Best AI phones

Technically yes – in 2026, virtually every smartphone has AI features built in. But there’s a crucial difference between a phone that has AI and a proper AI phone.
Most smartphones offer basic AI features, such as auto-enhance on photos, voice assistants for simple commands or predictive text. AI phones, on the other hand, take this further. They use dedicated neural processors to run complex AI models locally, understand your personal context across apps and anticipate what you need.
Virtual assistants like Siri have been around since 2011, offering voice commands and basic queries. Today’s AI phones, however, don’t just respond to commands – they anticipate your needs: Each brand has different AI innovations included in their newest phones:

• Samsung’s Galaxy AI analyses each photo and suggests AI-generated enhancements automatically.

• Apple Intelligence remembers your personal context across apps, so Siri can recall that coffee shop your friend mentioned three weeks ago.

• Google’s Gemini scans your emails and calendar to surface your boarding pass right when you reach the airport.

Yet, we’re only scratching the surface. Over the next few years, we can expect AI to become a genuine game-changer, with:

• Accessibility improvements – real-time sign language translation, advanced voice control for mobility challenges and AI-powered scene descriptions for blind users.

• Effortless content creation – rough ideas transformed into polished presentations, voice memos into formatted documents, custom images generated from simple descriptions.

• Advanced speech recognition – near-perfect accuracy across accents and languages, with instant translation that preserves tone and context.

It depends on how you use your phone. AI features can genuinely save time and improve results if you:

• regularly take photos,

• work on the go,

• juggle multiple tasks throughout the day.

The price difference between base and premium models (like standard vs Ultra or Pro versions) can be substantial – often amounting to several hundred pounds. What you’re paying for isn’t just AI branding, though. Higher-tier models typically include neural processors with additional RAM to handle multiple AI tasks simultaneously, as well as superior thermal management that allows intensive AI features to run smoothly for longer periods.
Premium models generally offer enhanced camera systems where AI makes the biggest difference: better computational photography, upgraded night mode, advanced zoom capabilities powered by AI upscaling and professional-level photo editing tools. You’ll also find larger displays ideal for AI-powered productivity features, bigger batteries and more storage for AI-generated content.
Base models still deliver solid AI capabilities, such as smart replies, photo enhancements, voice assistance, but premium smartphones offer the full suite. If AI features align with your daily needs, investing in a premium AI phone could pay off in time saved and output quality.

Just like any smartphone, AI phones also receive regular software updates. These typically consist of monthly security patches and annual major OS upgrades. These updates are particularly important for AI devices – apart from fixing bugs, they actively improve how your phone’s AI features work.
Updates can:

• introduce entirely new AI capabilities,

• refine existing features based on real-life usage,

• improve processing speeds as the underlying AI models become more efficient.

When choosing an AI phone, look for devices with at least five years of guaranteed software support – though most premium models now offer even more. Samsung and Google currently provide seven years of updates for their flagship devices, while Apple typically supports iPhones for six to seven years. A phone purchased today will receive significant AI improvements throughout its lifespan via software updates, ensuring your smartphone stays capable for years to come.

¹Samsung account login and network connection required. Supported apps only. Supports 13 languages from launch (English, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Polish, Hindi, Thai, Vietnamese)
²Requires network connection and Samsung account login. A visible watermark is overlaid on the saved image to indicate it was generated by Galaxy AI. Accuracy of output not guaranteed.
³Samsung account login is required for certain AI features.
⁴Compatible with select languages only. Google Account login and network connection required. If Gemini UI or Google apps are in view: Google and Gemini / YouTube / Maps etc. are trademarks of Google LLC. Check responses. Setup required. Compatibility and availability vary. 18+.
⁵Pre-installed on Galaxy S26 Series devices. Requires network connection and a Perplexity account. To initiate Perplexity from the side button, users must assign it to the side button in device settings.
⁶Results may vary depending on light condition, subject and/or shooting conditions.
⁷Samsung account login is required. Six types of sound can be detected: voices, music, wind, nature, crowd and noise. Results may vary depending on audio source and conditions of the video.
⁸Samsung account login and network connection required.
⁹Compatible with select languages only. Google Account login and network connection required. If Gemini UI or Google apps are in view: Google and Gemini / YouTube / Maps etc. are trademarks of Google LLC. Works on compatible apps and surfaces. Results may vary depending on visual matches. Check responses for accuracy.
¹⁰Samsung account login is required. Requires network connection.

The display has rounded corners that follow a beautiful curved design, and these corners are within a standard rectangle. When measured as a standard rectangular shape, the screen is 6.27 inches (iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro), 6.55 inches (iPhone Air) or 6.86 inches (iPhone 17 Pro Max) diagonally. Actual viewable area is less.

All battery claims depend on network configuration and many other factors; actual results will vary. Battery has limited recharge cycles and may eventually need to be replaced. Battery life and charge cycles vary by use and settings. See apple.com/uk/batteries and apple.com/uk/iphone/battery.html for more information.

