New AI features are out? Too bad smartphone users don’t care

AI isn’t the first thing users look for in a new smartphone, survey reveals.

While artificial intelligence (AI) is often a selling point when choosing a smartphone, not all consumers consider it worthwhile.

This was illustrated by a survey that examined what users think about AI features on their smartphones.

According to the CNET survey, only 11% of 2,200 US adults would upgrade their smartphones with AI features, a 7% decrease from last year's data.

The survey also revealed that three in ten people don’t find AI useful and thus don’t find the need for more features to be added.

This comes at a time when several leading tech companies are releasing their latest smartphones with AI-powered features. At the beginning of the year, Samsung released the Galaxy S25 series and its new foldables, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, with one of the main selling points being AI that is tailored to users' needs.

Next comes Google with its Pixel 10 series, which also primarily focuses on AI features.

Let's not forget Apple and its AI, which, despite much anticipation, was soon deemed too inconvenient to use by some users. Nevertheless, Apple is getting ready to unveil its latest product, the iPhone 17, during its yearly event, scheduled for September 9th, 2025. The product might come equipped with revamped AI capabilities.

What are users looking for in a new smartphone?

While companies such as Google, Samsung, and Apple constantly develop new AI features and promote them as a novelty, users' actual smartphone needs appear to differ. The three main aspects that users consider when looking for an upgrade are price (62%), longer battery life (54%), and more storage (39%).

Users are also interested in what camera features the new smartphone will have, as well as its screen size.

The data from the survey that was conducted last year revealed that users who are looking for a new smartphone are still interested in the same aspects, which include longer battery life (61%), more storage (46%), and camera features (38%).

Regarding AI, 18% of respondents were interested in the device’s AI capabilities. This number is even lower this year, with just 11% of respondents being interested in AI.

How badly do users want a better Siri?

AI seems to be inseparable from voice assistants, especially when it comes to Apple and its smart assistant, Siri, which many iOS users wish was much smarter.

Despite iPhone users' complaints about Apple’s AI assistant, the survey revealed that 61% of iOS users use Siri, while 41% of Pixel owners use the Gemini assistant. Nevertheless, only 10% of Siri users and 9% of Gemini users use it daily.

While Apple users expect a better Siri in the future, the survey data revealed that 85% of respondents aren’t willing to spend money “to have a smarter Siri,” with the remaining 15% sharing that they would pay a monthly fee for it.

With so many tech companies promoting the AI capabilities of their new devices, the question remains whether this will also impact users' AI use habits.

Where’s the hype around AI?

These days, it would be hard to find a tech product that doesn’t include AI. It’s even harder to find a smartphone that isn’t capable of summarizing your texts and emails, editing photos, or becoming a voice assistant within seconds.

However, when it comes to the actual use of AI in smartphones, CNET’s survey reveals that 20% of users don’t know how to use AI, with 29% of respondents stating that they don’t find the features very helpful.

Forty-one percent of smartphone users revealed that they also refrain from using AI because they’re concerned about privacy.

While smartphone AI features are currently free, this could soon change. Rumors have suggested that Apple may start charging for its AI features, and Samsung and Google may also introduce them as a paid service.

The survey also revealed how users feel about this possible change, with half of respondents stating that they wouldn’t be willing to pay for the AI features.