We’ve seen some wonderful telephones in 2025, from the iPhone 17 Pro and its vibrant orange coloration to the Pixel 10 Pro’s reliance on AI. Then there’s the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Oppo Find X9 Pro and Xiaomi 15 Ultra, which all need to be the one digital camera you carry round.Most of those telephones have lots in widespread, from their highly effective processors to options like water resistance. But this 12 months, we noticed phone-makers actually up the ante by including an entire host of latest methods and equipment to assist them stand out from the competitors. And a number of of those additions have actually caught our eye.Here are our favourite telephone options that slipped into the mainstream in 2025. Will they proceed into 2026? The OnePlus 15 is an enormous Android telephone with a good larger 7,300-mAh battery. Andrew Lanxon/CNETMassive silicon-carbon batteriesBatteries may appear to be they’re the identical as they’ve at all times been, however in truth, battery expertise is continually evolving, identical to some other a part of your telephone. The most up-to-date shift is towards silicon-carbon batteries that promise extra energy-dense cells, giving longer battery life with out you having to hold a telephone the scale of a home brick. The Oppo Find X9 Pro and the OnePlus 15 each pack batteries with a capability over 7,000 mAh, whereas the Vivo X300 Pro’s 6,300-mAh cell is almost as large. For reference, the S25 Ultra — regardless of its gargantuan 6.8-inch display screen — has solely a 5,000-mAh battery. The iPhone 17 Pro Max’s battery is analogous at 5,088 mAh.But do not get overexcited simply but about virtually doubling your telephone’s battery life. While Oppo and OnePlus’s newest handsets did carry out extraordinarily effectively on our battery assessments, the iPhone 17 Pro Max remained among the finest battery performers we have ever had, and that comes right down to the effectivity Apple is ready to obtain via producing all of the components of the telephone. Still, silicon-carbon battery expertise is undoubtedly a step ahead that may hopefully imply you are much less prone to end up out of energy midway via your day. The Oppo Find X9 Pro is out there with an enormous telephoto zoom lens. Andrew Lanxon/CNETDetachable telephoto lensesWhile I’m speaking in regards to the Oppo Find X9 Pro and Vivo X300 Pro, I’ve to say the large telephoto lenses each firms provide with their gadgets. Both telephones will be purchased with pictures kits that embody a case and a hefty all-metal telephoto lens that, when hooked up, seems as if you happen to’ve added a small chair leg to the again of your telephone. These removable telephoto lenses can take your zoom as much as a usable 40x magnification — that is round a 920mm focal size on a traditional lens which far outstrips any of the particular zoom lenses I personal for my skilled cameras.The result’s that you would be able to take wonderful close-up pictures from an extended distance, making these lenses nice enjoyable for wildlife pictures or road pictures, the place you do not need to be seen. As the lenses use actual optical parts, the picture high quality will be excellent, and the pure bokeh round your topic makes it potential to take photographs that seem like they have been shot with a daily digital camera and zoom lens. Apple’s iPhone Air and Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge: two telephones with exceptionally skinny designs. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNETUltra-thin phonesBack in March, my wonderful colleague Abrar Al-Heeti was shocked by the plethora of telephones with ultra-thin designs. Samsung had its S25 Edge, whereas the Tecno Spark Slim idea promised a physique of solely 5.25mm thick. Cut to the tip of the 12 months and we have since had Apple’s tackle slender telephones with the arrival of the iPhone Air. These telephones promise a extra refined aesthetic than their rivals, permitting you to cram them into your denims pocket with out inflicting an undignified bulge the place you may not need one. But it is in foldable telephones that this skinny design is admittedly impactful. Both Oppo’s Find N5 and Honor’s Magic V5 provide razor-thin designs that imply whenever you shut the telephone — and primarily double its thickness — you are not left with a cumbersome brick. Samsung wowed with its ultra-thing Galaxy Z Fold 7, too, which is simply 4.2mm when unfolded. