AI is coming out of every crevice of a smartphone: but users mostly don't need it — survey

Artificial intelligence is often one of the main advertising gimmicks when announcing or promoting a new smartphone. But not all consumers consider it really useful. This was confirmed by a survey that investigated users’ attitudes towards AI functions on their smartphones.

According to CNET, only 11% of 2,200 US adults surveyed are ready to upgrade their smartphone because of AI features, which is 7% lower than last year. Three out of ten respondents believe that AI has no practical use and therefore do not need additional features.

This is happening against the backdrop of the active launch of new smartphones with AI capabilities by leading companies Samsung has released the Galaxy S25 series and new folding models Galaxy Fold7 and Galaxy Flip7whose main feature was AI adapted to the user’s needs.

They are followed by Google with Pixel 10 seriesApple also did not stand aside: its own AI solutions, despite the great interest, proved to be inconvenient for many users. Apple is preparing to introduce iPhone 17 at the annual event on September 9, 2025, and it is likely to receive updated AI capabilities.

What are users looking for in a new smartphone?

Although companies are constantly developing new AI features and promoting them as innovative, the actual needs of users are often quite different. Three main criteria that users consider when choosing a new smartphone:

1. Price — 62% off
2. Battery life — 54% of the time
3. Memory capacity — 39%

Users are also interested in the camera and screen size.

Last year’s survey showed that users were focused on battery life (61%), storage capacity (46%), and camera capabilities (38%). As for AI, 18% were interested in its capabilities last year, while this year only 11% were.

Using AI in existing smartphones

AI is often associated with voice assistants, especially Apple’s Siri. Many iOS users want Siri to be smarter. Despite complaints 61% of iPhone users use Siri, and 41% of Pixel — owners use Gemini. However, only 10% of Siri users and 9% of Gemini users use them on a daily basis.

Although Apple is planning to improve Siri, 85% of respondents are not ready to pay for a “smarter assistant,” and 15% are ready to subscribe to a monthly fee.

It’s hard to find a smartphone without AI nowadays. Algorithms are able to summarize texts and emails, edit photos, and act as a voice assistant in seconds.

However, the actual use of AI in smartphones shows that these capabilities often remain unclaimed. For example, 20% of users do not know how to use it, 29% consider these features to be of little use, and 41% avoid AI due to privacy concerns.