Google Pixel 10 Pro XL, 10 Pro, 10 Pro Fold

¹The Google AI Pro plan, Fitbit Premium and YouTube Premium trial offers are available to eligible users of each service in the United Kingdom with the purchase and activation of Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Must be 18 years or over. Offers expire at 11:59pm GMT on 31 October 2026. Offers are only available to customers who are not current or past Google One, Fitbit Premium or YouTube Premium subscribers. Valid method of payment required at sign-up, but you will not be charged the £18.99 a month for Google AI Pro, £7.99 a month for Fitbit Premium or £12.99 a month for YouTube Premium until the respective trial period expires and the subscriptions auto-renew. You can cancel your trial at no charge at any time before the trial is over. No refunds for partial billing periods, except as required by applicable law. Return of purchased device may result in cancellation of subscription. Fitbit Premium content and features may change, are not available in all countries and may be in English only.

• See YouTube offer restrictions and accepted payment methods

• See Fitbit Terms of Service

• See Google AI offer terms

Google Pixel 10 ² The Google One Premium 2TB plan, Fitbit Premium, and YouTube Premium trial offers are available to eligible users of each service with the purchase and activation of Pixel 10. Offers expire at 11:59pm GMT on 31 October 2026. Valid form of payment required at sign-up, but you won’t be charged the £7.99 a month for Google One, £7.99 a month for Fitbit Premium or £12.99 a month for YouTube Premium until the respective trial period expires and the subscriptions auto-renew. Cancel anytime. Return of purchased device may result in cancellation of all subscriptions. Fitbit Premium content and features may change, are not available in all countries, and may be in English only.

• See YouTube offer restrictions and accepted payment methods

• See Fitbit Terms of Service

• See Google One 2TB 6-month offer terms

¹ Check responses for accuracy. Internet connection required. Features may differ depending on subscription and account. Some apps require setup. Available in select countries and languages. Available to users aged 18+.

¹ Results may vary. Check responses for accuracy. Compatible with certain features and accounts. Internet connection required. Available in select countries and languages, and to users aged 18+. Features may differ depending on subscription and account. Some apps require setup.

² Results may vary. Available to users aged 18+. Check responses for accuracy. Not available in all languages or countries. Not available for all media or apps. Translation may not be instantaneous. Find out more

¹ Results may vary. Check responses for accuracy. Compatible with certain features and accounts. Internet connection required. Available in select countries and languages, and to users aged 18+. Features may differ depending on subscription and account. Some apps require setup.

² Available to users aged 18+.

³ Subscription required. Availability varies. 18+.

¹ Not available for all apps or content.

² Designed to comply with dust and water protection rating IP68 under IEC standard 60529 when each device leaves the factory, but the device is not water or dust proof. The accessories are not water or dust resistant. Water resistance and dust resistance are not permanent conditions and will diminish or be lost over time due to normal wear and tear, device repair, disassembly, or damage. Phone is not drop/tumble proof and dropping your device may result in loss of water/dust resistance. Damage from drops, tumbles, and other external forces are not covered under warranty. Liquid damage voids the warranty. See more details

³ Estimated battery life based on testing using a median Pixel user battery usage profile across a mix of talk, data, standby and use of limited other features that are default in Extreme Battery Saver mode, which disables various features, including 5G connectivity. Battery testing based on mix of inner and outer screen use and conducted on a major US operator network in California in early 2024 on pre-production hardware and software using default settings, except that, for the “up to 72 hours” claim only, Extreme Battery Saver mode was enabled. Tests began with phones fully charged. Battery life depends upon many factors and usage of certain features will decrease battery life. Actual battery life may be lower.

⁴ Charging speed based upon testing with device batteries drained to 1% and charged with Google 45 W USB-C® Charger. Charging testing conducted by Google in early 2024 on pre-production hardware and software using default settings with the device powered on. Charging speed depends upon many factors including usage during charging, battery age and ambient temperature. Actual charging speed may be slower.

⁵ Coming soon. Not available for all cameras, apps, or modes.

⁶ Available on photos using greater than 15x zoom.

⁷ Results may vary.

⁸ May not work on all images.

⁹ Not available for all cameras, apps, or modes.

¹⁰ May not work on all audio elements.

¹¹ The screen has rounded corners. When measured diagonally as a rectangle, the screen is 6.3 inches. Actual viewable area is less. Dimension may vary by configuration and manufacturing process.

¹² Not available for all apps or content.

¹³ Gemini mobile app is available for selected devices, languages, and countries. Internet connection required. Check responses for accuracy.

¹⁴ Brightness compared to Pixel Fold.

¹⁵ The screen has rounded corners. When measured diagonally as a rectangle, the external screen is 6.3 inches, and the internal screen is 8 inches. Actual viewable area is less. Dimension may vary by configuration and manufacturing process.

¹⁶ Requires compatible apps.

¹ Samsung account login required.

² Compatible with select languages only. Google account login and network connection required. Google and Gemini are trademarks of Google LLC. Samsung account login is required for certain AI features.

³ Typical value tested under third party laboratory condition. Rated minimum capacity of S25 FE is 4,755mAh.

¹ Samsung account login and network connection required. 

