What to Expect from Wireless Tech in 2025
There are a few exciting things to watch for in 2025, from smart devices to VR. Here are some
There are a few exciting things to watch for in 2025, from smart devices to VR. Here are some possible highlights and some of the major tech headlines at the start of the year.
eSIMs
Despite companies like Amazon’s shift away from remote work, it’s still widely popular, and eSIMs are likely to be used by more international travellers. If you’re going abroad in 2025, forget about swapping old fashioned, physical SIM cards when you travel. eSIMs let you stay connected abroad and avoid expensive roaming chargers.
Plans are available for a wide range of countries and regions. Companies like Holafly cover more than 200 destinations, providing eSIMs with unlimited data plans. Certain plans let you share up to 500MB daily. CNBC has said, “Holafly has a great selection of plans that might appeal to heavy data users.”
Smart homes will be smarter
Wireless tech has already made our homes more interconnected. Many of us are adjusting our lights, temperature, and music with a couple of clicks on our phones. In 2025, voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant are likely to become even more sophisticated, capable of understanding more complex commands and interacting with other smart devices.
A major Alexa upgrade is expected in 2025, with the integration of LLMs (Large Language Models). Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, writing for The Verge, said, “with better hardware and a focus on building on Alexa’s strength, rather than simply turning it into a chatbot, the company could recapture Jeff Bezos’s original vision of creating Star Trek’s “Computer.””
As per Wirecutter/New York Times, “Alexa supports the most smart-home devices”. It works with more than 140,000 products – far more than Google Home (50,000+) and Apple (~1,200). The downside is that the Alexa app may be “the clunkiest and least intuitive to use”. Oh, and another downside is that Alexa tries to sell you things after it’s answered a question. Maybe one part of smart homes getting smarter in 2025 will be Amazon recognising that we don’t want to constantly order new products!
Wearables will evolve
Wearable tech went mainstream, if it hadn’t already, in 2024. This year, wearables are likely to take another significant step forward. There’ll be a new Apple Watch (Series 11), expected in September 2025, and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 series is expected in the summer.
The Galaxy Watch will include new health technologies, possibly including blood glucose monitoring (although that might be a few years away, as per Stuff). Google’s Pixel Watch 4 might offer more accurate health data, and there’s speculation about a Pixel Watch Ultra (in the vein of Samsung’s model) for those who want a luxury option.
Will VR go mainstream?
VR headsets are too expensive right now to go fully mainstream, but they’re beginning to be used in various business and technology settings. Towards the end of 2024, both Google and Samsung announced new devices (Android XR and Project Moohan), with Samsung’s price likely to be around £1,500.
Meanwhile Apple is working on a new Vision Pro – that might be one for 2026 rather than this year. Likewise, the Meta Quest 4 will be released in 2026. Although there might be a new pair of Meta smart glasses. Whether they’ll look good is another matter – the eyewear manufacturer EssillorLuxottica reportedly “balked” at the design, choosing not to partner with Meta.
