That’s half the year done. That may not exactly be a bad thing, considering how it’s panned out in many ways, till now. On the brighter side, we’ve seen a lot of rather interesting gadgets and tech being launched in previous months. Across categories, evolution has been rapid and it is no longer an easy buying decision for consumers — either performance and specs are very close, or there are new additions to a proposition that may be confusing. The layer of artificial intelligence (AI) that PC makers are increasingly adding to their new Windows laptops and desktops, a case in point. I pick some of the neatest new tech launched since the turn of the year, so that you don’t have to.
Last week in Wired Wisdom: Visiting Apple’s secret Durability Labs, Adobe’s Firefly app and questioning AI’s skills.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: No recency bias here, but Samsung’s newest addition to its flagship line-up, the Galaxy S25 Edge finds its biggest achievement in making pretty much every other Android phone feel thick and bulky. That, whilst retaining all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a flagship Android phone, except perhaps the battery that needs some mollycoddling to last as long as you’d expect. A very minor trade-off, all things considered.
Apple Mac Studio: This generation, as I pointed out , is a unique refresh. The Apple Mac Studio line-up for 2025 gives you the choice of the latest generation M4 Max chips, as well as half a generation elder M3 Ultra chips. This is a desktop computing device that will absolutely not slow down even the slightest, irrespective of what workflow you send its way. The port options keep pace, and the design is a visual treat. There are very few certainties in life. Death, taxes and a Mac Studio’s longevity.
HP OmniBook 7 Aero: In this era of AI PCs that sees Intel, AMD and Qualcomm all vying for their share of the pie, the HP OmniBook 7 Aero does stand out. I’d called it a “computing equivalent of a mid-engined sports car”. That may have been in reference to how it’s been put together, but the sports car reference very much applies to the performance aspect too. HP’s intent to thicken the layer with a suite that includes AI Companion, seems to be adding value.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra: The definitive camera phone of the year till now? Difficult to bet against the Xiaomi 15 Ultra though the Vivo X200 Pro and OnePlus 13 may have a few things to say. Nevertheless, Leica smarts position this as an excellent point-and-shoot Android phone (surprisingly, most rivals need some cajoling). The photography kit, which includes a grip with extra battery capacity, builds that narrative further. The photography and video results are inarguable, whilst having a likeable totality, and thats what matters.
Sonos Arc Ultra: Reworking physics is not for the faint of heart. Sonos has done exactly that, and now since that has happened, makes us wonder why no one else thought of this over the years. The Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar, redraws audio hardware architecture, and calls it SoundMotion. Traditional speakers use single cone or dome-shaped diaphragm to displace air and produce sound. This diaphragm is attached to a voice coil moving within a magnetic field created by a single magnet. Instead of one large driver, Sound Motion uses two opposing diaphragms powered by four compact motors (each with dual voice coils). These diaphragms move in opposite directions, canceling mechanical vibrations that could distort sound or rattle the enclosure.
Xiaomi X Pro QLED 2025: For Xiaomi to deliver a ‘Filmmaker Mode’, something similar to what Sony added to its much more expensive Bravia TVs late last year, gives the X Pro QLED TV its trump card. The extreme levels of tuning needed to make this work as it should, have been delivered. As is the rest of the features list, that includes a pristine QLED panel and support for all consumer facing HDR formats. There’s barely any room for complaints, as far as image processing and reproduction is concerned.
CMF Phone 2 Pro: Mid-range Android phones never had this sort of a colourful, outward personality, before Nothing’s CMF brand showed up. The CMF Phone 2 Pro surprisingly has a lot of tricks up its sleeve. It has quite a bit of performance, an impressive display, as well as dual 50-megapixel main and telephoto cameras that get the job done. There’s a large battery and some smart AI play with the Essential Key, but for all intents and purposes, you’d be buying this because you also love that industrial design, with visible screws.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: This generation shied away from wholesale hardware changes, with a new chip and an ultra-wide camera sensor that were needed, delivered. That meant focus was on additive improvements with AI, performance and system software. It has all come together rather well. The camera is on point as you’d expect, One UI feels just as a premium phone’s software should and the design remains incredibly likeable. As I noted, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is flawless, or at least is very close to achieving that. Not something many an Android phone can claim.
Xiaomi Pad 7: The fact that this tablet is still my go-to device for reading, is a real-world testament to how well Xiaomi has done to bring a nano-texture display at these price points. In terms of utility, and affordability. Till now, this option was only available on Apple iPad Pro range, which decidedly is in a different price range. There is of course a Xiaomi Pad 7 without this optional display too. In both instances, Xiaomi is definitively making a stronger case for Android tablets.
Noise Master Buds: If you’d been looking closely (we certainly were pointing to it), Indian tech company Noise’ premiumisation shift was becoming apparent. They had to, if order ticket prices had to go up. The Noise Master Buds earbuds, their most expensive true wireless headphones till date, are the latest chapter. The Bose influence is certainly more than cursory, which translates into a definite uplift of pieces that form the broader wireless audio experiential puzzle. It is a substantial upgrade in terms of audio quality, and the Noise x Bose collaboration was largely unexpected before it was announced.
