2025 Smartphone Market: A January Showdown New Phone Preview and Market Analysis

2025 Smartphone Market: A January Showdown New Phone Preview and Market Analysis2024 is in the past, and as is tradition, on the first day of 2025, we will conduct a comprehensive review and forward-looking analysis of the new smartphones released in January. Unlike previous years where manufacturers generally took a break before the Spring Festival, this year, due to the earlier release of flagship phones, many brands have brought forward their new product launch plans to January

2025 Smartphone Market: A January Showdown New Phone Preview and Market Analysis

2024 is in the past, and as is tradition, on the first day of 2025, we will conduct a comprehensive review and forward-looking analysis of the new smartphones released in January. Unlike previous years where manufacturers generally took a break before the Spring Festival, this year, due to the earlier release of flagship phones, many brands have brought forward their new product launch plans to January. This includes iterations of popular models like the Redmi Turbo 4 and Realme 14 Pro+, resulting in a sudden surge in market competition. Major brands seem intent on sparking a fierce market battle at the beginning of the year, preheating the upcoming peak showdown of flagship "super cups." Of course, choosing to release new phones near the Spring Festival also reflects manufacturers' accurate grasp of the strong consumer demand during this period, offering consumers more diverse "New Year's goods" options. Next, we will analyze several important phone products released in January.

I. Redmi Turbo 4: The Enthusiastic Return of Cost-Effectiveness

As one of Redmi's best-selling product lines, the Redmi Turbo series has always attracted much attention, consistently ranking among the top sellers in the entry-level and mid-range markets. Previously, new Redmi Turbo series phones were usually released in April, but this year, the Redmi Turbo 4 was brought forward to January and features the debut of the MediaTek Dimensity 8400-Ultra processor. This latest sub-flagship processor from MediaTek boasts AnTuTu benchmark scores even surpassing the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, delivering impressive performance.

The Redmi Turbo 4 also features a new generation 1.5K LTPS screen with significantly improved brightness; a 6500mAh large battery with 90W fast charging. Judging solely from the specifications, as long as Redmi keeps the price of the Turbo 4 below 2000 yuan, its competitiveness remains very strong. However, the Dimensity 8400-Ultra processor is not without flaws; its GPU performance is relatively weak, showing a certain gap compared to the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 in gaming performance.

Furthermore, the Redmi Turbo 4 adopts the IP68 drop resistance design from the Note 14 series, improving its durability. However, leaks suggest it will use a plastic mid-frame, a slight drawback. Thankfully, the back cover still uses glass, ensuring a good feel. Considering the popularity of last year's Harry Potter collaboration model, a new collaboration is highly anticipated this year.

II. iQOO Z9 Turbo Long-Endurance Version: Is an Ultra-Large Battery the Ultimate Weapon?

The iQOO Z9 Turbo Long-Endurance Version is the fifth model in this series, and also the one with the longest name, leading one to wonder if iQOO's designers have developed "naming difficulties." From the release of the first three models in April to the iQOO Z9 Turbo+ in September, and finally the long-endurance version in January, the iQOO Z9 series' release cycle spans almost a year, fully demonstrating iQOO's emphasis on the Z9 series' reputation.

Despite its lengthy name, the iQOO Z9 Turbo Long-Endurance Version is essentially just a larger battery version of the iQOO Z9 Turbo. Its core feature is a 6400mAh ultra-large battery, and it offers a 16GB RAM version. Considering the iQOO Z9 Turbo uses the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor, a 1.5K 144Hz high-refresh-rate screen, and 80W fast charging, if imaging performance isn't a high priority, this phone is very suitable for daily use and gaming.

Currently, the iQOO Z9 Turbo Long-Endurance Version is expected to be priced under 2000 yuan, putting it in direct competition with the Redmi Turbo 4.

