Generative AI (GenAI) smartphone shipments are forecast to grow 363.6 percent in 2024 to 234.2 million units, according to IDC report.
Shipment of generative AI (GenAI) smartphone represents 19 percent of the overall smartphone market in 2024.
IDC defines GenAI smartphones as devices that feature a system-on-a-chip (SoC) capable of running on-device GenAI models more quickly and efficiently leveraging a neural processing unit (NPU) with 30 tera operations per second (TOPS) or more performance using the int-8 data type.
In 2025, shipments of GenAI smartphones are expected to grow 73.1 percent year over year. Moderate double-digit growth is expected for the rest of the forecast period. By 2028, IDC forecasts 912 million GenAI smartphone shipments, resulting in a 2024-2028 compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 78.4 percent.
GenAI smartphones penetration is expected to exceed 60 percent within the first three years.
“The significant impact of this evolution is anticipated in 2026, when mid-range devices are expected to adopt this technology, making a momentous leap towards the democratization of GenAI,” Nabila Popal, senior research director with IDC’s Worldwide Tracker Team, said.
The sales of GenAI smartphones in the first year or two will be limited to flagship devices.. As phones capable of running GenAI on the device become more prevalent, the potential for more personalized and proactive AI assistants becomes increasingly likely.
“The cost will remain a critical inhibitor initially as many of the capable chipsets don’t come cheap and are available primarily in the ultra-premium segment of the market. These components will enter the mid-market and more affordable models as competition grows among device manufacturers and AI applications,” said Anthony Scarsella, research director, Mobile Phones at IDC.
