Biggest tech trends to expect in 2025: AI, agents, and AR, oh my!
The longer you’ve been working in tech media, the simpler it’s to see what’s coming. Predicting the most important tech developments for the approaching yr doesn’t contain consulting a crystal ball or a psychic. I want to go together with my instincts, that are primarily based not solely on what occurred within the earlier 12 months, however through the 37 years earlier than that by which I have been writing about tech.
Expertise and innovation don’t merely spring out of the ether. Even with the appearance of AI, which some may suppose would deliver unimaginable, generative shortcuts, corporations nonetheless have vital improvement cycles and so they construct primarily based on indicators from inside their group, and lots of others that come from the market and competitors. Maybe the most important distinction between the tech cycles of the early oughts and at the moment is the transparency; corporations develop services earlier than our eyes, with open and public betas that make us a part of the method.
What I’m saying is that you just don’t need to be extraordinary, or psychic, to know what’s coming within the new yr. In case you, like me, have been paying consideration, a lot of what follows will most likely elicit, “Oh, proper, I knew that” or “That’s what I used to be considering.”
After all, I’m removed from infallible and, as I usually do, I wish to bounce my concepts off a few of my trusted trade mates. On this case, I selected Tim Bajarin. Tim and I’ve recognized one another for greater than 20 years, and his trade expertise extends deep into the final century. He is seen many of the trade’s key developments and recognized lots of its main movers and shakers, together with the late Steve Jobs, and retains his finger on the heart beat of the know-how along with his Artistic Methods analyst group, of which he’s the founder and chairman. As all the time, Bajarin has ideas relating to my 2025 predictions. I’ve included lots of them right here.
With that, let’s get began on my predictions for the most important tech developments of 2025. Please be at liberty to share them with your pals, telling them, “See? Lance agrees with me.”
An AI explosion
I do know, it is a pretty apparent suggestion two years into our AI revolution, however I do suspect a important flip of occasions in 2025. Count on extra AI in the whole lot, but in addition a codification of the idea that folks perceive the way it will work for them as shoppers and as businesspeople, and for all kinds of duties and sectors. In different phrases, much less questioning, “What was this made for?”
Bajarin kind of agrees with me, however jogs my memory that corporations introducing AI apps nonetheless have their work minimize out for them. “(They) have to be clearer on what it does after which add a brief tutorial,” he says. “There may be an excessive amount of confusion, and we’re nonetheless within the hand-holding part of AI.”
It’s an excellent level. Shoppers received’t faucet into AI’s full potential till they perceive precisely tips on how to use it and the way it will profit them. In 2025, I anticipate to see extra shopper guides on tips on how to construct the most effective launch immediate and, particularly, tips on how to converse with an AI to get the outcomes you need.
Enter the brokers
2025 would be the breakthrough yr for AI brokers. For these unfamiliar with them, AI brokers are bits of synthetic intelligence that may analyze the surroundings and different interactions, and carry out narrowly outlined duties in your behalf.
Their prevalence shall be intertwined with rising conversational AI wars, by which all the most important digital assistants lastly migrate to generative AI chat methods: Alexa will get Claude, Siri will get one other mind transplant, Google Gemini absolutely consumes Google Assistant and turns into a conversation-first platform.
Whereas I feel Bajarin and I see eye-to-eye on this, he sees brokers’ improvement in 2025 a bit in another way.
“Constructing brokers would be the largest factor in AI in 2025,” he says. “The final three years gave us the groundwork for an agentic-driven world, and subsequent yr will see nice strides made in creating and making use of brokers to all AI apps.”
So, it’s constructing and software. I’m wondering what number of shopper apps could have a set of pre-built AI brokers, and if shoppers will really feel comfy utilizing them. On the very least, I do anticipate to see the broad deployment of AI brokers in enterprise all through 2025.
Bye, AI wearable
You realize what, I do know who wants to listen to this: each AI wearable maker who wrongheadedly tried to promote us a standalone AI system in 2024. Their collective failure proves that whereas synthetic intelligence is a robust characteristic inside different bigger purposes and merchandise, it is not a ample foundation for a devoted product.
The ChatGPTs, Copilots, and Geminis of the world arguably work higher when built-in into our favourite cell units, not yet one more system we have to carry round or put on.
The Humane AIs, Rabbit R1s, Associates, and Plauds of our world won’t survive 2025. However their brains, the beating AI hearts inside them, will doubtless stay on as apps on, naturally our iPhones and Androids.
