AI on Phones Fails to Impress Apple, Samsung Users: Survey

Although artificial intelligence has powered the marketing departments of smartphone makers such as Apple and Samsung, it is not generating much enthusiasm among users, according to a survey released Monday by a used electronics site.

Survey conducted SellCell of over 2,000 iPhone and Samsung users found that 73% of iPhone users and 87% of Samsung users said the AI ​​features on their phones added little to no value to their smartphone experience.

Users’ low opinion of artificial intelligence on their phones reflects confusion in the market. “While companies say ‘now with AI’ or ‘including AI,’ they don’t tell users what to do with it,” said HP Newquist, the company’s chief executive. Relayer groupbusiness consulting firm based in New York.

“They tell users: You now have access to AI. Now you can use AI,” he told TechNewsWorld. “They just say: this is it. Now you got it. And frankly, that’s not a good reason to use AI.”

“Artificial intelligence is being pushed on us, and I think consumers are completely confused by it,” he noted.

“We’re seeing the same thing in corporate America,” he continued. “They are told you need to use generative artificial intelligence. You need to use agent AI. But they are not told what specific benefits this can bring to them. Until this is clear at both the consumer and enterprise level, you’re going to get a pretty lukewarm response from first-time users.”

AI is not clear enough

Privacy concerns could dampen enthusiasm for AI among iPhone users, says Mark N. Vena, the company’s president and chief analyst. SmartTech Research in Las Vegas. “Apple users have high expectations for data protection and are skeptical about whether these features offer meaningful improvements over what competitors already offer,” he told TechNewsWorld.

“Limited compatibility with AI features, likely limited to newer iPhone models, could also turn off users of older devices,” he added.

As for Samsung, Wena continued, Galaxy AI is no different from other Android-based AI offerings, which could dampen interest. “Samsung’s features may seem incremental rather than innovative.”

“Additionally, inconsistent user experiences with Samsung software and AI across devices may be contributing to less enthusiasm compared to Apple’s more tightly integrated ecosystem,” he said.

Greg Sterling, co-founder Close to the mediathe San Francisco-based market research firm says one of the central problems with Apple Intelligence is that it is not well explained or understood by the public. “Apple needs to do more to inform people what these features are and when they will be available,” he told TechNewsWorld.

Tim Bajarin, President Creative Strategiesa technology consulting firm based in San Jose, California, agreed. “The integration of artificial intelligence into smartphones is something new and not entirely clear to the average user,” he told TechNewsWorld. “Google and Apple need to publish more training materials that show users new AI features and how to use them.”

“AI requires you to learn how to make suggestions, and that’s not easy,” added Rob Enderle, the company’s president and chief analyst. Enderle Groupconsulting firm in Bend, Oregon.

“So we have a lot of training to do so that users know how to use this thing,” he told TechNewsWorld. “I would expect the survey to be poor this early, simply because Apple Intelligence hasn’t been available very long and people just don’t know how to use it yet.”

Long deployment weakens abundance

Sterling added that the many features grouped under the Apple Intelligence rubric are being rolled out gradually over time, so users have yet to see concrete benefits. “I suspect that in a year or two the results of this survey will be different,” he predicted.

Will Kerwin, equity analyst Morningstar Research Services in Chicago, also cited the slow rollout of Apple Intelligence as a source of consumer apathy toward artificial intelligence on their iPhones. “We believe it will take time for consumers to fully understand how Apple Intelligence is most useful to them and adapt personal habits,” he told TechNewsWorld.

“All of this supports our view that Apple’s AI-driven iPhone sales will be higher in fiscal 2026 than they currently are in fiscal 2025,” he said.

Runar Björhovde, analyst Canalisthe global market research company added: “The harsh reality is that most people don’t buy phones because of artificial intelligence. They buy because of different features.”

“If we think about the types of functions that AI provides, they’re not that interesting right now,” he told TechNewsWorld.

“To be honest, it’s not that surprising at this point that AI features might be a little disappointing to people because they’re actually not as advanced as some marketing and messaging people claim,” he said.

Björhovde argues that many tech companies are experiencing an “existential crisis” that has caused them to lose the enormous buzz and interest that people have had in them for the last 20 years.

“They have to come up with new stories to try to get people interested,” he said. “So AI is a gold mine right now. I think this could give us some really interesting innovations in a few years. But at the moment it’s a marketing bubble where people don’t really know what to believe.”

Declining loyalty

The SellCell survey also found that about one in six iPhone users (16.8%) said they would consider switching to Samsung if it offered better AI features. In contrast, only 9.7% of Samsung users said they would consider switching to Apple to get better AI features.

It added that the percentage of users loyal to Apple has dropped from 92% in 2021 to 78.9% now. By comparison, Samsung’s figure dropped from 74% to 67.2% over the same period.

“Overall, the excitement around Apple’s annual update cycle has diminished significantly,” said Ross Rubin, Apple’s chief analyst. Reticle Researchconsumer technology consulting firm based in New York.

“These AI features are an attempt to bring something new and exciting to the table,” he told TechNewsWorld. “But consumers are looking for a basic level of functionality and no longer think the platform is such a big deal.”

However, he admitted that the fact that so many Apple users are willing to make the switch to artificial intelligence is surprising. “Apple users tend to be much more likely to choose Apple services,” he explained. “Because of the investment in the App Store, you won’t necessarily be able to move it all over to another platform. Therefore, reports of greater readiness to move to the next level are surprising.”

However, not everyone believes that Apple’s fan base is dwindling. “According to our surveys, we do not see a decline in brand loyalty,” Bajarin said. “We expect Apple to have a successful holiday season with iPhone sales and attracting many switchers into the Apple ecosystem.”

“We also don’t think loyalty to Apple will go away,” Kerwin added. “In our opinion, iPhone users will likely remain iPhone users, and AI features are just another way to tie them into the Apple ecosystem.”