Apple had one of its most successful years in recent memory in 2025. The iPhone 17 series emerged as one of its best-selling smartphone lineups, helping Apple surpass its longtime rival Samsung to become the world’s leading smartphone vendor for the first time in over a decade.
Beyond smartphones, Apple also strengthened its position in the ARM chipset market with the introduction of the M5 chip, which powers a wide range of devices including iPads, MacBooks, and the refreshed Vision Pro.
The AirPods Pro 3 offered best-in-class noise cancellation and meaningful upgrades over the already impressive AirPods Pro 2. However, not all risks paid off—most notably, the iPhone Air failed to meet expectations.
Apple’s artificial intelligence initiatives remain underdeveloped, with the promised revamped Siri assistant still absent. Here’s a comprehensive look at Apple’s successes and missteps in 2025.
Winner: iPhone 17 Series
Continuing Apple’s tradition of refinement, the iPhone 17 lineup arguably perfected the formula. The base iPhone 17 saw a significant sales boost, becoming one of the strongest performers in Apple’s current roster.
Apple iPhone 17
- 256GB 8GB RAM
$ 789.99 - 512GB 8GB RAM
€ 1,199.00
The long-overdue ProMotion display upgrade, improved 18MP multi-aspect selfie camera, latest-generation A19 chipset, and 256GB base storage make the iPhone 17 a standout device—all while maintaining the same starting price as its predecessor.
The iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max introduced a bold new design with striking orange and dark blue color options. These are the first iPhones equipped with dedicated vapor chamber cooling systems and feature upgraded 48MP periscope telephoto cameras, significantly larger batteries on eSIM variants, and 12GB of RAM as standard.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro
- 256GB 12GB RAM$ 1,218.94
- 512GB 12GB RAM$ 1,387.95
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
- 256GB 12GB RAM$ 1,500.00
- 512GB 12GB RAM$ 1,710.00
The iPhone 17 lineup was an immediate success, helping Apple strengthen its lead across major global markets.
Loser: iPhone Air
Despite high anticipation, the iPhone Air became a rare misstep for Apple. Consumers were reluctant to pay flagship prices for a phone whose main appeal is its thin, lightweight design.
While the Air impresses with build quality, display, and the powerful A19 Pro chipset, compromises in camera performance, audio quality, and battery life led to underwhelming sales.
Reports indicate Apple has no plans to release a successor to the Air soon, and its resale value is declining rapidly. Furthermore, the lead designer behind the iPhone Air has departed the company, and the device’s reception has reportedly deterred competitors from pursuing ultra-thin, lightweight phone designs.
Apple iPhone 17 Air
Loser: iPhone 16e
Alongside the Air, the iPhone 16e also struggled to find its footing. Priced at $599, it commands a premium despite relying heavily on recycled components from older iPhones and lacking several key features.
Like the Air, the 16e sports a single 48MP camera, but with a smaller sensor and without sensor-shift optical image stabilization. Its 6.1-inch OLED display runs at 60Hz and retains the older notch design with thicker bezels, falling short of the Air’s 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with 120Hz ProMotion. Additionally, the 16e lacks an Always-On Display feature.
Another notable omission is the absence of MagSafe, which has been standard on every new iPhone over the past five years. Moreover, the 16e is only available in basic black or white, missing an opportunity to attract buyers with more vibrant color options.
Apple iPhone 16e
Winner: MacBook Pro 14 with M5 Chip
The 14-inch MacBook Pro is arguably the top laptop choice this year. Retaining the premium build, pro-grade Liquid Retina XDR display, and 72.4Wh battery from its predecessor, its standout feature is the new Apple M5 chip.
Though core counts and clock speeds saw little change, the M5 represents a significant leap forward in Apple silicon. It offers a 45% boost in graphics performance, with each GPU core including a Neural Accelerator for improved AI processing.
Memory bandwidth increased by 30%, and CPU multithread performance improved by 15%. Remarkably, battery life remains consistent despite these performance gains.
Losers: Apple Intelligence and Siri 2.0
For the second consecutive year, Apple Intelligence remains a disappointment. While some features reached consumers in 2025, the much-anticipated overhaul of Siri is still missing, now over two years overdue.
Rumors suggest Apple has partnered with Google to leverage its Gemini AI models for the new Siri, reflecting a pragmatic approach: if you can’t build the best AI internally, use the best external technology available.
Winner: AirPods Pro 3
The AirPods Pro 3, the successor to the highly regarded AirPods Pro 2, delivered exceptional noise cancellation and transparency modes, superior microphone quality, and useful health and workout tracking features.
Apple also enhanced battery life, expanded software integration with Live Translation, and improved ingress protection to IP57.
