GenAI-capable smartphone shipments to rise over 4x by 2027: Report

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI)-capable smartphone shipments will reach 11 per cent by 2024 and 43 per cent by 2027 to pass 550 million units in 2027 with 4x growth, a new report said on Monday.

According to Counterpoint Research, the GenAI smartphone installed base to cross 1 billion by 2027.

“We expect Samsung to lead GenAI smartphone OEM (original equipment manufacturer) rankings in 2024. This is the second trend in the past couple of years where Samsung enjoyed an early-mover advantage; the first one being the success of its foldables,” said Research Director Tarun Pathak.

Pathak also pointed out that apart from Samsung, Apple’s anticipated entry in the space will contribute to the segment’s growth.

According to him, once Apple enters, AI will immediately become a must-have feature in all mid-to-premium smartphone launches starting in 2025.

The analysts expect GenAI devices to have multimodal capabilities, which will allow them to process text, image, voice and other inputs to develop a variety of output and enable a user experience that is fluid and seamless.

“Smartphones of the future will be more personalised to cater to individual needs and preferences, and AI will play a central role in driving these personalized experiences,” said Associate Director Mohit Agrawal.

In addition, analysts expect GenAI smartphones to reach a turning point in 2025 as these devices enter broader price segments, particularly the $400-$599 price level.