Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming a standard feature in smartphones. A recent Amazon India survey shows that AI is now influencing smartphone purchase decisions for 82% of Indian buyers. However, consumers are not willing to ignore the basics—battery life, performance and camera quality remain major priorities.
This shows that smartphone buyers are becoming more practical. Instead of choosing a phone simply because it has an AI label, many users now want technology that can actually make everyday tasks easier.
AI Is Becoming a Standard Smartphone Feature
AI features were once mainly associated with expensive flagship phones. Today, manufacturers are bringing them to a much wider range of devices.
According to the survey, contextual assistance is one of the most desired AI capabilities. This refers to features that understand what's currently displayed on your screen and provide useful suggestions or actions based on that information.
Other useful AI applications include photo editing, summarising documents, translating content and assisting with everyday tasks.
Battery Life Is Still a Major Concern
Despite the growing popularity of AI, battery life remains one of the biggest concerns for smartphone users.
The survey found that 79% of respondents consider battery life important when buying a phone. In addition, 22% said improving battery life is the biggest change they would like to see in their current smartphone.
This explains why smartphone manufacturers are increasingly introducing phones with larger batteries and more efficient processors.
Performance Still Comes First
AI may be receiving plenty of attention from smartphone companies, but performance remains the most important consideration for many buyers.
Around 87% of respondents said performance and speed influence their smartphone purchase decisions. Camera quality was also important, with 77% considering it a key factor.
For consumers, this means a phone with impressive AI features may still struggle to attract buyers if its processor, battery or camera performance is disappointing.
What Do People Actually Want From AI?
The growing demand for AI does not necessarily mean consumers want complicated technology.
Many users are more interested in practical features that save time. For example, an AI assistant that can summarise a long message, edit a photograph, translate text or understand what's on the screen can be more useful than an AI feature that is rarely used.
This shift is also visible in broader smartphone research. A separate Counterpoint-Flipkart report found that Indian consumers are increasingly making purchase decisions based on overall experience, including performance, AI capabilities and long-term value.
Smartphones Are Becoming More Like Personal Assistants
The next stage of smartphone AI is expected to move beyond simply answering questions.
Instead, AI systems are increasingly being designed to understand context and help users complete tasks. This could eventually mean fewer manual steps when searching for information, editing content or managing everyday activities.
Samsung, for example, has already introduced agentic AI capabilities in its Galaxy S26 series that are designed to handle certain routine tasks.
What Should You Look For When Buying a Phone?
AI should certainly be considered when choosing a new smartphone, but it shouldn't be the only deciding factor.
Before buying, check the processor, battery capacity and real-world battery performance, camera quality, software-update policy and display. Then look at whether the phone's AI features are actually useful for your needs.
