No One Cares About AI on Phones: We Just Want Better Battery Life
Apple’s latest update, iOS 18, brought a long list of AI features under the name Apple Intelligence. Gemini Live is now available on Android phones, Lenovo introduced an AI-powered laptop, and Google continues adding AI to search results and its devices.
If you’ve noticed all these AI features and thought, "That’s nice, but I don’t care," you’re not alone. According to a survey of 2,484 adults, including 2,387 smartphone owners, from CNET and YouGov, most people aren’t thrilled about AI on their phones.
A quarter of smartphone users said they "don’t find AI features helpful" at all, and about half of respondents weren’t interested in paying a monthly fee for AI capabilities. Roughly a third of users expressed privacy concerns about AI on their devices.
Generationally, this varies slightly. Younger people are more comfortable with and willing to spend on AI than older smartphone users. But overall, AI is “among the last reasons consumers want to upgrade their smartphones,” according to CNET.
So, what actually drives people to upgrade? Battery life is the clear winner. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said longer battery life is their "biggest motivation" for upgrading, followed by more storage and improved cameras. Only 18 percent were motivated by AI features.
Whatever your reason for upgrading, it may be best to wait on AI. After all, it’s evolving at a rapid pace.
If you’ve noticed all these AI features and thought, "That’s nice, but I don’t care," you’re not alone. According to a survey of 2,484 adults, including 2,387 smartphone owners, from CNET and YouGov, most people aren’t thrilled about AI on their phones.
A quarter of smartphone users said they "don’t find AI features helpful" at all, and about half of respondents weren’t interested in paying a monthly fee for AI capabilities. Roughly a third of users expressed privacy concerns about AI on their devices.
Generationally, this varies slightly. Younger people are more comfortable with and willing to spend on AI than older smartphone users. But overall, AI is “among the last reasons consumers want to upgrade their smartphones,” according to CNET.
So, what actually drives people to upgrade? Battery life is the clear winner. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said longer battery life is their "biggest motivation" for upgrading, followed by more storage and improved cameras. Only 18 percent were motivated by AI features.
Whatever your reason for upgrading, it may be best to wait on AI. After all, it’s evolving at a rapid pace.