InPublishing: TIME reveals best inventions of 2025

TIME says the 2025 Best Inventions cover features Figure AI’s humanoid robot Figure 03, accompanied by an exclusive cover story by TIME’s Billy Perrigo on the company’s aim to create its first mass-producible humanoid capable of performing domestic chores and various types of manual labor.

This year, to mark the 25th anniversary of Best Inventions, TIME says it is recognizing 25 additional inventions that it says have had the greatest global impact since first appearing on the annual list — from the Apple iPhone (2007), YouTube (2006), and the Philips Electronics LED light bulb (2009) to NuvaRing birth control (2001) and NovoNordisk Semaglutides (2023).

Of the new list, TIME’s editors write: “For each of the past 25 years, TIME editors have highlighted the most impactful new products and ideas in TIME’s Best Inventions issue…Across a quarter century, the pace of innovation has only accelerated, and to accommodate that, this year’s list features 300 inventions—our biggest list ever.”

To compile this year's list, TIME says it solicited nominations from TIME editors and correspondents around the world, and through an online application process, paying special attention to growing fields — such as health care and AI. TIME says it then evaluated each contender on a number of key factors, including originality, efficacy, ambition, and impact.

TIME outlines some of the best inventions of 2025 as follows:

Adobe Podcast Enhance Speech: “Enhance Speech instantly removes noise, echo, and distortion from audio captured in busy public places or in rooms with poor acoustics.”
Apple AirPods Pro 3: “Beyond removing twice as much background noise as the previous generation of AirPods Pro, tracking wearers’ heart rate using a photoplethysmography pulse sensor, and serving as a hearing aid if needed, the headphones’ new Live Translation feature can interpret a conversation between French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, or English-speaking friends instantly using Apple Intelligence.”
Nintendo Switch 2: “The original Nintendo Switch rewrote the rules for portable gaming. Its 2025 sequel increases the power without sacrificing portability.”
Google DeepMind Genie 3: “Genie 3, Google DeepMind’s world model launched in August, converts text prompts into interactive digital worlds.”
Oura Ring 4: “The latest smart ring from the Finnish company that pioneered the category has more than twice as many signal pathways as its predecessor, enabling more complete and accurate readings of physiological data.”
The North Face DotKnit: “Originally designed to outfit some of the world's elite alpine athletes, The North Face's newest Advanced Mountain Kit features a collection of layers and technologies for those looking to stay dry on sweaty cold-weather adventures.”
Lotus Ring: “Press a button on the rechargeable ring…and an infrared signal triggers specialized covers that flip switches without any rewiring, apps, or the need to get up. It’s like a universal remote you can wear.”
FireSat: “It was proof of concept for FireSat, a next-level wildfire detection system that can identify ‘fires as small as 5-by-5 meters—about the size of a one-car garage—long before they grow into disaster fires,’ says Brian Collins, executive director of Earth Fire Alliance (EFA).”
RootWave eWeeder: “Herbicides can have dangerous drawbacks, so U.K.-based RootWave developed a new nontoxic approach to weeds: The company’s tractor-mounted eWeeder zaps them with electricity.”
L’Oreal AirLight Pro: “With more than 150 patents, it features a 17-blade motor surrounded by tungsten-halogen bulbs that produce infrared light to dry hair faster than standard hair dryers.”
Swear: “Deepfake disinformation erodes public trust. Swear’s digital DNA fingerprints every pixel, audio sample, and metadata in real time when you take a video, and writes the hashes to the blockchain, so any later tweak—even one single bit—shows up instantly.”
Infinite Machine Olto: “In the world of micro-mobility vehicles, there’s now a dizzying array of mopeds, e-bikes, and scooters to choose from. The futuristic Olto combines features of all three in one slick design.”
Superfluent: “Superfluent, built on a combination of OpenAI’s and Google’s models, uses conversational AI to assess users’ fluency and create appropriate dialogue scenarios, like ordering a coffee in a cafe, or inviting a friend to a party.”
AirCo AirMade SAF: “The name says it all: AirCo pulls carbon dioxide and hydrogen from the air to make AirMade fuel, turning atmospheric gasses into flight-ready energy.”
Phia: “Phia’s user-friendly interface, available on iOS and as a Google Chrome browser extension, compares prices for new and used clothing, shoes, and accessories with one click.”
Savor Butter: “Savor is making animal-free fats that chemically match the real stuff, but have lower CO2 emissions, water use, and land use than their agriculture-based counterparts.”
Bloom Energy Server: “The growth of AI and data centers creates enormous loads on energy grids, sometimes causing unpredictable outages. Bloom Energy has developed onsite power systems to provide 24/7 reliability.”
Voltpost: “Voltpost—available in six states, in partnership with utility companies and AT&T—is making it faster and cheaper to add new charging points by retrofitting existing infrastructure: it encases conventional lampposts with EV charging equipment.”
January AI: “When a user searches a menu, scans a barcode, or takes a photo of their meal, the January AI app uses an algorithm to predict how much the food will spike their blood sugar, and suggests timely behavior changes like exercise or increasing time between meals to control glucose levels without a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) or any needle pricks.”
LeafyPod: “The sleek smart planter has four AI sensors that monitor temperature, humidity, light levels, and soil moisture—all accessed via its companion app.”
Nara Organics Whole Milk Infant Formula: “This July, Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Infant Formula became the first and only FDA-registered organic whole milk infant formula that meets both U.S. and E.U. standards.”
Cape Obscura: “Cape Obscura is the first phone with a cellular service that changes your phone’s network identity every day, making privacy the default while keeping you connected.”
Greyparrot Analyzer: “The company’s Analyzer product uses machine learning to help waste-management and recycling facilities better identify individual pieces of waste being processed so they can be sorted and recycled more effectively.”
Flashfood 3.0: “With version 3.0 of its mobile app…shoppers can find flash deals on fresh meat, dairy, bakery items, and produce—often discounted up to 50%—that might otherwise be discarded by nearby supermarkets due to aesthetic flaws or looming expiration dates.”
Beyond Power Voltra 1: “The Voltra I shrinks a weight room into a portable shoebox-sized device, making strength training accessible without a gym.”
Glacier Recycling Robots: “Glacier’s AI-powered robot can identify more than 30 recyclable materials, and is being tested on bio-plastics. One robot can prevent some 10 million items from going to a landfill each year.”
Pixicade: “This toy turns drawings into video games, sparking creativity while bridging the analog and digital worlds.”
Manta Sound Sleep Mask: “The new version of Manta’s Sound Sleep Mask is lighter, thinner, and more comfortable than its predecessor.”