Generative AI is quickly moving into smartphones, and the hardware powering it is no longer reserved for the cloud. Chipsets designed with acceleration for text, image, audio and video generation are becoming the new standard across categories, pushing the industry in a direction that feels less experimental and more mainstream.
| Image credit: StarklyTech
- Generative AI chipsets are rapidly shifting from cloud-only to standard features in smartphones.
- Over one-third of processors shipped this year will include built-in GenAI acceleration.
- Apple leads global GenAI chip share, with Qualcomm close behind and MediaTek trailing.
- Flagship processors like A19 Pro and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 drive premium AI adoption.
- Mid-range phones now see triple the GenAI adoption, making advanced AI more affordable.
Generative AI is quickly moving into smartphones, and the hardware powering it is no longer reserved for the cloud. Chipsets designed with acceleration for text, image, audio and video generation are becoming the new standard across categories, pushing the industry in a direction that feels less experimental and more mainstream.
Generative AI is quickly moving into smartphones, and the hardware powering it is no longer reserved for the cloud. Chipsets designed with acceleration for text, image, audio and video generation are becoming the new standard across categories, pushing the industry in a direction that feels less experimental and more mainstream.
The growth is staggering. Counterpoint Research estimates that more than a third of all smartphone processors shipped this year will include built-in GenAI capability, representing a jump of nearly three-quarters compared to the previous twelve months. Such an increase underscores just how aggressively manufacturers are adopting the technology into everyday mobile hardware.
Leadership in this space is not evenly distributed. Apple is projected to dominate with almost half of the global share, while Qualcomm is expected to control over a third. MediaTek holds a much smaller slice, hovering just above one-tenth of the market, showing how competitive but concentrated this race is becoming.
| Image credit: Counterpoint
At the premium end, nearly nine out of every ten chips set to leave factories this year are compatible with advanced AI models. This leap is linked directly to the debut of flagship processors like Apple’s A19 Pro, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500, each embedding deeper neural processing capacity than their predecessors.
But momentum is not confined to elite devices. Mid-tier smartphones in the $300 to $499 price bracket are experiencing triple the adoption rates of last year, securing more than a third of all GenAI-enabled shipments. This shows how quickly AI features are trickling down into more affordable categories, reshaping expectations for mid-range buyers.
Qualcomm currently leads that segment thanks to its Snapdragon 7 and 6 series, alongside MediaTek’s Dimensity 8000 family of chips. The surge in this market layer suggests consumers won’t need to pay flagship prices to access advanced AI functions, setting the stage for a much broader audience to embrace these capabilities in everyday usage.