III. Realme 14 Pro+: Can Imaging Capabilities Become the Main Support?

As the third phone confirmed for a January release, the Realme 14 Pro+ has slightly weaker CPU performance compared to the previous two, employing the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor with AnTuTu scores between 750,000 and 800,000 (the previous two processors scored between 1,500,000 and 1,800,000). While its GPU performance is adequate for daily games like "Honor of Kings" and "PUBG Mobile," playing demanding games like "Genshin Impact" requires lowering the graphics settings and enabling frame interpolation to maintain a stable 60fps.

The Realme 14 Pro+ features a full depth-of-field micro-curved screen design with bezels as narrow as 1.6mm on the sides. While the screen resolution is FHD+, with a 120Hz refresh rate, it's sufficient for daily use. Considering the processor's performance, the FHD+ resolution is a more reasonable choice. Additionally, it has a 5000mAh battery, 80W fast charging, and IP69 dust and water resistance.

Interestingly, the Realme 14 Pro+'s selling points are its appearance and imaging capabilities. Its back cover uses a world-first temperature-sensitive color-changing technology. The Pearl White color changes to a highly saturated blue when the temperature is below 16 degrees Celsius, reverting to Pearl White when the temperature rises, making it extremely attractive to female users.

Furthermore, as a phone priced below 2000 yuan, the Realme 14 Pro+'s imaging system is quite "luxurious": a 50MP 1/1.56" main camera + a 50MP 1/1.95" periscope lens + an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens + a "MagicGlow" flash system. The "MagicGlow" flash system uses a world-first three dual-color temperature flash lights, providing more uniform and brighter supplementary lighting.

If you have high demands for appearance and imaging and a limited budget, then the Realme 14 Pro+ might be worth considering. Its performance is also sufficient for daily use.

IV. Huawei Enjoy 80: A More Affordable Huawei Comeback

Based on currently leaked information, the Huawei Enjoy 80 will return to the Kirin chip platform, using a new generation Kirin 7-series chip, replacing the previously used Qualcomm Snapdragon mid-range processors. However, limited information is currently available, and this phone will likely remain an entry-level product, with no major upgrades to imaging and screen specifications. However, with the Enjoy series returning to the Kirin platform, all Huawei's currently sold phone series will return to Kirin chips, which is undoubtedly a significant milestone.

The Huawei Enjoy 80 is expected to be released at the end of January, aiming to catch the Spring Festival market. More information is expected to be revealed next month.

V. Samsung S25: The Concert Killer Strikes Again?

Although Samsung's market share in China has significantly decreased, the S25 series still maintains good sales domestically, especially the "super cup" version, known as the "concert killer." Samsung announced that it will release the S25 series on January 22nd. The entire series will use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor, abandoning the previous mix of Exynos and Snapdragon processors. Furthermore, the storage capacity of the entire series has doubled, with 12GB as the starting RAM.

Screen sizes remain consistent with the previous generation at 6.1 inches, 6.6 inches, and 6.8 inches, but the overall design is more unified. The most crucial upgrade is in the imaging system. The S25 Ultra will use a 200-megapixel wide-angle main camera, upgrading the ultra-wide-angle lens from 12MP to 50MP, and featuring a 10MP 3x telephoto lens and a 50MP 5x telephoto lens, representing a significant overall improvement.

However, the S25 and S25+ versions have smaller upgrades to their imaging systems, possibly only upgrading the sensors, with less improvement than the "super cup" version. The starting price remains the same as the previous generation. Consumers are advised not to rush to buy the first release, as Samsung phones in China are known for their price drops; waiting for promotions like 618 will allow purchasing at a lower price.

VI. Smartphone Brands Battle During the Spring Festival: A Glimpse into the 2025 Market Competition Landscape?

The Spring Festival has always been a peak season for smartphone sales, with strong consumer demand for both rewarding oneself with year-end bonuses and purchasing gifts for friends and family. Therefore, many phone manufacturers invest heavily in market marketing during the Spring Festival every year. The series of new products released in January are precisely targeting this market opportunity.

For example, the Redmi Turbo 4, with its strong product capabilities, has become a leader among mid-range phones in January. The improvement in CPU performance brought by the Dimensity 8400-Ultra processor provides users with a smoother daily experience, and it is equipped with MediaTek's latest generation NPU, the