7 biggest tech announcements expected in early 2025
I'm most excited to see the next-gen Nintendo Switch finally make its debut
We've officially kicked off 2025, and with the start of the new year, we're expecting multiple huge tech announcements from big brands. I'd say 2024 was the first solidly great year for Windows on Arm laptops and AI laptops (and AI in general), and I expect 2025 to be even better.
All the tech we've rounded up here will likely be released in early 2025, but there are no official release dates yet for any of the products. That said, let's jump right into it.
Nvidia 50-series GPUs
Next-gen gaming for laptops has arrived. Well, not yet, but soon! Nvidia's 50-series GPUs (the RTX 5070, 5080, 5090, etc.) have recently been popping up in leaks across the internet.
The earliest we could see a 50-series GPU in action is via Asus at CES 2025. Screenshots of online retailer listings were captured by VideoCardz, and they revealed new Asus laptops with AMD Strix CPUs and Nvidia 50-series GPUs were on the way for spring 2025.
Asus all but verified this leak with an X post that reads, "New STRIX, January 6, 8PM PST," with a teaser video of an upcoming ROG Strix laptop.
Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite 2
Qualcomm had a pretty successful 2024 in the laptop world, all thanks to its first-gen Snapdragon X Elite chipset finally gracing Windows laptops with strong performance and long-lasting battery life. In early 2025, we're hoping to see the even more impressive second-gen Snapdragon X Elite make an entrance.
We're still missing some info on the Qualcomm's upcoming successor to its successful Windows on Arm chip, but we can fill in some of the blanks thanks to the Snapdragon X Elite 2 rumors we've gathered so far.
Stay in the know with Laptop Mag
Get our in-depth reviews, helpful tips, great deals, and the biggest news stories delivered to your inbox.
New AMD CPUs/GPUs
Like clockwork, we should see new CPUs and GPUs from AMD in 2025, potentially as early as CES 2025. AMD will speak at CES 2025 on Monday, January 6 at 11 a.m. Pacific (2 p.m. Eastern), and there's a good chance we'll hear about the company's new chips and plans for 2025.
In the meantime, check out everything we know about AMD's new Strix Halo flagship silicon.
Nintendo Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch launched almost 8 years ago. Although that's a pretty standard gap between Nintendo console generations, I'm more than ready to trade in my old Switch for a new one in early 2025.
Nintendo's President has confirmed that the Switch's successor, which everyone calls the Switch 2, will be announced before the end of its fiscal year (March 31, 2025). A ship date hasn't been confirmed or teased yet, but an announcement could come as early as this month. March 3, 2025, would mark exactly 8 years since the original Switch shipped, so early March is a reasonable area to circle on the calendar.
Samsung headset and glasses
2025 may be the year Samsung breaks into the smart glasses market, with the help of Qualcomm and Google. The Samsung Glasses could be revealed at the company's semi-annual Galaxy Unpacked event, which takes place in January, and prove to be fierce competition for Meta's successful Ray-Ban smart glasses.
In addition to Samsung's first pair of smart glasses, there's also an XR headset collaboration between Samsung and Google to look forward to. Called Project Moohan, the headset resembles Apple's Vision Pro, can switch between full VR modes and mixed reality, and supposedly offers advanced comfortability.
MacBook Air M4
Apple first launched its M4 base chip in the iPad Pro, and has since equipped the latest MacBook Pro models with M4-series chips, including the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max silicon. Next up, the M4-powered MacBook Air.
The best guess for an M4 MacBook Air launch date is sometime between January and March, according to an X post by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Considering the M3 MacBook Air currently tops our best laptops list, we're definitely excited to get our hands on the next-gen MacBook Air and see how it stacks up.
Samsung Galaxy S25
2025 is shaping up to be a big year for Samsung, with the potential launch of smart glasses, an XR headset, and of course, the yearly flagship phone upgrade with amazing cameras: the Galaxy S25.
Based on the Samsung Galaxy S25 rumors we've heard so far, it's possible we could see the phone launch in late January or early February. Since the company has its semi-annual Galaxy Unpacked event in January, that'd be the perfect time to debut a first look at the Galaxy S25 (fingers crossed).
Sarah Chaney is a freelance tech writer with five years of experience across multiple outlets, including Mashable, How-To Geek, MakeUseOf, Tom’s Guide, and of course, Laptop Mag. She loves reviewing the latest gadgets, from inventive robot vacuums to new laptops, wearables, and anything PC-related. When she's not writing, she's probably playing a video game, exploring the outdoors, or listening to her current favorite song or album on repeat.