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold can hold each water and mud out of its delicate hinge elements. Andrew Lanxon/CNETDust-resistant foldable telephonesBut whereas I’m singing the praises of ultra-thin folding telephones, I’ve to present a shout-out to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Google’s newest foldable is the primary of its type to supply an IP68 score that guarantees to maintain each water and mud out of its delicate hinge mechanism. Previously, the highest foldables supplied, at finest, some stage of water resistance, with mud resistance restricted to particles 1mm or bigger — not very useful in a dusty space or if you happen to’re taking a name throughout one more tour of your native flour manufacturing unit. But Google took this additional by protecting mud out, too. That means you possibly can lastly open your folding telephone on the seashore to learn an e book, assured that sand will not spoil your expensive handset.Sure, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is a bit chunkier than the super-skinny foldables talked about above, however Google traded sleekness for sturdiness — and that may imply your telephone lasts for much longer because of this. The sq. picture sensor on the brand new iPhones means it would not matter which means you maintain your telephone when taking a selfie. Celso Bulgatti/CNETSquare picture sensorsThe most up-to-date iPhone 17 lineup included an enormous overhaul to its front-facing digital camera with the introduction of a sq. picture sensor. The thought is that you would be able to maintain your telephone in a cushty portrait place to your video name however the video will nonetheless be in panorama with out utilizing cropping that would scale back the standard. Or vice versa. It would not matter which means you maintain your telephone, a sq. sensor means you are at all times going to get full-width sensor decision.And since you possibly can take selfies (horizontal or vertical) when holding the telephone in portrait orientation, you aren’t getting that bizarre, off-to-the-side digital camera angle that you’d when holding the telephone in panorama. Everyone seems good, symmetrical and centered.It’s an awesome thought, and it isn’t simply telephones which are beginning to benefit from it. The current DJI Osmo Action 6 motion digital camera additionally makes use of a sq. picture sensor, letting you re-crop your footage into portrait or panorama after the very fact with none loss in high quality. It’s ideally suited for creators who need to shoot long-form and social content material on the similar time, and I absolutely anticipate this to grow to be a pattern in additional telephones and cameras down the road. The Pixel 10’s Camera Coach operate tells you the best way to take a greater picture. Andrew Lanxon/CNETAI digital camera teachingAs knowledgeable photographer, I used to be impressed with the digital camera high quality of Google’s Pixel 10 Pro after I took it on a photowalk round Paris. But what if you happen to’re not a professional however nonetheless need to get good pictures? Then the Pixel’s Camera Coach is perhaps for you. It makes use of Gemini AI to research the scene in entrance of you after which offers you a set of step-by-step directions on the best way to seize a greater picture. Taking a photograph of your pal? Camera Coach may counsel switching to Portrait Mode, taking a number of steps to the appropriate and perhaps even capturing from a decrease angle for a extra dramatic stance. CNET’s Patrick Holland — a proficient photographer himself — used the software and concluded, “I can see amateurs becoming photography enthusiasts after using Camera Coach. At a time when AI is everywhere, it’s nice to see Google use Gemini as a teaching tool.” Qi2.2 compatibility implies that Google and Apple can now share magnetic equipment. Joseph Maldonado/CNETQi 2.2 for sooner charging and magnetic equipmentApple’s MagSafe has lengthy been a standout characteristic of the iPhone, however the firm has contributed parts of its expertise to the open Qi2.2 commonplace, that means Android producers will now have the ability to use it as effectively. Not solely will this deliver sooner wi-fi charging speeds to extra Android telephones, nevertheless it additionally opens the door to shared equipment — Android telephones utilizing Qi2.2 might be appropriate with some Apple MagSafe equipment, and vice versa.Google has jumped proper onto the bandwagon, equipping its newest Pixel 10 vary with what it calls PixelSnap. Ignore the naming; it is principally the identical as MagSafe and capabilities utilizing the identical Qi2.2 commonplace. Bought a pleasant new wi-fi charging dock to your Pixel 10? Great, your iPhone-owning pals can use it, too, and if you happen to change allegiance afterward, you will not want to purchase a brand new dock. Lovely stuff. Watch this: The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL’s Camera Is So Smart, It Almost Took the Photos for Me
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