Source: d3sign/Stock Photos | Smart Phone/Getty images.
New AI features are being rolled out to consumer devices and services at a dizzying pace, and that’s making many consumers’ heads spin. Do they even want or need these features? Consumer sentiment on this issue remains mixed. Looking specifically at smartphones, a survey conducted by S&P Global Market Intellinece 451 Research asked respondents a variety of questions about AI features on their phones, including awareness, current usage, future interest and level of concern regarding AI technology. This blog post summarizes the key takeaways.
About half of smartphone users are aware of the AI features on their phones
As of Q1 2025, Apple, Samsung and Google were the only smartphone manufacturers with artificial intelligence (AI) features integrated into their operating systems. Among respondents who own a device from one of these manufacturers, 47% said they were aware of the AI features integrated into their devices. Among this “AI aware” group, awareness was highest among Generation Z (68%) and millennial (67%) respondents.
Less than half of the ‘AI aware’ group use their phone’s AI features regularly.
Focusing on the “AI aware” group, just under half (48%) said they use the AI features on their smartphones often. Millennials (60%) are the highest, followed by Gen Z (54%) and Generation X (52%).
A sizeable group doesn’t even want AI features on their smartphones
In a finding that illustrates the mixed nature of consumer sentiment toward AI, 42% of the “AI aware” group would prefer if AI features were not integrated into their smartphone operating system. Again, millennials (47%) and Gen Z (44%) report the strongest feelings on this. While it may seem contradictory to be the most aware and the biggest users, but also the strongest opponents, it actually makes sense when considering that Gen Z and millennials also tend to report the highest levels of digital burnout. Being the biggest users can also mean being the most overwhelmed.
AI features seem to be meeting user expectations
When asked if AI features are meeting the expectations set by product advertising, two-thirds (67%) of the “AI aware” group agreed the features are meeting expectations. Millennials (74%) agreed most, followed by Gen Z (69%) and Gen X (68%). Somewhat surprisingly, 62% of baby boomers were also in agreement that expectations were being met. Furthermore, when it comes to being user-friendly, two-thirds (67%) of the “AI aware” group said it’s easy to navigate and use the AI features on their smartphones, with millennials (76%), Gen Z (71%) and Gen X (71%) feeling the strongest, and baby boomers at 60%.
AI features not accelerating smartphone demand
When asked about the likelihood of purchasing a new smartphone, one-third (33%) of respondents said a smartphone with AI capabilities would make them more likely to purchase a new model sooner than otherwise expected. While AI capabilities certainly have a place within consumers’ decision-making, it’s still hardware features that are higher on the priority list. If AI were included on our list of most influential features, it would rank fifth, behind battery life (53%), camera quality (49%), display quality (41%) and large internal storage (37%). This is not to say that AI capabilities aren’t important; rather, they’re not currently top-of-mind when consumers are looking to purchase new devices.
What do consumers actually want?
When it comes to the AI features being integrated into their smartphone user experiences, consumers are split. The most wanted capabilities are enhanced search (31%), photo editing (30%), real-time language translation (29%), text generation (29%) and transcribing audio to text (29%).
Even when talking about most desired features, the mixed nature of consumer sentiment toward AI is once again illustrated by the 31% of respondents who said they don’t want any AI features integrated into their smartphone user experience.
Privacy is a major concern
Well over half of respondents (57%) said they have privacy concerns related to AI being integrated into their smartphones. While this is not uncommon when new connected technologies enter consumer spaces, it does slow adoption. Eventually, many of those with privacy concerns will likely begin using the AI features on their smartphones, but it will take time. Privacy is not the only concern consumers have with AI. Cost (i.e., making devices more expensive [42%]); intrusiveness (disrupting the user experience [39%]); skepticism (about the benefits of AI [38%]); and satisfaction (current devices are meeting their needs [36%]) are all big concerns among consumers when it comes to the integration of AI capabilities into their devices.
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