Key takeaways:

• A quarter (25%) of smartphone owners do not find AI features useful, 45% are reluctant to pay monthly subscription fees for AI capabilities, and 34% have privacy concerns.
• Just over half (52%) of smartphone owners are not interested in buying a foldable phone.
• The top motivation for US adult smartphone owners to upgrade their devices is longer battery life (61%), followed by more storage (46%) and better camera features (38%). Only 18% say AI integrations are their main motivator.

While smartphone manufacturers including Apple, Google, and Samsung are increasingly emphasizing AI features in their newest devices, a CNET survey found that a quarter of smartphone owners don’t find these features particularly useful, and only 18% say AI is their main motivation. He revealed that he said they had integrations. to upgrade their phones.

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In fact, the biggest drivers for buying a new device according to respondents are longer battery life (61%), more storage (46%) and better camera features (38%).

This comes as Apple prepares for its public launch Apple Intelligence AI features suite next weekincluding abilities such as smarter Siri, AI-powered writing tools And ChatGPT integration. Apple Intelligence will be available on: iPhone 15 Pro models And iPhone 16 line up

Google also leaned heavily when it announced its AI features. Pixel 9 The series in August spent most of its opening We discuss new Gemini functions like LiveThis allows you to have a natural-sounding, back-and-forth conversation with the virtual assistant. And in July unpackaged At the event, Samsung also promoted it in a similar way. Galaxy AIIt can make tasks like translating messages and editing photos easier.

While these new features rely on generative AI to produce text or images or enhance digital assistants, AI itself has been built into smartphones for years. For example, your phone’s camera uses AI to process images and blur backgrounds in Portrait mode; Siri and Google Assistant, on the other hand, have always been AI-based (albeit using less advanced versions of the technology). But it may take some time for people to get used to it, as this new wave of AI offers more straightforward ways to perform tasks on your phone rather than adapting to existing features.

Artificial intelligence could soon cost you and not everyone is sold

While tech giants continue to roll out these AI functions, consumers may soon have to pay for it if they want to continue using them. Samsung’s website states that Galaxy AI features “will be available for free on supported Samsung Galaxy devices by the end of 2025.” To enjoy the full power of Gemini in Google’s apps, you’ll need to subscribe to: Gemini Advanced. And Apple could probably do that too one day Charge for some of the AI-powered iPhone features.

A lot consumers are not sold. Almost half of smartphone owners say they are not willing to pay extra for access to AI on their phones. This isn’t much of a surprise, considering how much subscription fatigue is already weighing people down. another one CNET study It was found that, as of April, US adults spent an average of $91 each month on subscription services. Two-thirds of those surveyed said at least one of their subscriptions had become more expensive in the past year. So adding another monthly fee might not be that appealing.

Still, there are those willing to take advantage of AI on their phones; Gen Z and Millennials were the most excited: 20% of respondents from each generation say they are excited about AI capabilities and find them useful. Additionally, 15% of Gen Zers and 16% of Millennials use AI on their phones for tasks such as editing photos, creating and summarizing images, or writing text. Additionally, 20% of Gen Zers and 19% of Millennials regularly use an AI tool like ChatGPT or Google Gemini on their smartphones.

Privacy remains a key concern when it comes to AI, with a third (34%) of smartphone owners expressing discomfort in this department. Tech giants are increasingly paying attention to privacy considerations during AI-focused keynotes. in his place Worldwide Developers Conference For example, in June, Apple registered many of its products. AI models run on deviceIt is generally considered more confidential because the information does not need to be transported over the internet. Related data when a task requires more computing power Apple Silicon serversand this data will not hide The company says it is available to Apple.

The biggest reasons to upgrade a phone

While artificial intelligence is among the latest reasons why consumers want to upgrade their smartphones, other aspects such as longer battery life, more storage and better camera features still stand out. Other motivating factors include phone screen and screen size (32%); maintaining the same ecosystem like iOS or Android (24%); and the color of the phone (10%).

Due to the high cost of the devices (many flagship phones will cost between $800 and $1,200) consumers Upgrade your devices frequently. According to our survey, 44% claim they only buy a new device when their current phone breaks or needs replacing. What’s more, 30% have had their devices for three years or more, 18% upgrade every two years, and only 8% buy a new phone every year.

Fortunately for consumers, Apple did not increase prices. iPhone 16. Still, iPhone users keep their devices longer than other smartphone owners; one-third will wait three years or more for an upgrade.

Foldable phone excitement isn’t there yet

Companies like Google and Samsung continue to launch foldable phones; if the last one Pixel 9 Pro Folding And Galaxy Z Flip And fold 6respectively. However, consumers are still not keen on the foldable handheld device concept. Just over half (52%) of smartphone owners say they are not interested in buying a foldable phone, while 13% say they would be interested in the next two years.

This gives Apple, which has not yet entered the foldable phone space, an opportunity to capitalize on this interest. Experts have long predicted that: foldable iPhone This may be just what is needed to encourage wider adoption of foldable smartphones. But if it does happen, it could take several years for that to happen.

Methodology

All figures are from YouGov Plc unless stated otherwise. The total sample size was 2,484 adults, including 2,387 smartphone owners. Fieldwork was carried out on 28-30 August 2024. The survey was conducted online. Figures are weighted and represent all U.S. adults (18 years and older).