Tech companies have to keep innovating to stay ahead of the game and maintain or capture more market share. One of the most notable advancements in the mobile computing hardware market was the smartphone, which was introduced by Steve Jobs in 2007. Fast forward to 2025 and customers now demand more advanced hardware, which manufacturers have responded to by innovating these mobile computing hardware technologies.
AI-Powered Hardware
AI has been the talk of town (or the world) ever since OpenAI introduced ChatGPT in 2022. Companies like Tesla, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and Alphabet have invested heavily in the technology, but these focus on the server or cloud part of AI, which focuses on training. Most mobile computing devices aren’t powerful enough to train AI models, but they are increasingly coming with integrated NPUs (Neural Processing Units) for AI inferencing.
These dedicated AI accelerators handle AI inference or tasks faster and more efficiently on the device than the CPU, enabling features like image recognition, language translation, generative AI (on-device), and image editing. Some of the AI-powered smartphones that have already hit the market with inbuilt NPUs and AI algorithms include the iPhone 16 Pro Max and new Samsung S-series phones (S24 and S25).
Flexible/Foldable Displays
Apple has been reluctant to adopt flexible displays to make foldable smartphones but its rival, Samsung, has used this technology in several of its high-end devices. However, the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design is hands down the leader in this category due to its tri-folding design. The phone is essentially a tablet that you can fold to fit in your pocket. It is thick though when folded.
Most flexible displays are based on OLED technology or its variants, such as Samsung’s AMOLED, and the beauty of this flexibility is it offers large screens in compact form factors. Foldable displays are usually paired with flexible PCBs, and they are the potential stepping stone to developing holographic displays, which will revolutionize how humans interact with the digital world.
Enhanced Camera Systems
Cameras usually get better in each smartphone iteration, and this is made possible by advancing the image sensor. With all other factors held constant, the larger the image sensor, the better the image quality that can be captured, so this is one area that is being looked at.
The rationale behind this is that large sensors capture more light and have a higher signal-to-noise ratio. These two features result in a higher dynamic range, shallower depth of field, and better low-light performance.
High-end smartphones, such as the Galaxy S25 Ultra, feature 1/1.3″ sensors, which are physically almost as large as the 1-inch sensors found in professional camcorders or high-end compact cameras. As they near the 1-inch mark, the image quality will only get better.
5G and 6G
5G is relatively new in the mobile computing market but device manufacturers are already looking at 6G to enable applications like holographic communication. This won’t make 5G irrelevant because deploying 6G globally will be expensive. So the two will operate simultaneously in the market. The 5G and 6G chipsets in mobile devices will have features like AI acceleration to enhance location tracking and beam management for faster data transmission.
Wearable Technology
Wearable tech is mostly associated with smartwatches and fitness trackers. But the one segment that has recently made headlines in this field is smart AI glasses. Meta is investing heavily in AI-powered glasses, with the company’s CEO quoted as saying that smart glasses provide a more natural, immersive, and intuitive experience when interacting with technology as compared to looking down at smartphones. Zuckerberg envisions a future where smart glasses replace smartphones as the primary mode of digital interaction.
The hard part lies in fitting the required hardware inside the glass frames to match smartphone performance, but Meta’s Oakley and Ray-Ban glasses have set the bar really high. Advancements in materials, technology, and manufacturing techniques might make Zuck’s vision a reality sooner than expected.
Conclusion: What Next?
As technology advances, there is a growing interest from the public and oversight agencies to push mobile device production to be more sustainable. This means using more environmentally friendly materials and sustainable manufacturing practices. On the materials part, recycling and using bio-based materials is critical. For production, manufacturers should consider factors like design-for-sustainability, optimization to reduce wastage, end-of-life management, etc. WellPCB takes all these into account and has the capability to build circuit boards that support recent advances in mobile devices. Reach out to them to learn more about their production processes and areas of partnership in electronics production.
