{"id":213091,"date":"2026-01-02T11:42:33","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T11:42:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/213091\/"},"modified":"2026-01-02T11:42:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T11:42:33","slug":"these-are-the-top-100-news-stories-of-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/213091\/","title":{"rendered":"These are the top 100 news stories of 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s that time of the year when we look back and see what mattered most to you. What better way than to see which news stories resonated the best with our readers? We rounded up our 100 most popular news stories and have some interesting insights on our website, you, our readers, and the industry as a whole.<\/p>\n

Battery capacity is by far the strongest point of interest, appearing in a lot of the titles in our stories. It’s no coincidence that this year Silicon-carbon batteries became mainstream in Chinese smartphones. Slimness is also something readers cared about – it’s the focal point of our most-read article of the year.<\/p>\n

\"These<\/p>\n

Another interesting detail is that chipset announcements rivaled phone announcements. Some of our most popular articles of the year centered around the announcements from Qualcomm – Snapdragon 8 Elite, 8s Gen 4, 7 Gen 4; as well as MediaTek – Dimensity 9500 and 9400-Ultra; and Apple – A18, A19 Pro. It shows that readers are now chip-literate and that performance matters as much as the brands themselves.<\/p>\n

Of course, big-name smartphone announcements were dominant in our popular articles of 2025. Midrangers, especially, got hits – Oppo’s A5i line, Infinix’s Note 50 series, the Galaxy A56 and A36, the iPhone 16e. Flagships, naturally, also generated interest – the Galaxy S25 series, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, vivo’s X200 Ultra, Xiaomi’s 17 series.<\/p>\n

You also took note of our early looks – in for reviews, unboxings, and hands-ons.<\/p>\n

Chinese brands dominated the year’s stories. Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco, vivo and iQOO, Infinix and Tecno, and Oppo all pushed bigger batteries and new form factors, outshining traditional makers like Samsung, Apple, and Google. Though Apple, despite its fewer announcements, always commanded fans’ attention.<\/p>\n

You also engaged with stories about foldables – the Galaxy Z TriFold was among our top 100 stories of the year, despite appearing near the end of it.<\/p>\n

Finally, 2025 showed that naming inflation is real – Ultra, Pro+, Max+, Elite, Ultra Max. Even midrangers carry flagship-style names these days.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Tecno<\/a><\/p>\n

Sadly, the phone will not be released soon.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Honor<\/a><\/p>\n

This battery is bigger than the battery inside the Apple iPad Air 11 (2025)!<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Oppo<\/a><\/p>\n

The Pro also has the better camera, though the differences between the two models aren’t huge.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Huawei<\/a><\/p>\n

You can use a virtual keyboard or a super-slim 5mm wireless keyboard. The laptop itself is super thin, measuring only 14.9mm when closed.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Infinix<\/a><\/p>\n

Infinix goes all out with the Note 50 Pro+.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Samsung<\/a><\/p>\n

The phone finally gets 45W fast charging.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"OnePlus<\/a><\/p>\n

A compact flagship with a potent spec sheet.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Infinix<\/a><\/p>\n

Both phones are LTE-only.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Asus<\/a><\/p>\n

And a lot of AI features – some of which run on-device for better privacy.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Xiaomi<\/a><\/p>\n

The rear is home to 2.7″ and 2.9″ secondary screens, respectively, and triple 50MP cameras – including 5x periscopes.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

All three A-series models have 6.7″ displays. The A36 features faster 45W charging and video HDR support. Both A36 and A26 will get 6 OS updates.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Motorola<\/a><\/p>\n

The latest Moto phone is svelte and pretty in vegan leather in Slipstream blue.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Qualcomm<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s set to power the flagship killers of 2025.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Xiaomi<\/a><\/p>\n

Other key upgrades feature the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC and a bigger 6,000mAh battery.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Xiaomi<\/a><\/p>\n

Xiaomi’s first flagship chipset outbenchmarked the Snapdragon 8 Elite.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"iPhone<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s only got a single rear camera and is not very colorful.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Redmi<\/a><\/p>\n

Triple drivers, ANC, head tracking and LDAC support with a reasonable price tag.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Xiaomi<\/a><\/p>\n

Xiaomi’s best Smart Band to date brings a nicer display and promises improved health tracking, but those upgrades come at a premium.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Poco<\/a><\/p>\n

A look at the upcoming Poco F7’s design and box contents.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Samsung<\/a><\/p>\n

Snapdragon 8 Elite enables smarter AI but is all this enough of an upgrade?<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Tecno<\/a><\/p>\n