² Compatible with select languages only. Google account login and network connection required. Google and Gemini are trademarks of Google LLC. Samsung account login is required for certain AI features. 

³ Motion Photo must be activated. Actual UI may differ. Samsung account login required. 

¹ Samsung account login and network connection required. 

² Compatible with select languages only. Google account login and network connection required. Google and Gemini are trademarks of Google LLC. Samsung account login is required for certain AI features.

¹ Samsung account login and network connection required. 

² Compatible with select languages only. Google account login and network connection required. Google and Gemini are trademarks of Google LLC. Samsung account login is required for certain AI features. 

³ Samsung account login is required. Requires a network connection. Must meet length requirements to activate feature. Service availability may vary by language. Accuracy of results isn’t guaranteed.

¹ Results may vary depending on light condition, subject and/or shooting conditions. 

² Samsung account login required. Six types of sound can be detected: voices, music, wind, nature, crowd and noise. Results may vary depending on audio source and condition of the video. 

³ Motion Photo must be activated. Actual UI may differ. Samsung account login required. 

⁴ Samsung account login and network connection required. 

Samsung account login required for certain AI features. Actual UI may differ.

¹ Compatible with selected languages only. Google account login required. Requires network connection. Availability of search functions and its supported apps may vary by country, language, and device.

¹ Apple Intelligence is available in beta. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. For feature and language availability and system requirements, see support.apple.com/121115

¹ Live Translate requires a network connection and Samsung Account login. Live Translate is only available on the pre-installed Samsung Phone app. Certain languages may require language pack download. Service availability may vary by language. Accuracy of results isn’t guaranteed.

² Galaxy AI features by Samsung will be provided for free until the end of 2025 on supported Samsung Galaxy devices.

³ Results may vary depending on visual matches. Requires internet connection. Users may need to update Android to the latest version. Product functionality may be dependent on your app and device settings. Some functions may not be compatible with certain apps. Availability of the service varies by country and language. Accuracy of results isn’t guaranteed.

⁴ Optical quality zoom is enabled by the Adaptive Pixel sensor. 2x zoom must be enabled in the Camera Assistant app settings. Camera Assistant can be downloaded from the Galaxy Store. 30X Space Zoom includes 3x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom with Super Resolution technology. Zoom distances past 3x zoom may express some image deterioration. AI Zoom is applied to distances between digital zoom lengths. Accuracy of results isn’t guaranteed. Results may vary depending on light condition and/or shooting conditions including multiple subjects, being out of focus or moving subjects.

⁵ Generative Edit requires a network connection and Samsung Account login. Editing with Generative Edit results in a resized photo up to 12MP. A visible watermark is overlaid on the image output upon saving in order to indicate that the image is generated by AI. The accuracy and reliability of the generated output isn’t guaranteed.

⁶ The note must include a minimum of 200 characters for the Auto format function to work.

⁷ The note must include a minimum of 200 characters for the Summarize function to work.

⁸ Accessing the Browsing Assist AI feature will require you to be connected to a network and signed into your Samsung account. To use Browsing Assist, update to the latest Samsung Internet app version.

⁹ Translation and On-device mode require language packs to function. Please be aware that some languages are not available yet. Summary and translation results may vary each time.

¹⁰ Transcript Assist requires a network connection and Samsung Account login. Transcript Assist is only available on the pre-installed Samsung Voice Recorder app or files recorded using the pre-installed Samsung Phone app. Voice recording feature in the pre-installed Samsung Phone app may not be supported in some countries. Audio files must be under 3 hours in duration to be processed. Summarizing feature in Transcript Assist can be activated when a certain number of characters is met. Service availability may vary by language. Accuracy of results isn’t guaranteed.

¹¹ Active service is required to use Chat translation.

¹² The Galaxy Enhance-X app is supported on phones running Android 14 and One UI 6.0.

¹³ Compatible with selected languages only. Google account login required. Requires network connection. Availability of search functions and its supported apps may vary by country, language and device.

¹⁴ Requires network connection and Samsung account login. A visible watermark is overlaid on the saved image to indicate it was generated by Galaxy AI. Accuracy of output not guaranteed.

¹⁵ Samsung account login and network connection required. 

¹⁶ Samsung account login required. 

¹⁷ Maximum length per clip to be edited using Auto Trim for Photo Assist is 90 minutes. Maximum length of combined clips to be edited using Auto Trim for Photo Assist is 180 minutes. Maximum number of clips to be edited per video project is 60 clips. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed. 

¹⁸ Supported on Galaxy S25+ and S25 Ultra. Image quality can be enhanced up to QHD+, depending on the screen resolution setting of the device. 

¹ Gemini mobile app is available for selected devices, languages, and countries. Internet connection is required. Check responses for accuracy.

² Data rates may apply when you use Magic Compose. Check with your carrier for details. Only available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Korean on Android phones.

³ Available only on Pixel 8 Pro and in developer options on Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a, in English.

⁴ Requires internet connection and compatible devices, apps, and surfaces. Results may vary depending on visual matches.

⁵ Results may vary.

⁶ May not work on all images.

⁷ Not available for all cameras, apps, or modes. Results may vary.