Bajarin was a bit much less satisfied of this prediction and would solely reply, “Presumably.”
Chip wars
The convergence of cell and desktop chips will transfer into overdrive in 2025, with all the massive gamers vying for prime honors in energy, effectivity, AI, and battery life. Intel is coming into a interval of uncertainty, and Nvidia could make a desktop CPU play, however Apple remains to be going to set the bar. It’s exceptional how Apple set that bar with its M1 chip in 2020 and each chip firm has been taking part in catchup on laptops (and to a lesser extent desktops) ever since.
In 2024 Qualcomm has provided the most effective reply to Apple silicon with its X Elite line, but it surely’s not clear that methods working it are flying off the cabinets simply but. Nonetheless, what is evident is that Intel, Qualcomm, and Apple are lastly providing laptop computer clients what they need: energy and effectivity.
In 2025, battery life throughout Home windows and Mac laptops will balloon to almost 30 hours, whereas each new chip will help ever-larger native generative mannequin work. It’s a brand new period for on-the-go computing, however I assure that Apple will proceed to paved the way all through 2025.
Right here, Bajarin made it clear I nailed the touchdown, telling me: “Very true… Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, and Arm would be the key gamers, however Apple’s M-series chips shall be arduous to beat.”
Home windows out of the highlight
Microsoft’s hyper-vigilant give attention to Copilot makes me marvel if 2025 is the yr the Redmond software program large crops Home windows within the backseat. It’s doable that Microsoft will give attention to Copilot nearly to the exclusion of Home windows, because the platform continues its march into software program as a service, the place massive upgrades matter lower than shiny options like Copilot and Edge.
Props to Bajarin for retaining me actual on this. I might inform that he form of agreed, however with muted enthusiasm. “Roughly,” he says. “(Microsoft) will proceed to do extra AI integration into Home windows UI however make Copilot their most vital push in subsequent two years.”
Precisely – the advertising and marketing {dollars} in 2025 and 2026 will, except I’m very mistaken, be largely for Copilot. For shoppers it’ll really feel inescapable, though I can’t inform if they’ll embrace it. Home windows customers on the bottom have expressed some frustration to me in regards to the sudden look of Copilot on the taskbar and on new laptop computer keyboards. Microsoft’s communication should be about Copilot’s shopper profit above all else, and I’m undecided that it is made the case but. 2025 is Microsoft’s alternative.
AR Wearables flip a nook
I feel 2025 is the yr we’ll see AR glasses obtain shopper availability (possibly the second half of the yr), and the competitors for dominance shall be intense. Having now tried Meta’s Orion and Snap’s AR Spectacles, I feel the race to shopper readiness is accelerating sooner than most anticipated. Meta is clearly forward, however Snap, which has entry to the identical silicon, ought to catch up. It might be a squeaker, however I feel we’ll see shopper availability of not less than one pair of AR glasses that lastly make the tech-buying public say “I do” to wearable AR gear.
Apple may be a part of that blend, however first it should cope with the destiny of its Imaginative and prescient Professional. As a class, the Imaginative and prescient Professional can’t survive with out a extra reasonably priced entry-level counterpart. Apple is supposedly engaged on that, but when it doesn’t ship, 2025 will be the yr Apple deprecates Imaginative and prescient Professional (it will not discontinue it, not less than not but).
Right here, I struck a Bajarin nerve. He had many ideas, and never all of them had been in alignment with mine. Right here’s how he sees 2025 taking part in out:
“AR glasses will get extra AI performance, with Meta Rayban’s good glasses, Snap Glasses, and others specializing in higher audio and AI, in addition to higher cameras. Nonetheless, there won’t be breakthrough know-how that delivers true in-lens information that’s price something in 2025. Meta has Orion focused for 2027, however I do consider Apple will introduce some type of AR glasses by the top of 2025. I don’t suppose we’ll see a slimmer Imaginative and prescient Professional at a less expensive value till 2026 on the earliest.”
I’ve to confess that Bajarin’s outlook appears extra believable than mine – however then I used to be shocked by the standard of Meta Orion glasses after I tried them, and I anticipate to be shocked once more in 2025.
