These days, when buying a new phone, significant emphasis is placed on AI features alongside the camera, battery, and processor. Companies are equipping phones with various AI tools capable of tasks ranging from photo editing and call management to transcribing speech into text and retrieving information about items displayed on the screen. However, the question remains: how many of these features are actually useful in daily life? Not every AI feature is necessarily useful for you. Some might come in handy once or twice a week, while others become indispensable once you start using them. Let’s explore 10 such AI features on phones that can genuinely be useful to you.
- Circle to Search
If you see a photo, product, pair of shoes, a piece of clothing, or any other item on your phone screen and want to know more about it, “Circle to Search” is incredibly useful. It allows you to search for information directly by circling the item on the screen without closing the app you are currently using. Google has continuously improved this feature, and it now offers the ability to select and search for multiple items within a single image.
Useful for: Online shopping, studying, identifying objects, and quickly gathering information.
- Removing unwanted objects from photos using AI
You’ve taken a great photo, but a stranger has wandered into the background, or an unwanted object is spoiling the shot. In such cases, AI can be used to remove that object. The phone attempts to fill in the empty space automatically, reducing the need for separate photo editing apps.
Useful for: Almost anyone who takes photos with their phone.
- Modifying objects in photos
Some phones go beyond merely removing objects. With the help of AI, it is possible to move an object within the image to a different location, resize it, or even regenerate parts of the picture. However, the results from such features aren’t always perfect; sometimes, the image may show odd or unnatural alterations. Useful for: Those who post photos on social media and want to edit/enhance them quickly.
- Converting Speech to Text
Listening to the entire audio recording of a meeting, interview, class, or important conversation can be time-consuming. AI-based transcription features can convert speech into text. Some phones even generate a brief summary of the conversation. Voice transcription is considered one of the most practical features in current AI-enabled phones.
Useful for: Students, journalists, office professionals, and interviewers.
- AI-Generated Note Summaries
Notes or documents often contain so much information that reading the entire content takes a long time. AI can generate concise summaries of such lengthy texts and highlight key points. This is particularly beneficial when you need to quickly grasp the main takeaways from a long note or a meeting.
Useful for: Highly useful for students and office professionals.
- Live Translation
Language barriers can arise when speaking on the phone with someone who speaks a different language. Some smartphones offer real-time translation of conversations into another language. While users may not need this feature daily, it proves invaluable during travel or when communicating with speakers of other languages. Live translation is counted among the key, useful features of modern AI phones.
Useful for: Travelers and those communicating across different languages.
- AI Writing Assist
If you are struggling to find the right words while composing a message or email, or simply want to refine your text, AI Writing Assist can help. It can shorten text, improve language, or rephrase content in a different style. While not always necessary for short, casual messages, it can save time when drafting long emails or professional responses.
Useful for: Professionals who frequently write emails and messages.
- Screening Unknown Calls
It is not always necessary to answer calls from unknown numbers. Some phones can use AI to gather information from the caller and explain the reason for the call to you. This makes it easier to distinguish between important calls and unwanted ones.
Useful for: People who frequently receive unknown or spam calls.
- Understanding screen and camera content using AI
AI is no longer limited to just answering text-based queries. Certain phones and AI services can interpret what the camera sees or the information displayed on the screen to provide relevant answers. Google has also introduced a feature in India that allows users to ask questions based on photos, voice, and visual information. For instance, if you need to identify a plant or figure out how to use an object, you can simply show a photo of it and ask a question.
Useful for: Those looking for information or wanting to quickly understand something.
- Getting tasks done on your phone with AI assistants
AI assistants are no longer used solely for answering questions. Newer phones are integrating AI with various apps and tasks. Some new features utilize AI to execute multi-step processes—such as booking a service or reordering items based on past order history. However, such features are not yet available on every phone or within every app.
