From selfies to meeting summaries: Why AI belongs to your smartphone now

AI Appreciation Day might not be a red-letter date, but it’s become a sharp reminder of one thing: artificial intelligence is no longer confined to labs or laptops. It’s sitting in your pocket, powering your photos, transcribing your calls, drafting your messages, and doing it all without needing the cloud.

And nowhere is that more evident than in India’s smartphone ecosystem, where the next wave of AI is being built on-device, faster, safer, and ready to work offline.

“India, with its massive smartphone base and growing digital habits, is in a strong position to shape how AI is used at scale,” says Savio D’Souza, Head of Product Communications at Oppo India. “The goal now isn’t just to make AI powerful, but to make it practical, fast, and usable for everyone.”

AI, unplugged: On-device is the new frontier

If 2023 was the year of AI-powered everything, 2025 is where on-device AI steps out of the cloud and into everyday use.

Smartphones from Samsung, Google, Oppo, OnePlus, Realme, Nothing, and others are rolling out features that don’t rely on constant internet access. Think of real-time call summarisation, smart photo editing, translation, and even creative writing, all happening locally, with zero server roundtrips.

Samsung’s Galaxy AI supports offline transcription, translation, and photo edits through on-device intelligence.

Oppo says it will deliver generative AI features to 100 million users globally by 2025, and already holds 5,800+ AI patents.

OnePlus is building “AI-first” workflows into its OxygenOS, including the “Plus Mind” system for natural-language task management.

“The foundation of OnePlus AI is built upon a deep understanding of our users,” says Arthur Lam, Director of OxygenOS and AI Strategy at OnePlus. “They want AI to help them work smart, play hard and be their authentic selves.”

Why India is the proving ground

India’s smartphone user base is one of the most mobile-first in the world. For many users, the phone is the computer. And that makes on-device AI not just a convenience, but a necessity.

Slower networks, patchy internet, and rising concerns about data privacy have all made Indian consumers more receptive to phones that can do more locally.

“AI on smartphones now handles tasks like summarising meetings, generating content drafts, and improving low-light photography – things that once needed separate apps or even a laptop,” says Oppo's Savio D’Souza.

This shift isn’t just about premium flagships either. AI tools like AI Call Assistants, AI Photo Editors, and AI image expanders are showing up on mid-range devices too, thanks to silicon upgrades and tighter software integration.

From buzzword to backbone

AI is no longer a bonus feature. It’s fast becoming the backbone of the smartphone experience, blurring the lines between assistant, camera, translator, and editor.

And unlike last year’s cloud-first buzz, the narrative now is about performance, privacy, and presence. On-device AI runs faster, works offline, and keeps data local.

This is why major OEMs are now redesigning their OS experiences around AI-first use cases, not as a gimmick, but as core functionality.

The ambition is clear: make AI feel like part of your phone, not something you open in an app.