The Spark Slim is just 5.75mm thick but its build quality is the true star.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Infinix<\/a><\/p>\n

We got some hands-on time with the world’s first smartphone powered by the Dimensity 7300 Ultimate SoC.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Nothing<\/a><\/p>\n

Nothing enters its Glyph Matrix era.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Motorola<\/a><\/p>\n

The phone is drop resistant and rated IP69. It supports 68W fast wired and 15W wireless charging.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"vivo<\/a><\/p>\n

The V50 also offers 90W fast charging and a quad-curved OLED.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Itel<\/a><\/p>\n

Itel didn’t just cram a huge battery inside the phone; instead, it went a different route.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"vivo<\/a><\/p>\n

OriginOS 6 premieres in China and will become global on October 15.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Redmi<\/a><\/p>\n

It can also double as a powerbank with reverse wired charging at up to 22.5W speeds.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Redmi<\/a><\/p>\n

The Note 15 5G is available in three color options – Midnight Black, Sky Blue and Star White.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"vivo<\/a><\/p>\n

Vivo has pushed its Ultra flagship to new heights (and lengths).<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Aluminum-clad<\/a><\/p>\n

This truly is the biggest update to the iPhone in some time.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Xiaomi<\/a><\/p>\n

Xiaomi ironed out all of the mishaps from the Buds 5 while delivering better sound and battery life.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Motorola's<\/a><\/p>\n

The phones come in pretty Pantone colors and have textured backs.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"vivo<\/a><\/p>\n

Both phones are available only in China.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Qualcomm<\/a><\/p>\n

It brings several key improvements over 2023’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 3.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Poco<\/a><\/p>\n

While the full reveal is scheduled for next week, we can offer you an early glimpse of the F7 Pro.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Sony<\/a><\/p>\n

The Porsche of smartphone upgrades – looks the same, is a bit better and faster.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Xiaomi<\/a><\/p>\n

One of the best battery scores around.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Nothing<\/a><\/p>\n

Nothing has also posted a video comparison against the iPhone 16 Pro Max.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"RedMagic<\/a><\/p>\n

The phones are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Redmi<\/a><\/p>\n

It is expected to launch globally as the Poco X7 Pro.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"iPhone<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s powered by the A19 chip.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Redmi<\/a><\/p>\n

Note 15 Pro+ debuts the new Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chip, while Note 15 Pro comes with MediaTek’s Dimensity 7400 Ultra.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Our<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s an improvement over the last generation, but perhaps not as good as the battery capacity would make you believe.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Huawei<\/a><\/p>\n

A noteworthy wearable, bridging the gap between active and design-oriented devices.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Lenovo<\/a><\/p>\n

The 2024 model was powered by the older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. This is still an 8.8″ tablet with a 6,550mAh battery and dual USB-C ports with passthrough charging.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"vivo<\/a><\/p>\n

The latest X200 series member is official in Taiwan and is expected to make its way to more markets soon.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Poco<\/a><\/p>\n

A Marvelous twist on a great new smartphone.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Nothing<\/a><\/p>\n

Nothing’s latest flagship also features a 3x periscope, an IP68 rating, and up to 16GB of RAM.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"MediaTek<\/a><\/p>\n

Expect to see on Oppo and Vivo flagships at the end of the year.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"We<\/a><\/p>\n

And show you the White one as well.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Samsung<\/a><\/p>\n

This year Samsung also upgraded the glass (GG Victus+) and the chipset (Exynos 1480). The M56 will receive software support until the end of 2030.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"vivo<\/a><\/p>\n

Vivo’s pocket rocket is here and it’s nice!<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Tecno<\/a><\/p>\n

The curvy and svelte Camon 40 Pro 5G comes with its own AI button.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Samsung<\/a><\/p>\n

All of the recently leaked specs were accurate, it seems.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Snapdragon<\/a><\/p>\n

This chipset is also the first in the 6-series to support INT4 for AI tasks and it brings a solid improvement to GPU performance over the previous generation.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Infinix<\/a><\/p>\n

You still want a thin and light phone but fancy fewer curves? This is it.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"vivo<\/a><\/p>\n

The vivo X300 lineup also packs larger batteries and runs Android 16-based OriginOS 6.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Redmi<\/a><\/p>\n

The successor to one of the most popular phones in the world.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Samsung<\/a><\/p>\n

Samsung’s largest foldable to date will be available for purchase in South Korea from next Friday.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Galaxy<\/a><\/p>\n

