The 2025 Smartphone Awards: As 2025 draws to a close, the tech world is looking back at a pivotal year for mobile technology. If 2024 was the year AI arrived on smartphones, 2025 was the year it took over.
From the exhibition halls of Barcelona to the pockets of millions, this year’s award winners reflect a landscape where hardware specs have plateaued, and software—specifically generative AI—has become the new battleground.
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The 2025 Smartphone Awards: A Year of AI Maturity and Foldable Perfection
Here is a curated breakdown of the definitive smartphone awards and winners of 2025, synthesizing major industry accolades (GLOMO, CES) and end-of-year critical consensus.
🏆 The Industry Heavyweights (Official Awards)
These awards are the “Oscars” of the mobile world, judged by industry experts and typically announced earlier in the year at major trade shows.
Smartphone of the Year (GLOMO Awards @ MWC 2025)
- Winner: Google Pixel 9 Pro
- Why it won: While the Pixel 10 series dominates the holiday conversation now, the Pixel 9 Pro took the crown in March for redefining the Android experience. It was praised for its cohesive integration of Gemini Nano and a camera system that finally matched the hardware prowess of its rivals.
- Runner-up: iPhone 16 Pro
Best Connected Consumer Device (GLOMO)
- Winner: Google Gemini
- Context: A rare software win in a hardware category. The judges recognized that the “device” of 2025 wasn’t just the plastic and glass, but the AI agent living inside it.
Best Innovation (CES 2025)
- Winner: OnePlus 13
- Why it won: OnePlus returned to form with a “no-compromise” flagship. It was lauded for its localized AI processing and the introduction of a new battery health engine that promised 4-year longevity without degradation.
- Honorable Mention: TCL NXTPAPER 50 Pro for its paper-like display technology that addresses eye strain in a screen-addicted world.
🌟 Critics’ Choice: The Best of Late 2025
Based on end-of-year reviews from top tech publications (PCMag, ZDNET, The Verge) and performance benchmarks.
Best Overall Flagship
- Winner:Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
- The Verdict: The “King of Android” retains its throne. The S25 Ultra is widely considered the most complete package of the year. It combines the Snapdragon 8 Elite specifically tuned for Galaxy, a refined titanium chassis that is finally comfortable to hold, and an S-Pen that now acts as a magic wand for generative AI edits.
- Key Feature: The new “Galaxy AI Vision” which allows real-time object manipulation in video, not just photos.
Best iOS Device
- Winner: iPhone 17 Pro Max
- The Verdict: Apple’s 2025 release cycle brought the biggest redesign in years. The 17 Pro Max features a smaller “Micro-Dynamic Island” and a periscope zoom lens that finally rivals Samsung’s. However, the real story is Apple Intelligence, which has matured from a beta gimmick into a deeply integrated, privacy-focused assistant that actually understands personal context.
Best Value Smartphone
- Winner: Google Pixel 9a / OnePlus 13R
- The Tie: Reviewers were split. The Pixel 9a ($499) brings flagship-grade AI and cameras to the masses, making it the smartest phone for the price. The OnePlus 13R, however, offers raw performance and charging speeds (100W) that embarrass phones twice its price.
Best Foldable
- Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
- The Verdict: After years of incremental updates, the Z Fold 7 finally slimmed down to match standard phones. With a dust-resistant hinge and a crease that is virtually invisible, it has cemented the foldable form factor as “mainstream ready.”
- Runner Up: Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold (Praised for its wider front screen but criticized for battery life).
🔮 The “Future Tech” Categories
The “Breakthrough” Concept
- Realme Ultra Concept (Interchangeable Lens System)
- Showcased as a prototype, this device allows users to physically attach DSLR-quality lenses to the smartphone back. While not commercially viable yet, it won “Best Concept” awards for daring to challenge the physics of mobile photography.
Best Camera Innovation
- Xiaomi 15 Ultra
- Known as the “Camera with a Phone attached,” the 15 Ultra features a 1-inch sensor with a variable aperture that moves faster than the human eye, capturing motion blur-free images in near pitch darkness.
📊 The People’s Choice (Current Trends)
Based on sales data and community voting (Jagran HiTech, Gadgets360) currently underway in December 2025.
- Most Popular Brand: Apple is projected to surpass Samsung in global volume for the first time in over a decade, driven by the massive upgrade cycle for the iPhone 17 “Air” (Slim) model.
- Trend of the Year: “The Death of the App.” With advanced AI agents from Google and Apple now capable of performing tasks across applications (ordering food, booking rides) without opening them, 2025 is being hailed as the year we started interacting with phones again, rather than just apps.
📱 What to buy right now?
If you are looking to upgrade before 2026:
- For the Power User: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
- For the AI Enthusiast: Google Pixel 10 Pro
- For the Creative: iPhone 17 Pro
- For the Budget Conscious: Pixel 9a
Top 10+ New Technology Trends That Will Define 2026: Generative to Agentic
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