2025 was a happening year for Apple, to say the least. We saw a wave of product launches, rumours finally turning into reality, plenty of online drama, a few comebacks, and some long-overdue design changes after years of playing it safe. Not everything landed perfectly, but there was never a dull moment. So let’s take a look at our favourites—and a few not-so-favourites — from Apple in 2025.
Let’s start with the good ones first.
iPhone 17
The iPhone 17 base model turned out to be one of Apple’s biggest wins this year. It finally felt like the standard iPhone was not a compromise anymore, the ‘neglected middle child’, so to speak—part of that was because Apple brought genuinely premium features down to the model. The 120 Hz ProMotion display upgrade made scrolling, animations, and gaming extremely smooth, a feature which was exclusive to Pro models only until then. The iPhone is also powered by Apple’s latest A19 chip, delivering strong performance and efficiency in day-to-day tasks. Apple also included the innovative Center Stage front camera in the iPhone 17 which is an 18 MP wide sensor with AI-driven framing that keeps you centered in video calls and expands the field of view for selfies.
On top of that, Apple doubled the base storage to 256 GB and increased RAM, all without raising the price: the iPhone 17 started at ₹82,900, just like its predecessor, making the iPhone a flagship-level experience but with the price of a base model.
Apple Watch SE 3
The Apple Watch SE 3 is one of the best entry-level smartwatches launched this year. It brings over almost everything that makes the Series 11 great while costing roughly 40% less starting at ₹25,900 in India. The biggest upgrade is the always-on display, which finally lets you check the time and notifications without constantly flicking your wrist. While it still uses the older Series 6–era design and the screen isn’t as bright as the pricier models, it looks sharp enough in daily use.
Performance is excellent courtesy of the S10 chip, the same one found in the Series 11 and Ultra 3, and Apple has also added the handy features like double tap and wrist flick gestures which is in the pricier watches. Battery life is a bit shorter at around a day and a half, but for the price, the SE 3 feels like one of Apple’s best deals this year.
AirPods Pro 3
The AirPods Pro 3 came with major upgrades like next-level Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), integrated heart rate sensing for fitness tracking, improved audio quality, a more secure and comfortable fit, and Live Translation powered by Apple Intelligence, all in a redesigned package with better dust/water resistance and extended battery life making them the most well-rounded and impressive wireless earphones of 2025.
They fit seamlessly into the Apple ecosystem and are especially great for daily use, whether that’s commuting, working, or relaxing.
Now let’s move on to the not-so-great side of Apple in 2025.
M5 MacBook Pro
The MacBook Pro M5 was far from Apple’s standout product of 2025, mostly because it felt like Apple itself wasn’t very excited about it. There was no meaningful spec bump, no bold new feature, and barely any reason for M4 users to care. Instead of a flashy keynote, Apple quietly dropped it via a low-key announcement, which said a lot on its own. The update felt more like a checkbox release than a leap forward—fine on paper, but uninspiring in practice. In a year packed with stronger Apple releases, the M5 MacBook Pro was easy to forget.
iPhone Air MagSafe Battery Pack
Apple’s return of the MagSafe Battery Pack should’ve been an easy win, but the iPhone Air version somehow managed to overcomplicate a simple idea. It was clearly designed to solve one problem: getting the iPhone Air through a long, battery-draining day.However, limiting an accessory this expensive (it is priced at approximately ₹8,900) to one model feels careless. While it technically works with other iPhones, the experience is clunky enough that you would not want to try it. For an accessory meant to be convenient and versatile, the lack of broader compatibility makes it feel very poorly planned.
iPhone Pocket
This one is pretty self-explanatory, but I just wanted to say, “what were they even thinking!” Apple’s marketing team tried to sell it really hard as some bold new accessory behind which they’ve put a lot of creative thought. However, in reality it barely qualified as a bag or pouch or pocket. Furthermore, it was priced at a wild ₹20,000, which only added to the absurdity. The funniest (or saddest) part was that it sold out almost instantly, proving hype beats logic every time.
I know what you’re probably thinking, that there’s a very obvious contender for the worst products list that isn’t included here: the iPhone Air. However, despite the popular consensus and its underwhelming sales, I’m standing by it. Yes, the price point was too high, and yes, there were noticeable performance cut-downs. Still, the iPhone Air was an impressively engineered device with a genuinely beautiful design. It took risks that Apple had not been taking for so long, and even if it didn’t land perfectly this time, there’s still hope.
That pretty much sums up Apple in 2025 for me—a mix of great comebacks, some surprising misses, a lot of innovation after a long time, and a little bit of ridiculousness. Do you agree with this list? What were your favourites this year, and which Apple products did you think missed the mark?
