From Smart to Intelligent, the inevitable evolution of mobile devices

By Peter Dohyung Lee, Head of Product Strategy, OPPO

In the early 2000s, feature phones were the default. These simple phones usually supported basic features: calling, texting, and perhaps a simple game. But with smartphones, the next decade brought a significant shift in mobile technology. Application stores transformed our simple communication devices into smart companions. Customers could fully personalise their phones with preferred applications around their areas of interest, be it fitness, fashion, gaming, etc.

And now, we are at the cusp of another revolutionary technological leap: AI Phones.

The AI Phone isn't one where artificial intelligence is an added layer to the smartphone; it is native to the phone's central experience. Instead of relying on downloaded apps, we foresee a future where AI devices will have intelligent, adaptive systems that understand and predict our needs. The interface of tomorrow's AI devices will not be touchscreens filled with app icons. It will be intuitive, almost human and context-aware.

When you are at work, the AI Assistant will transcribe, summarise and lay out the exact context you need from your meeting recordings. It will go through important emails and draft responses based on your previous interactions. Your phone will read long PDFs and contextualise those for you.

The AI phone will have a strong grasp of linguistics, language, and user behaviour. Think about drafting an email: The AI assistant will tailor the message to your style, even as it helps you get your points across succinctly.

AI won't just transform your messages or emails. It will also improve your camera experience. You are taking a photo at the iconic bench against the Taj Mahal but wish you could filter out the crowd. The AI phone's camera will do that for you while ensuring the final photo looks true to itself. AI will figure out how to ensure everyone looks their best in group photos. When you are out on holiday, if you want to capture the sunrise from your beachside hotel, you can ask your device and it will adjust the settings for you.

Your mobile device will also store your health and fitness data, suggest diets, remind you of doctor's appointments and more. When you come home from work and want to unwind by watching your favourite TV show, the AI assistant will know you would rather do this on your connected TV than on the tiny smartphone screen. And so, it will switch to the TV for you.

Thanks to the powerful large language models (LLMs) now running on most devices, the AI Phone revolution is already upon us. We, at OPPO, have committed ourselves to democratise AI Phones by bringing generative AI to all our product lines, the latest being the Reno 12 series. The development and application of AI Phones require active cooperation within the industry to build a shared ecosystem. In this direction, OPPO has collaborated with partners such as Google, Microsoft, MediaTek and Qualcomm to usher in a new era of AI Phones.

Looking ahead, as our mobile devices become powered by AI, we can only imagine how we will interact with the digital world, making our lives more connected, efficient, and fun. Welcome to the world of AI devices where the future is just a command away. And right now, it's just the beginning!

So, let us know, what do YOU expect from your AI phone.