New Delhi: AI becomes central to smartphone purchases, as 68 per cent consumers prioritised AI features and 82 per cent said transparent data practices and trust as key drivers of smartphone purchases, a report said on Monday. 

The report from CyberMedia Research (CMR) said 61 per cent consumers believed on‑device AI processing improved responsiveness and privacy.

The firm said AI is now a core purchase driver with consumers preferring performance (78 per cent), camera quality including AI enhancements (70 per cent) and strong AI features (59 per cent) as the top three attributes.

AI ranked ahead of design, price, and battery life in terms of purchase drivers.

When choosing between similarly-priced smartphones, 60 per cent of consumers wanted a balance of AI and strong hardware, unwilling to sacrifice either. While 25 per cent are outright AI-first buyers, while only 15 per cent remained hardware traditionalists.

"AI is no longer viewed as an added feature; it is increasingly shaping the overall device experience. Across demographics and price segments, consumers expect AI that is useful, intuitive, and seamlessly integrated into everyday interactions," said Prabhu Ram, VP – Industry Research Group (IRG), CyberMedia Research (CMR).

As these expectations evolve, AI capabilities will play a growing role in smartphone differentiation and purchase decisions going forward, Ram added.

Around 57 per cent of consumers clearly understand and actively use AI features while 43 per cent engage only partially.

Among active users, 49 per cent are heavy users engaging with five or more AI features regularly, 41 per cent remained moderate users and 10 per cent used AI only when prompted.

The moderate user segment — the largest share — represents significant untapped potential for the industry, the report said.

Around 77 per cent of consumers actively use AI imaging features — including low-light enhancement, portrait optimisation, and intelligent scene detection — making photography the strongest gateway into everyday AI adoption.

Around 71 per cent respondents used generative AI features multiple times per week across AI-assisted search, summarisation, writing support, translation, and conversational interfaces.