PhoneArena Innovation Awards 2025: The tech that changed the game

Let’s dive into the winners.

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Best Phones of 2025 Awards

Software Feature Award: AirDrop on the Pixel 10

For years, AirDrop was basically an Apple-exclusive luxury. But Google finally cracked it this year on the Pixel 10, giving Android users a fast, seamless way to share files across devices. It’s intuitive, lightning-fast, and proves software can still deliver that ‘wow’ factor even in small details.

The caveat here? Google developed this all on its own, never asking Apple for permission or advice. Not that it’s needed, but we are curious to see how Apple reacts to that, knowing that Cupertino is surely not happy about this. One wrong move here could attract regulators’ scrutiny though, so we are optimistic for this sticking around.

Hardware Feature Award: The new storage standard

And this year, it’s all about storage. 256GB isn’t just a luxury anymore — it’s the new norm.

Manufacturers are finally giving us enough space for all your apps, games, photos, and videos without worrying about storage. It’s not flashy, but it’s practical, and 2025 made it universal, and it started with the iPhone 17.

We all expected Apple to finally give users ProMotion on the base iPhone, but we did not think it will jump to 256GB storage as well, WHILE keeping the $800 price.

This obviously caught others off-guard and the Galaxy S25 and Pixel 10 Pro models now look out of place with just half the storage at the same price.

Design Feature Award: Liquid Glass

Oh, we know this will be controversial, but whatever your take on this you have to respect Apple’s ambition to completely revamp its interface.

It feels premium, reflects light beautifully, and gives phones that ultra-modern glossy look. In a world where everyone just seems happy with the status quo, Apple is not afraid to go for something brave. Plus, just look at the initial reaction - many companies have already started copying this look, but without all the refinement you have on the iPhone.

Tech Innovation Award: Silicon-carbon batteries

We got a small taste of the power of this technology last year, but this year, we really got to see it in full. Who would have guessed that we’ll have 50% more battery in our phones? That’s exactly what you get in phones like the OnePlus 15, and some others by brands like Honor.

This is the magic technology giving phones two-day battery life without making them huge or heavy.

Honestly, this is a game-changer for how we use our phones. Imagine leaving your charger at home and still having juice the next evening. Now, if only Apple, Samsung and Google could adopt this faster.

Camera Innovation Award: Selfie Camera on the iPhone 17 series

While everyone else pretty much ignored the selfie camera, Apple put some real thought and the result was a quite revolutionary… square sensor!

Yes, a square sensor like on GoPros is so versatile and it’s not just a square for the sake of it. The new design allows you to easily switch between vertical and horizontal snaps without ever tilting the phone. You also get more detail with the new 18MP resolution and Center Stage support.

Apple’s little twist on front-facing cameras proves that even the smallest redesign can bring huge improvements.