Aug 18: The smartphone is going through another major transformation. This time, the change is being driven by artificial intelligence.
AI is no longer limited to voice assistants or automatic camera settings. It is becoming part of the way smartphones process information, edit photos, translate conversations, generate content and help users complete everyday tasks. As a result, AI-powered smartphones are becoming one of the industry’s most important areas of development.
The market is already expanding rapidly. According to IDC, shipments of generative AI smartphones were expected to reach 234.2 million units in 2024, compared with 50.5 million units in 2023. IDC projects that the figure could reach 912 million units by 2028, representing a compound annual growth rate of 78.4% between 2023 and 2028.
AI Is Becoming Part of the Smartphone’s Core
Artificial intelligence is not new to smartphones. Features such as predictive text, facial recognition, voice recognition and computational photography have used machine learning for years.
The difference today is the growing role of generative AI and dedicated AI hardware.
New smartphone processors increasingly include neural processing units, or NPUs, that are designed to handle AI workloads efficiently. This allows smartphones to perform some AI-related tasks directly on the device instead of relying entirely on cloud servers.
For users, that can mean faster responses and potentially better control over personal information.
Smartphone Cameras Are Becoming Smarter
The camera remains one of the most noticeable areas where smartphone AI is making a difference.
AI can identify scenes and subjects, adjust camera settings and improve images in difficult lighting. It can also assist with portraits, video processing and image enhancement.
Generative AI is taking smartphone editing a step further. Instead of manually working through complicated editing controls, users can increasingly make changes using simple instructions.
Unwanted objects can be removed, backgrounds can be modified and photographs can be enhanced with less effort.
This is changing the role of the smartphone camera. It is no longer just about capturing an image; the device can increasingly understand what is in the image and help users change it.
AI Assistants Are Becoming More Natural
Smartphone assistants have traditionally been useful for relatively simple commands, such as setting reminders, making calls or checking information.
Generative AI is changing that.
Newer AI assistants can understand conversational requests and handle more complex tasks. Users can ask them to summarize information, rewrite text, organize notes or explain a topic without having to use a specific command format.
The experience is becoming more like having a conversation than operating a traditional digital assistant.
The longer-term goal is even more ambitious: AI systems that can understand context and help users complete several steps rather than simply answer a single question.
Translation Is Becoming Easier
AI is also helping smartphones become better communication tools.
Modern devices can increasingly translate text and speech, generate captions and assist with conversations in different languages. This can be particularly useful for travellers, international businesses and people who regularly communicate across languages.
As AI models become smaller and more efficient, some translation functions can also be processed directly on the device.
That could make real-time translation faster and more practical in situations where internet connectivity is not reliable.
Generative AI Is Turning Smartphones Into Work Tools
Smartphones are already used extensively for work. AI is expanding their capabilities further.
Depending on the device, users can find AI tools that help with:
- Summarizing messages and documents
- Rewriting text
- Transcribing recordings
- Generating content
- Editing photographs
- Translating conversations
- Searching information using natural language
- Organizing notes
For professionals who work while travelling or away from their desks, these tools can save time and reduce the need to move between multiple applications.
The smartphone is gradually becoming more than a communication device. It is becoming a portable AI-powered work assistant.
Consumers Are Already Using Mobile AI
The growing adoption of AI is also visible in consumer behaviour.
A 2025 Samsung-commissioned study by Symmetry Research surveyed consumers across 10 markets, including India. Samsung reported that 47% of respondents said they rely heavily on AI every day, while 45% said they use voice commands as often as typing to get things done.
The same research found that more than 70% of Galaxy S25 users were using Samsung and Google AI tools, according to Samsung. The company also announced a goal of expanding Galaxy AI to more than 400 million devices by the end of 2025.
These numbers suggest that AI is increasingly becoming part of everyday smartphone use rather than something limited to technology enthusiasts.
India’s Smartphone Market Is Moving Upmarket
India is likely to be an important market for AI smartphones because of its large and increasingly diverse smartphone user base.
IDC reported that India shipped 31.0 million smartphones in Q1 2026, down 4.1% compared with the same quarter of the previous year. However, the average selling price rose 10.4% to US$302, while the total market value increased by 5.8%.
The combination of rising average prices and growing interest in premium devices could give manufacturers more room to introduce advanced AI features.
The next challenge will be making useful AI capabilities available beyond expensive flagship smartphones.
Could AI Change the Way We Use Apps?
One of the most interesting possibilities is that AI could change the traditional app-based smartphone experience.
Today, users generally open a particular application to accomplish a task. If they want directions, they open a maps app. To send a message, they open a messaging app. To schedule an appointment, they open a calendar.
AI could eventually make those steps less important.
Instead of thinking about which application to use, users could simply explain what they want to achieve. An AI system could then potentially coordinate actions across different applications.
This would represent a shift from an app-driven smartphone to an intent-driven smartphone.
Privacy Will Become Increasingly Important
Greater intelligence also means smartphones will potentially have access to more information about their users.
This makes privacy a major consideration.
On-device AI can process certain information directly on the smartphone, which may reduce the need to send that information to a cloud server. At the same time, more complex AI models may still require cloud processing.
Consumers will therefore need clearer information about what data is collected, where it is processed and how it is protected.
For smartphone companies, building trust could become just as important as building better AI models.
AI Smartphones Could Become the New Normal
IDC’s forecast shows how quickly the category could grow. If its projection of 912 million generative AI smartphones by 2028 is achieved, AI-capable devices would represent roughly 70% of the global smartphone market.
That could make AI a standard smartphone feature rather than a premium selling point.
Competition between manufacturers may increasingly focus on the quality of AI assistants, image tools, personalization, privacy protections and on-device processing—not just camera megapixels or processor speeds.
What Does the Future Hold?
The next stage of smartphone AI will likely be about context.
Instead of offering a collection of separate AI features, manufacturers are working toward systems that can understand what users are doing and provide relevant help.
Imagine a smartphone that recognizes an upcoming meeting, gathers relevant information, summarizes previous conversations and helps prepare follow-up tasks.
That kind of experience is still developing, but it illustrates where the technology could go.
There will also be challenges. Battery consumption, security, privacy, accuracy and over-reliance on AI will need to be addressed as smartphones become more autonomous.
Conclusion
AI-powered smartphones are changing the mobile experience from the inside out. Artificial intelligence is already influencing photography, translation, writing, search, productivity and digital assistance.
The numbers show that this is becoming a significant market shift. IDC’s projection of 912 million generative AI smartphones by 2028 suggests that AI could become a mainstream part of smartphone ownership within the next few years.
For consumers, the next smartphone upgrade may therefore be about more than a faster processor or a better camera. It could be about having a device that understands context, reduces repetitive tasks and provides useful assistance throughout the day.
The smartphone is becoming smarter—but its real test will be whether that intelligence makes everyday life simpler, faster and more useful without compromising privacy and user control.
