I'm a technology writer and these were my 18 biggest gadget releases of 2025 – how many did you catch?

While some will remember 2025 for the Blue Origin spaceflight or the infamous Coldplay concert, others will note it as a year when personal tech took a massive leap forward.

Spurred on by the advancements of AI, dozens of companies have spent this year breaking records across a range of gadgets, devices and consoles.

Phone brands like Samsung and Apple have been on a mission to produce their thinnest model yet, while wearable tech is striving to be stronger and sturdier than ever. Even kids tech has got involved, with the new Toniebox audio player boasting an entirely new design and features.

Having covered so much of the big tech moments this year – from the humble 16e to the ludicrously busy release of the Nintendo Switch 2 – I thought it was the right time to list them out and make a note of just how many upgrades we've seen in the last 12 months.

Plus, if you've yet to treat yourself to a new device this year, there's still time.

The biggest tech releases of 2025 – and how to buy them in the UK

Nintendo Switch 2

The brand-new Nintendo Switch console came out this June and had a record-breaking start, selling over 6 million units worldwide by early August. Why was it so popular? Well, this new version comes with an updated (and larger) design, new Joy-Cons and exclusive access to Nintendo's latest games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza. Plus, it's got more storage and up to 4K resolution when docked.

Buy Nintendo Switch 2 for £395.95 £385 (save £10.95 or 3%) at Amazon

AirPods Pro 3

As the Apple AirPods Pro 3 have been in development for a number of years, we're seeing some major feature upgrades, most notably, its over-the-ear headphone performance.

At Apple's WWDC 2025 event earlier this year, the company announced new iOS 26 features for already released AirPods, which we can see on the Apple AirPods Pro 3. From sleep detection that pauses playback when you fall asleep to more head gesture controls and remote control of your iPhone or iPad, there are plenty of improvements. Plus, they have a fast H3 processing chip, which improves the device's noise cancellation capabilities, and you can now track your heart rate and temperature without the use of a smartwatch.

Buy AirPods Pro 3 for £219 at Amazon

reMarkable Paper Pro Move

Earlier this year reMarkable launched the latest version of its flagship paper tablet: the reMarkable Paper Pro Move. This brand-new e-paper device is a smaller version of the reMarkable Paper Pro – their first in-colour device – which is designed for working portably.

Measuring in at just 7.3-inches, this tablet fits in the palm of your hand, with a similar feel to a large phone or a classic journalist's notebook. However, it has the same paper-like feel as other reMarkable products and the easy notetaking abilities, as well as a full-colour display and an adjustable backlight for reading.

Buy the reMarkable Paper Pro Move for £399 at reMarkable

Toniebox 2

The Toniebox 2 is the latest kids audioplayer to hit shelves, now with an updated design and new colourways. Just like the original Toniebox, the Toniebox 2 is designed for little hands, but it also has enhanced squeezability, with more rounded corners and a dynamic Light Ring that's used to guide kids through Tonieplay games.

Speaking of Tonieplay, this is one of the most exciting new features on the Toniebox 2. Tonieplay is a new way to play, introducing stories, challenges and games that feature their favourite characters, from PAW Patrol and Winnie the Pooh to tonies own characters the Lalalinos.

Buy Toniebox 2 Starter Set for £94.99 at Tonies

iPhone 17 Pro

The iPhone 17 Pro has been in huge demand since its release, thanks to its bold colourways (including orange and navy), Apple Intelligence and best iPhone battery life ever (with up to 37 hours of charge). It also boasts some huge camera improvements, including an 8x optical zoom, a 18MP front-facing camera, Centre Stage camera, and a 48MP telephoto camera with 3.5x optical zoom. The new smartphone will also feature simultaneous recording with both the front and rear cameras.

Buy the Apple iPhone 17 Pro from £1,099 at JD Williams

Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2)

AI glasses are the latest revolution in wearable tech, and these second generation Meta Ray-Bans are the top of the ladder. They bear an all-day battery life, 12MP Ultra-wide camera, Bluetooth connected speakers and 3K Video, all attached to your face.

Buy Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) from £224 at Meta

Oura Ring 4 Ceramic

Oura expanded their Ring 4 range this year with new stunning ceramic models, now available in Midnight (blue), Cloud (white), Tide (teal) and Petal (purple) colourways. The ring's features include tracking basic heart rate, temperature and breathing statistics as well as menstrual tracking, and of course, measuring your fitness. Whether you're running, swimming or cycling, the rings can monitor how far you go, your average pace and how many calories you burn.

