The last time I was truly excited about a tech product was in 2017 when Nintendo debuted its groundbreaking Switch. The Switch wasn’t just a gaming console but a culmination of many ideas, executed well and delivered in a package that appealed to the masses. And that’s a long time ago. However, Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses seem to bring back the excitement, even though the list of innovative products that pique my interest seems to grow shorter each year. Tech, of course, is notoriously difficult to execute and is becoming increasingly complex due to market forces and regulatory challenges. Still, as they say, tech is not just a trend it’s the future. While we wait for companies to make their announcements, I can’t help but think about things I am looking forward to as a tech writer in 2025. Apple’s entry into smart home Apple already sells the HomePod in the market, but its smart home strategy is broken. Comparing it to Amazon and Google — which are more established and have a sizeable presence with different devices and services — is like living in a fool's paradise. However, 2025 may be the year when Cupertino starts sending signals that it is serious about the smart home market. Apple is reportedly working on two smart home devices. One is a wall-mounted smart display that resembles a sleek, square iPad mounted on the wall, which could be used to control home appliances, conduct video calls, and navigate apps with a combination of touch and advanced AI. And, the other is a security camera. If Apple manages to bring these devices in at the right price points, its strategy - which is geared more toward tighter integration and more control within its ecosystem - may give it a leg up against Amazon and Google. The possibilities are infinite for Apple. After all, this space is lucrative, especially in markets like India, where more consumers are opting for apartments (or at least aspiring to own one), giving Apple another reason to lock users into the iPhone ecosystem. However, smart home devices are a low-margin business, and a company the size of Apple needs to think differently about how it can generate profits—not by selling the hardware, but by charging for services. That’s where the real opportunity lies—at least in the long term. Nintendo Switch 2 and iPhone connection Switch 2, or whatever Nintendo decides to name it, will come out in 2025. It may not be completely different from the original Switch, but it will likely be more powerful, with a bigger screen, improved Joy-Cons, and the ability to run AAA games from third-party developers. And, of course, Switch 2 will get tonnes of first-party exclusive games. All of this sounds good — what users have been demanding from Nintendo for a long time. I’m sure Nintendo will include one or two gimmicky features that justify why consumers should get the Switch 2 (I am betting money on some form of dual-screen capability). Switch 2 may seem like a predictable update (not typical of how Nintendo usually jumps from one generation to another), but the key thing to note is that Nintendo is doing the most non-Nintendo thing with this next console. It may surprise some, but the company might take a page out of Apple’s playbook and aim to create an iPhone-equivalent lifespan and business model, allowing for multiple generations of the Switch. Just as Apple established the modern smartphone form factor with the iPhone, Nintendo appears to be solidifying the foundation of the hybrid handheld form factor that it introduced and perfected with the Switch. Nintendo’s recent moves reflect the path the company is on: creating an entertainment empire while introducing new services. Nintendo is trying to balance the new with the old, and maybe this is the right strategy for a company known for taking risks, surprising consumers, and doing its own thing, often in its own little bubble. More Meta Ray-Ban-like smart glasses Meta Ray-Bans are a surprise hit with consumers, and while it may seem shocking to you and me, it makes one thing clear: users love the idea of smart glasses that are sleek, stylish, and less advanced than companies typically envision them to be. Maybe that’s what Apple, Google, Snap and others need to consider as well. This is a potential market that Meta recognised early on by launching a product that is universally loved and has strong commercial appeal. What’s more, Meta Ray-Bans are just getting better with new AI features like Live AI and live translation, which were rolled out recently. These advancements make smart glasses an even better form factor for demonstrating what AI can actually do compared to what is currently being experienced through smartphones. I am already excited about what Meta has planned for its next-generation Ray-Ban glasses. They could either launch a new, more affordable pair, add a screen to make them AR glasses, or perhaps even do both. Redesigned user interface on Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones Perhaps one thing that I feel hasn’t changed over the past couple of years with smartphones is the user interface. No matter which flagship you buy from any brand, the interface remains the same as it was a few years ago, raising the question of what phone brands are doing to improve the interface. Samsung may take a huge step in that direction, and hopefully, others will also be pressured to make the necessary changes. With the Galaxy S25 lineup due for launch sometime in early 2025, Samsung is promising that the phones will feature redesigned software with a new home screen. During the company's developer conference in October, Sally Hyesoon Jeong, Executive Vice-President and head of the framework research and development team, Samsung, teased the upcoming OneUI 7 will introduce a "brand-new" user interface design. A fresh look for the interface is much needed on smartphones, and Samsung’s big step may benefit the entire smartphone market. AI agents and apps Over the past few months, tech companies have gone overboard with AI, bringing generative artificial intelligence to almost every kind of device and software platform. But something was lacking. While chatbots could generate images and write poems, and AI found its place in personal devices such as smartphones and laptops, the experience remained more or less the same. However, I am looking forward to "AI agents" that could autonomously perform tasks like booking tickets, working with shopping websites, and interacting with the most used apps before taking action on the user’s behalf. Many companies, including Google and OpenAI, are building AI agents, with the idea that they would be able to do many things for you and work across multiple tasks and domains, including must-have apps. However, if AI agents become popular, it also means tech companies will have more power over what we buy, what we search for, and what we read—a sort of manipulation of our minds under the guise of personalisation and convenience, giving more autonomy to AI to execute tasks for us like a helping hand. Software and AI to reshape smartphones It wouldn’t be wrong to say that smartphone designs have plateaued, and tech companies and smartphone brands aren’t hiding it anymore. Google, Apple, and Samsung made AI the centrepiece of their marketing campaigns to sell flagship smartphones in 2024. I believe this trend will likely continue with the flagships set to launch in 2025, where the form factor and design may not change much, and instead, artificial intelligence and software will dominate the user experience. Google and Apple have already demonstrated what an AI-enabled smartphone can do through a range of features, such as image generators and writing tools. However, most of these features either feel too scattered or are targeted at specific use cases — not aimed at everyone. In fact, not a single AI feature stood out and became a hit among average users. I think the best way forward is to release fewer AI-centric features and ship only those that have a higher chance of mass appeal, while others can still be rolled out as part of the beta. A big step forward will be understanding how consumers want to use AI on phones. What will be interesting to see is how each smartphone maker builds their own flavor of AI on top of industry models to serve consumers' utility needs, rather than just offering the standard AI features that everyone is putting out.
