Two in one

OnePlus started the year off strong with one of our favorite phones of 2025. The OnePlus 13 had a lot going for it, from impressive cameras to a huge battery and IP69 water and dust resistance. That, alongside the OnePlus 13R, showcased OnePlus's commitment to the higher-end segment, which should help increase its Total Addressable Market beyond the $300-$600 segment.

OnePlus furthered this with the launch of its second flagship in one year, the OnePlus 15, which boasts the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and offsets the power-hungry chip with a massive 7,300mAh battery. This comes at a time when Samsung is either struggling or unwilling to go beyond 5,000mAh in its traditional candybar phones (even the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has only a 4,400mAh battery).

An ecosystem of devices

OnePlus has also shown it can build an impressive family of devices, something I would’ve loved to see from Motorola. The OnePlus Watch 3, for example, is one of the most impressive and well-designed smartwatches I’ve ever seen, and features perhaps the longest battery life of any Wear OS watch.

At a time when Google and Samsung seemingly dominate Wear OS, it’s impressive that OnePlus can give its watches a leg up over rivals in ways they haven’t been able to replicate.

That also goes for its tablets. The OnePlus Pad 3 swiftly became one of our favorite tablets, thanks to its beautiful display, slim design, and Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, which seemingly outperforms Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra. It’s clear OnePlus was not going to let Samsung rule the Android tablet market unchecked.

This is all tied together by OnePlus' impressive software, from OxygenOS 15 to the new OxygenOS 16, both of which improved performance and introduced a host of AI features that feel well implemented.

Missed opportunities

Unfortunately, OnePlus continues to hinder itself in one of its biggest markets. The company has all but abandoned the mid-range market by increasing the price of the OnePlus 15R and ditching the Nord series in the U.S. The biggest problem with this strategy is that it limits the reach of its phones, especially given the already few avenues to buy them.

Last year, I noted how OnePlus was hurting itself by not making its devices available through carrier channels in the U.S. While this isn't as big a problem in other regions, carriers largely control the U.S. smartphone market, and not playing by their rules means fewer eyes on your phones. As it stands, the company's market share is negligible, and I feel like the OnePlus 13 and 15 could have been bigger hits.

Finally, the lack of a foldable didn't go unnoticed. The OPPO Find N5 was an impressively thin phone that gave us hope for an equally impressive OnePlus Open successor. Unfortunately, OnePlus stayed out of the foldable race altogether.

On the one hand, it makes sense given OnePlus's lack of carrier presence to help offset the exorbitant foldable prices. However, the OnePlus Open was so well received that it felt odd not to see OnePlus tap its OPPO partnership to bring a new device to the U.S. to give Google and Samsung a proper challenge.

OnePlus has proven that it has the tools to create an amazing range of devices. I just wish it had showcased that more in 2025.