Bluesky will dominate and battle Threads for a warmth lead (that is the most well liked, although not essentially the most important platform), although X will maintain the energetic consumer numbers crown for the foreseeable future. That is at the same time as folks in search of a sunnier social media dialog head for the exits. A Luddite motion could depress Gen Alpha’s entry onto any platform. Broadly, the bloom is off the social media rose. Most platforms are introducing stricter controls, whether or not as a result of some authorities is requiring it or they’re looking for to get forward of future regulation and, maybe, change the dialog on social media.
Oh, and as for the way forward for TikTok and that potential ban, it would skate on by means of within the new yr however an actual looking on Jan. 19 now appears way more doubtless. Both method, I’ll proceed utilizing it till somebody stops me.
Bajarin and I are largely in sync right here.
“I do see X dropping extra customers in 2025 and Bluesky and Threads gaining vital floor. (X proprietor and Tesla CEO Elon) Musk shall be too distracted by his different initiatives, and X will proceed to lose customers and momentum.”
I like how Bajarin is simply too cool to spell out precisely which Musk “initiatives” will distract him. In 2025, Musk shall be co-running a form of US Authorities omnibus tasked with sucking some huge cash and other people out of the paperwork. That would undoubtedly be diverting, to say the least.
Low-energy EVs
EVs and self-driving vehicles will stall because the trade recalibrates and slumping trailblazer Tesla offers with the fallout of not delivering a sub-$30K EV to the market (whereas additionally delivering the least dependable EV, ever – the Cybertruck). Electrical vans and different vehicles aren’t flying the way in which massive auto thought they might, and the US the incoming administration shall be steering the market again towards a flamable engine future.
Bajarin didn’t provide touch upon this prediction, which I will take as an computerized win.
Folding rises
Folding telephones are on sale from Google, Samsung, Huawei, Oppo, and others, and but they’ve solely a collective 1.5% of the smartphone market. Possibly that adjustments subsequent yr.
I feel folding telephones will make a sluggish rise to three% of the market in 2025, however it is going to be Apple teasing a folding iPhone that units the market on its ear. It will not ship till 2026, however it should generate renewed curiosity within the sector, and put opponents on discover.
Okay, my profitable streak collapsed right here. Bajarin shouldn’t be on board with this final concept.
“I’m not optimistic about Apple doing a folding telephone in any respect. I wrote about this final week.
“The pill market has room for innovation and I’d not be shocked to see Apple level their foldable analysis at tablets. I can’t say Apple won’t ever do a foldable, however my article exhibits why I don’t suppose Apple believes there’s a marketplace for foldable.”
Bajarin’s submit factors to considerations about sturdiness, utility over conventional telephones, and, for Apple, a scarcity of curiosity in such a tiny market. He’s not mistaken, however I feel Apple might be the spark that ignites a frenzy. Let’s say Apple solely exhibits us a folding pill. It might be one which opens to the dimensions of an 8-inch pill, which is actually the identical inside display dimension because the Google Pixel 9 Professional Fold, and the iPad mini. I’ve to consider that if shoppers noticed that they could need what Apple’s created, however as a result of it’ll naturally be dearer than different folding units they’ll search for cheaper options, and that will develop curiosity throughout the market.
I do know, it’s only one dream situation, but it surely might occur in 2025.
Tariffs cascade
I absolutely anticipate tariffs to destabilize the tech trade. Firms will scramble to get exemptions (there’ll be a revolving door on the White Home as corporations march out and in of President Trump’s workplace), and shopper electronics costs will rise preemptively in early 2025. We also needs to brace for shortages in key product classes as commerce wars kick off and provide chains get squeezed. The free circulate of, say, silicon between different nations and the US might sluggish to a trickle.
Bajarin isn’t any extra optimistic than I’m about this.
“This is a vital level. If Trump goes by means of with tariffs, it should influence all tech corporations that make merchandise in China… The reasoning round tariffs is to deliver extra manufacturing again to the US. That boat sailed 15 years in the past and can by no means occur. As a substitute, any new manufacturing will go to India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, and different areas the place labor is cheaper.”
Firms like Apple have tried to diversify manufacturing outdoors China for years, however little or no of that manufacturing has returned to the US. If the Trump administration focuses all its tariffs on China (and a few on Mexico and Canada) it should solely speed up that course of as corporations search to scale back their Chinese language publicity. Ultimately, American employees and shoppers received’t be the benefactors in 2025. I don’t know what 2026 will seem like.
Oh, and robots. Heaps and many robots
The humanoid robotic revolution is upon us, and 2025 will see an explosion in capabilities and kinds. Sadly, none of them shall be prepared to come back house with you.
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