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- Apple predicted to end Samsung’s 14-year run as smartphone king by 2025
Apple predicted to end Samsung’s 14-year run as smartphone king by 2025
Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s biggest camera change seemingly confirmed by new renders
Joel Joseph
November 27, 2025
GIZMOCHINA DAILY
Daily Tech News & Insights, Every Weekday.
Good morning, and happy Friday!
We’re closing out the week with a major industry shift on the horizon: new forecasts suggest Apple could finally dethrone Samsung in 2025, ending a 14-year reign at the top of the global smartphone market.
Meanwhile, fresh Xiaomi 17 Ultra renders hint at a big camera redesign, Honor has launched a smart AI projector with gesture controls, and Google’s Gemini is quietly transforming what Wear OS watches can do.
Here’s everything in today’s edition:
Apple predicted to end Samsung’s 14-year run as smartphone king
Xiaomi 17 Ultra camera changes seemingly confirmed in new renders
Honor Firefly AI Projector Air debuts with gesture controls
Gemini lands on Wear OS: What changes on your smartwatch
Huawei launches new micro-pump liquid cooling case for Mate 80 series
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OnePlus Pad Go 2 preview • Alibaba Quark AI Glasses now on sale • Galaxy S27 Ultra camera leak disappoints
Let’s dive in.
Samsung has led the global smartphone market for so long that it’s practically tradition. But if the latest forecast from Counterpoint Research plays out, that streak is ending, and sooner than you’d think.
Counterpoint expects Apple to climb back to the No. 1 position by the end of this year. Overall smartphone shipments are only predicted to rise about 3.3% next year, yet Apple’s growth is projected to more than triple that pace at roughly 10%.
Read on to find out more.
 Renders of Photography Kit confirms Xiaomi 17 Ultra's triple camera setup Xiaomi’s 17 Ultra is the last holdout in the company’s annual flagship lineup. The phone is expected to land in two variants, and local testing in India reportedly kicked off not long ago. Now, a fresh set of renders showing the Xiaomi 17 Ultra wrapped in the company’s Photography Kit has made its way to the rumor mill. The images show the Photography Kit in two variants, beige and black. |  Honor has introduced the Honor Choice Firefly AI Projector Air at the Honor 500 Series launch event. The compact 1080p projector is powered by the HiSilicon 352 quad-core chip, paired with 32GB of storage to support smoother system performance and faster video processing. It uses a 1LCD optical engine and a 4-element lanthanide glass lens designed to reduce light loss and improve clarity. |
 Google‘s Gemini is no longer just a phone-first AI assistant; it’s now on your wrist, fundamentally changing how you interact with your smartwatch. Since its rollout earlier this year, Gemini has begun replacing Google Assistant on smartwatches running Wear OS 4 and above. Whether you own a Pixel Watch 4, Galaxy Watch 8, or OnePlus Watch 3, Gemini has arrived to turn your smartwatch into a more helpful, conversational, and context-aware tool. |  Huawei has launched new micro-pump liquid cooling cases for its latest Mate 80 series smartphones in China. The new accessory supports the Mate 80, Mate 80 Pro, and Mate 80 Pro Max models. Huawei has priced each version at 299 yuan ($42) and says the design improves on the earlier cases built for the Mate 70 and Mate 60 series. The case now adopts a full-cover structure instead of the partial design used in previous generations. |
Additional Reads 📖
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Joel Joseph
Editor-in-Chief @ Gizmochina.com