· smartphones · 1 min read
Top AI smartphones right now — on‑device features that matter
Better camera pipelines, live transcription, and offline assistants. We rank the best picks by use case.
AI features are only useful when they’re fast, reliable, and private.
What to look for
- Camera: On-device enhancement that preserves detail.
- Voice: Low-latency transcription and summarization.
- Battery: Efficiency with AI features enabled.
Top picks
- Camera-first: Natural HDR, reliable night mode.
- Work: Microphone quality and live transcription.
- Budget: Clean OS, long support window, decent NPU.
Camera pipeline checklist
- Daylight skin tones, natural HDR, low‑light detail without over‑smoothing.
- Stable portrait edge detection, motion handling, and 4K stabilized video.
Privacy & performance
- On‑device transcription and summarization reduce data sharing.
- Battery life with AI features on is the real test; watch thermal throttling.
FAQ
- Will AI fix bad hardware? It helps, but sensor and lens quality still dominate.
- How much RAM/Storage? 8–12GB/256–512GB is a good target in 2025.
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