Just like the flip phones in the ’90s, the QWERTY phones in the aughts, and the big battery and big camera phones in the 2010s, the trend that will define the 2020s is going to be artificial intelligence (AI) in phones. AI and machine learning (ML) have been integrated into smartphones for about a decade now with features like Siri on iPhones, smart text suggestions in Google Keyboard, etc. But it is only in the past one year that we are truly seeing this integration on both hardware and software levels. The Google Pixel 8s and Samsung Galaxy S24 series really set the ball rolling by placing generative AI features right at the centre of the smartphones with features like circle to search and upgraded Magic Editor that can now regenerate backgrounds, reposition people, and upscale low-resolution images using AI.
Thanks to how fast-paced AI tech is evolving, features that were groundbreaking in 2023 are almost the norm in 2024. This year, brands like OpenAI, Google, Apple, Nothing and Realme are all talking about bringing AI into the hands of people. This year, OpenAI held its Spring Update event where it announced updates to the phone app that allow users to interact with the chatbot via voice and video. Then Google I/O happened, and some big updates were announced to Gemini and its app, which now allows users to just point their camera at a location and the app will tell you your exact location. We are also hearing announcements from brands like Nothing, Realme and Oppo. Nothing said it is working on deep AI integration into the Nothing Phone 3 that will launch in 2025. Realme announced the GT6 (quick review) as its new AI phone and said by the end of 2024, all its smartphones will use AI features.
And then came the big announcement by Apple. You know it’s a trend to bet on when Apple dives into it head-first. At WWDC 2024, Apple declared it is joining the AI army, and announced its own Apple Intelligence. A select few existing iPhones and all the future ones will now take advantage of generative AI features like allowing you to generate your own emojis in iMessage, or the Notes app doing the math for you.
But here is where I ask you to take a step back. We have been hearing “AI phones” a lot lately. Samsung calls it Galaxy AI, Realme has tagged its latest phone, Realme GT 6, as the “AI flagship killer”. But what is an AI phone? “A true AI phone will come with on-device Gen AI apps, seamless system-wide integration, AI-optimised processors, and powerful hardware to run AI models locally. The initial wave of Gen AI phones will deliver fast photo and video editing, enhanced speech-to-text and translation capabilities, and enhanced gaming to redefine smartphone experiences”, explains Prabhu Ram, industry analyst at CyberMedia Research.
Source: India Today