Featuring a free year of Samsung’s Knox Suite and three years of enhanced business support.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"OnePlus<\/a><\/p>\n

The pair launches in China first.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Redmi<\/a><\/p>\n

Your eyes aren\u2019t deceiving you, that\u2019s a Bose 2.1 channel system with an actual woofer on the back.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"OnePlus<\/a><\/p>\n

Features an industry-first micro-arc oxidation treatment for the metal frame.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Google<\/a><\/p>\n

They also bring the Pixelsnap ecosystem.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Infinix<\/a><\/p>\n

The phone is powered by a Mediatek Dimensity 8350.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Qualcomm<\/a><\/p>\n

It is touted as the “world’s fastest mobile system-on-a-chip” by Qualcomm.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Samsung<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s here, it’s rounder, is it better?<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"vivo<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s already on sale in India.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Nothing<\/a><\/p>\n

The Phone (3a) series brings solid upgrades this year.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"CMF<\/a><\/p>\n

Also, the 50MP main camera has a larger sensor. Other improvements include a higher water resistance rating and a slimmer, lighter design.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Poco<\/a><\/p>\n

Poco’s first Ultra phone made its way to our office.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"vivo<\/a><\/p>\n

This is almost identical to the vivo V50 Lite 4G that launched a few days ago – that one had a Snapdragon 685 chipset.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Yes, this is a spiritual successor to the BlackBerry Passport. But it has things the Passport never did – like 5G, a tele camera and a secondary display on the back.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Poco<\/a><\/p>\n

The F6 Pro was only rated IP54. Also, this is the first tele camera on a Poco since the F2 Pro. Wireless charging is rare on Pocos too, but the Ultra has it.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"vivo<\/a><\/p>\n

At 200mm focal length with the extra zoom lens attached, the vivo X300 Pro can be a formidable camera.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Samsung<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s thin and light, so what else is going on?<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"vivo<\/a><\/p>\n

200mm focal length on your phone? Sure, why not.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"iQOO<\/a><\/p>\n

It comes with the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC, a 144Hz display, and a 6,400 mAh battery.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Xiaomi<\/a><\/p>\n

The lineup will include the Xiaomi 17, Xiaomi 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Huawei<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s a clamshell with a hinge on the side.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Infinix<\/a><\/p>\n

A multipurpose flip-style outward foldable that utilizes dual hinges.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Huawei<\/a><\/p>\n

The two lenses are attached to a massive 1\/1.28-inch telephoto sensor.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Moto<\/a><\/p>\n

It comes in two Pantone colors with a fake leather finish.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Tecno<\/a><\/p>\n

Tecno adds IP68\/IP69 to its capable camera flagship!<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"vivo<\/a><\/p>\n

The new version is sleeker than ever, FuntouchOS is no more.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Infinix<\/a><\/p>\n

A solid runner-up in a fashionable and well-specked series.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Check<\/a><\/p>\n

Samsung will once again offer exclusive color options for its flagship phones via its official online store.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Apple<\/a><\/p>\n

It debuts the Apple N1 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip as well as the Apple C1X modem.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Samsung<\/a><\/p>\n

Samsung turned up the style to 11 with the new A56.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"vivo<\/a><\/p>\n

The vivo X300 series is expected to debut in China this October.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"CMF<\/a><\/p>\n

The watch gains dual-band GPS, ChatGPT support and new sports modes. It’s available starting today in three color options.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"iOS<\/a><\/p>\n

The most significant redesign since iOS 7 is here.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Sony<\/a><\/p>\n

The Xperia 10 VII is equipped with the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 SoC.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Samsung<\/a><\/p>\n

A new-look Ultra, same old S25\/S25+, and now an Edge.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Oppo<\/a><\/p>\n

Our first impression of the non-Pro Oppo flagship.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"RedMagic<\/a><\/p>\n

RedMagic’s latest over-the-top gaming phone has massive numbers on its side.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Tecno<\/a><\/p>\n

All three are available for pre-order in Uganda with official sales starting on July 7.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"MediaTek<\/a><\/p>\n

The new chips arrive without any major changes to last year’s Dimensity 7300 series.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It’s that time of the year when we look back and see what mattered most to you. What…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":213092,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[342,111,139,69,145],"class_list":{"0":"post-213091","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mobile","8":"tag-mobile","9":"tag-new-zealand","10":"tag-newzealand","11":"tag-nz","12":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=213091"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213091\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/213092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=213091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=213091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=213091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}