Smartphone buyers are meh on AI and just want better battery life

Phone makers are pitching AI as the ultimate reason to buy a new device, but buyers aren't convinced.

While Apple put Apple Intelligence front and center for the iPhone 16 launch, a CNET survey of U.S. adults reveals a massive gap between marketing hype and actual consumer demand. People still care much more about the basics.

Battery life crushes AI excitement

According to the survey, only 18% of smartphone owners say AI integrations are their primary motivator for upgrading their phone.

What actually drives upgrades? Battery life sits comfortably at the top, cited by 61% of respondents. More storage came in second at 46%, followed by better camera features at 38%.

Teens seem slightly more receptive, with 30% saying they would upgrade for AI. But across the broader adult population, that interest simply fails to materialize.

Right now, everyday AI usage on phones remains surprisingly low. Only 10% of owners use AI tools for tasks like photo editing, and just 12% regularly use generative AI services like ChatGPT. Even worse for brand marketers, only 14% said they were excited about upcoming AI features.

The paid AI wall

Monetizing mobile AI down the road looks equally difficult.

Nearly half of smartphone owners said they are not willing to pay extra money to access AI on their phones. CNET points to subscription fatigue as a major culprit, noting that the average American already spends over $1,000 annually on streaming services.

As one top commenter on 9to5Mac put it, while upcoming AI tools might look neat, hardware upgrades should still take priority.

Why it matters

We think this survey highlights a serious disconnect between Silicon Valley roadmaps and consumer reality. For everyday users, an unreleased or half-baked AI assistant isn't worth an expensive hardware upgrade, especially when battery anxiety remains a daily struggle. Unless you genuinely need a new phone today, there is little reason to upgrade solely for first-generation AI promises.

For Apple and its rivals, the findings deliver a reality check on monetization. Any plans to spin off an Apple Intelligence+ tier will run straight into consumer resistance unless these tools become truly indispensable.

As 9to5Mac noted, people have long used AI in the background for things like computational photography without ever thinking about it as AI. Until generative AI delivers that same invisible, seamless utility, pushing it as the main selling point looks like a miscalculation.