Counterpoint Research said AI currently ranks around sixth or seventh among consumers’ reasons for upgrading a smartphone, but has climbed one to two spots in its latest surveys as Gemini and Apple Intelligence have become more capable.

Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint, said compelling use cases and greater consumer awareness will be critical to turning that growing interest into actual upgrades. He expects Apple Intelligence to be a catalyst for iPhone upgrades, noting that Apple has more generative AI-capable smartphones already in consumers’ hands than any other brand.