Smartphone buyers meh on AI, care much more about battery life

Apple may be pitching Apple Intelligence as a key reason to upgrade to the iPhone 16, but it seems that most smartphone buyers are far more interested in the basics – like battery life.

A survey found that only a relatively small minority of consumers are currently using AI features on their smartphones, and it doesn’t yet seem to be a purchase driver …

Apple focused heavily on Apple Intelligence during the iPhone 16 keynote, and has been talking a lot about the topic pretty much everywhere else.

Teens seemed to find the argument persuasive, with 30% of them saying they’ll upgrade because of AI. But a CNET survey representative of all US adults found that wasn’t replicated more broadly.

It found that only 10% of smartphone owners were currently using AI for tasks like photo editing, and only 12% use generative AI services like ChatGPT. Only 14% said they were excited for future AI features.

The news is only slightly better when it comes to reasons for upgrading.

Just 18% say AI integrations are their main motivator for upgrading their phone. In fact, the biggest drivers for buying a new device, according to respondents, is longer battery life (61%), more storage (46%) and better camera features (38%). 

If Apple hopes to directly monetize AI features through an Apple Intelligence+ service at a later date, then so far the news isn’t good.

Nearly half of smartphone owners say they’re not willing to pay extra money to access AI on their phones.

The site says subscription fatigue is a factor here, with the average American now spending more than a thousand dollars a year on streaming services, and reluctant to spend even more.

9to5Mac’s Take

These findings aren’t very surprising. While Apple is talking up AI at present, there has been very little opportunity for consumers to experience it for themselves beyond the background usage they have long experienced without thinking of it as AI – like those driving photo processing.

The real test is not how many people are willing to upgrade today for AI features, but how that will change once Apple Intelligence has more fully rolled out, and early adopters start reporting on their experiences.

Similarly with paid services, we’ll need to see how useful iPhone owners find AI features once they’ve experienced them, and whether they then see good reason to upgrade to any paid versions Apple may offer in future.

Image: 9to5Mac composite of images from Apple and Maxim Berg on Unsplash