AI Moves to Mid‑range Phones

Artificial intelligence features that once sold premium phones are moving into cheaper handsets, with Samsung and India’s Ai+ both pushing on-device tools into mid-range and budget models in April. (news.samsung.com) (hindustantimes.com) Samsung said on April 9 that its new Galaxy A57 5G and Galaxy A37 5G bring “Awesome Intelligence” to the A series, including voice transcription, translation of call recordings, text extraction, object removal in photos, and video editing tools. Samsung also said the phones will get up to six generations of operating system upgrades and long-term security support. (news.samsung.com) Ai+ launched the Nova 2 series in India on April 23, selling the Nova 2 on Flipkart from ₹8,999 and the Nova 2 Ultra from ₹14,999 with an exchange offer, according to Mint and Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times said the pitch includes 5G and on-device AI encryption in a phone aimed at mass-market buyers. (livemint.com) (hindustantimes.com) On-device artificial intelligence means the phone handles some tasks locally instead of sending every request to a remote data center. That can keep features working with weaker connections and limit how much voice, photo, or text data leaves the handset. (news.samsung.com) (smashingmagazine.com) That shift is showing up in the feature list. Samsung is using local processing for tools such as voice transcription and photo cleanup, while Ai+ is marketing privacy and encryption alongside basic hardware specs like 5G, a 6,000 mAh battery, and a 50-megapixel rear camera. (news.samsung.com) (hindustantimes.com) The price bands matter. Samsung’s A series sits below its Galaxy S flagships, and Ai+ is targeting India’s high-volume 5G segment with the Nova 2 at ₹8,999, a range where battery life, durability, and financing often matter more than headline processing power. (news.samsung.com) (livemint.com) Ai+ is also tying the phones to India’s manufacturing push. Hindustan Times reported that India Cellular and Electronics Association chairman Pankaj Mohindroo used the launch to point to mobile production rising from ₹19,000 crore in 2015 to ₹6.25 lakh crore, with exports above ₹2,45,000 crore. (hindustantimes.com) There are still limits to how far local artificial intelligence can go on cheaper chips. Heavy generative tasks still often rely on cloud computing, and some claims around “AI encryption” remain marketing shorthand unless companies spell out exactly which data stays on the device and which services call home. (hindustantimes.com) (news.samsung.com) For buyers, the immediate change is simpler: phones that cost less are starting to transcribe, edit, search, and protect data without asking users to buy a flagship first. (news.samsung.com) (hindustantimes.com)