Here’s a plot twist nobody saw coming: smartphone AI features are becoming less appealing to buyers, not more. A new CNET survey shows only 11% of people upgrade their phones for AI features this year, down from 18% last year. That’s a 39% drop during the biggest AI push we’ve ever seen from Apple, Samsung, and Google. While tech companies keep cramming more AI into every new phone, consumers are basically saying “thanks, but we’ll stick with better battery life.”
The timing makes this data even more striking. Apple recently launched Apple Intelligence across the iPhone 16 series with massive marketing campaigns. Google’s Pixel 10 is basically built around AI features like Magic Cue and Camera Coach. Samsung brags that 70% of Galaxy S25 users are using Galaxy AI features. Every major phone manufacturer has made AI their main selling point this year, yet smartphone AI features declining in consumer interest.
What People Actually Want
The CNET survey makes it clear that smartphone buyers haven’t changed their priorities much. Battery life still tops the list at 61%, followed by storage space at 46%, and camera quality at 38%. These are the same basics people have cared about for years. It’s almost like having great battery life matters more than having your phone write emails for you.
Even more telling: about 30% of people don’t find mobile AI helpful and don’t want more features added. Half of survey respondents aren’t willing to pay extra for AI features, which is up 5% from last year. Privacy concerns about AI jumped 7% year-over-year, with over 40% of users worried about AI privacy on their phones.
The disconnect between what companies are building and what people want couldn’t be clearer. Tech manufacturers are in an AI arms race, but consumers are still focused on phones that work well for basic tasks. Maybe the real innovation would be a phone that lasts two days on a single charge instead of one that can generate cartoon emojis. Until companies figure out AI features that solve actual problems instead of creating new bloatware, people will keep prioritizing features that make phones useful every day.
