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There has been a lot of speculation around consumer sentiment toward artificial intelligence (AI). In some ways, it appears that consumers may be turning against the technology. And truth be told, there are very real concerns about AI and the organizations driving the industry. In response, many consumers have started asking tough questions and demanding answers. But despite those concerns, recent surveys conducted by 451 Research by S&P Global show consumers are still increasing their AI usage overall, despite some well-publicized misgivings.
The smartphone market is no different. AI may not be a top driver of phone purchases, but consumer sentiment toward AI features remains split. The data gives insight into the messy relationship consumers have with AI. Some consumers are all-in, fully embracing the technology. Others use it strategically to help fulfill specific tasks, and some go through great lengths to avoid it altogether.
This blog post presents findings from a study conducted by 451 Research, which asked US consumers about current smartphone ownership, customer satisfaction and artificial intelligence.
Key takeaways from the survey
AI awareness is higher than last year. Currently, two-thirds (65%) of respondents say they are aware of the AI capabilities already integrated into their smartphone. This is a 15-point jump compared with 2025. Among that group, just over half (54%) agree that they often use the AI features on their smartphones, in-line with last year’s survey. The increase in awareness is a mix of greater media coverage of AI and related topics, as well as a bit of forced adoption since new phones and software updates have new AI features integrated into them.
But AI is still not a major driver of upgrades. Having and using the AI features available on a device is different than actively seeking them out. The number of respondents saying that inclusion of AI features would make them more likely to purchase a new smartphone sooner than planned is up marginally to 41%, but still below a majority. Also showing marginal improvement is the number of respondents saying they would prefer if AI capabilities were not integrated into their smartphones, which currently stands at 41%. Lastly, only one-quarter (26%) agree they would switch smartphone manufacturers to gain access to certain AI capabilities, which is unchanged compared with 2025.
The basics still come first. Our surveys consistently show that consumers are more motivated by the basics than by fancy new features. They simply expect their devices to work properly and perform well when it comes to their most important tasks.
When asked which smartphone features most influenced their purchasing decision, respondents cited battery (56%) and camera quality (52%), followed by display (screen) quality (42%) and larger internal storage capacity (36%). Even security features (29%) was selected by fewer respondents than AI integration and capabilities (13%), which showed up much further down the list.
Consumer-approved AI uses. Overall, respondents cite photo editing (34%), enhanced search (33%) and real-time language translation (32%) as the top AI capabilities they would like to see integrated into their smartphone user experience. This is followed by transcribing audio to text (29%), text generation (29%) and photo organization (28%). While there is nothing earth-shattering in this list, these all address clear use cases to which many consumers can relate.
What is the AI user experience like? Overall, the consumer experience with AI features is positive, with 73% agreeing that the AI features on their phones are easy to navigate and use. Similarly, 72% say the AI capabilities on their smartphones function “as advertised.”
Privacy is the top concern with AI features. The reasons why consumers don’t want AI integrated into their smartphone user experience are diverse and varied. More than half (58%) of respondents have privacy concerns about how their data is stored and used, which is up compared with 2025. Consumers are also worried that integration of these features will make devices more expensive (42%) and that AI features will be intrusive and degrade their user experience (40%). Skepticism towards the benefits of AI (36%) and satisfaction with their current device (36%) were also chosen by more than a third of respondents.
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