Buy Oura Ring 4 Ceramic for £499 at Oura

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Garmin is always a level above other fitness trackers, so this latest Venu 4 model is bound to be the best ever. This wearable tracks sports and exercise from golf to steps with pinpoint accuracy, as well as your burned calories, sleep, ECG, blood oxygen and more. It also can last for up to 10 days and is completely swimproof.

Buy Garmin Venu 4 for £469.99 at Currys

Nothing Headphone (1)

The brand-new Nothing Headphone (1) are the company's first foray into noise-cancelling wearables and come with a range of features including 40mm custom dynamic drivers, 360-degree sound and mouldable leather earpads. The brand has also stuck with their signature retro transparent design, with a clear casing showing the inner workings of each earpad.

Buy Nothing Headphone (1) for £299 at Nothing

LEGO Death Star

Based on the iconic space station from Star Wars A New Hope and Return of the Jedi, this special-edition set is comprised of a whopping 9,023 pieces and costs nearly £900. Inside, fans can explore six layers of Death Star rooms featuring recreations of dozens of iconic movie moments. Details include the trash compactor, Emperor Palpatine’s throne room, Princess Leia’s cell, the tractor beam control unit, the Imperial shuttle hangar, and much more.

The set also has 38 minifigures, including all the main characters and side villains, plus an attachable tractor beam that's about to fire.

Buy LEGO Death Star - Ultimate Collector Series for £899 at LEGO

iPhone 16e

The 16e is Apple's newest mid-priced iPhone. I actually bought this iPhone 16e during this year's Amazon Prime Day sale. As an iPhone user on a budget, I found it delivered everything I needed at a much lower cost than it's top-price counterparts. There is only a single camera but it has 48MP quality which works well and its battery lasts for well over 18 hours.

Buy Apple iPhone 16e from £549 at Very

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold

This year, Google Once again expanded its flagship phone range, the company released the brand-new Google Pixel 9, the larger Google Pixel 9 Pro, and their second-ever foldable phone the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold in particular has a list of specs long enough to match its mighty name, with a 48MP camera, over 24 hours of battery life, and of course, the show-stopping Gemini AI.

Buy Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold for £1,519 at Currys

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge

With the Galaxy S25 Edge, Samsung were focused on creating a phone that was thinner and lighter than ever. This brand-new model is their thinnest phone yet, measuring just 5.8mm in thickness and weighing only 163g. The S25 Edge features Samsung's signature linear camera and is available in three different colours: Titanium Silver, Titanium Jetblack and Titanium Icy Blue.

Buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge from £1,099 at Samsung

ASUS Rog Ally X

Made in conjunction with Asus and Microsoft, the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X are new handheld consoles complete with an easy-to-use Xbox UI and a neat, ergonomic design. The base ROG Xbox Ally comes with an AMD Ryzen Z2 A CPU, 16GB RAM and 512GB of storage, while the more powerful ROG Xbox Ally X comes with an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme CPU, 24GB RAM and 1TB of storage.

These are Xbox versions of the already existing Asus ROG Ally line of handheld consoles, with both Xbox versions marking slight upgrades on their predecessors in terms of specs.

Buy ROG Xbox Ally for £499 at Very

Nothing Phone (3)

The new Nothing Phone (3) features a new design with a Glyph Matrix in the top right corner that lights up depending on what notifications have come through. Compared to its predecessor the Nothing Phone (2) it's also 36% faster on CPU, 88% stronger on GPU, and 60% stronger on the NPU.

Buy Nothing Phone (3) from £799 at Nothing

Samsung Galaxy Watch8

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is made from aluminium and has the boast of being Samsung's thinnest watch yet, an impressive 11% thinner than the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7. It also has a 5o% brighter display compared to its predecessor. You can opt for either a graphite or silver colourway, both timeless colours.

Buy Samsung Galaxy 8 from £319 at Samsung

Apple MacBook Air (M4)

This year Apple infused its MacBook range with the new M4 chip – their fastest ever. That means devices like the MacBook Air can render a billion colours on its liquid retina display, or process up to two times faster than the previous M1 laptops, or run a Centre Stage 12 MP camera keeps you in the frame during video calls even when you move around. In short, it's their most advanced model yet.

Buy Apple MacBook Air 2025 (M4, 13.6-inch) for £949 at Currys

OnePlus Watch 3

The OnePlus Watch 3 is an elegant new model with a premium stainless steel case and a durable, shiny titanium alloy bezel. In just 60 seconds, it can conduct a whole body health check-in measuring everything from breathing to blood, plus it has up to five days of battery life and comes in a sleek new Emerald colourway.

Buy OnePlus Watch 3 for £249 at OnePlus

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