Have AI phones finally made a triumphant comeback?

Written by / Meng Huiyuan

Edited by / Li Jinlin

Typeset by / Annalee

In recent days, Chinese and foreign netizens have been engaged in lively conversations.

From automatically paying the 'cat tax' to assisting with homework, and even participating in meme wars, the evolution of foreign users' engagement has been peppered with jokes stemming from machine translation. Domestic netizens, while warmly welcoming them, have also experienced the allure of AI phones for the first time.

Since the inception of the AI phone concept, users have long complained about the impracticality of AI features. Moreover, once users' curiosity wanes, the utilization rate of AI functions on mobile phones further declines, a common occurrence. However, as AI phones secure an opportunity for large-scale application and usage, their resurgence has quietly arrived.

Machine Translation Adds Humor to Cross-Cultural Conversations

'Isn't it great to sleep in on the weekend after working hard all week?'

'Do you work at the zoo? I love visiting zoos!'

'The flower path is not swept for guests, but the humble gate is now opened for you.'

'Thank you for opening the gate.'

'Can you wish me luck on my exam and may a koi fish bless me?'

'I wish you good luck and success on your exam! By the way, I just Googled koi fish. It's beautiful, but do you really want to be possessed by it?'

Machine Translation Humor

Recently, the humorous conversations sparked by machine translation between Chinese and foreign netizens have become a hot topic. This group of foreign netizens, self-proclaimed 'TikTok refugees,' have flooded into the Chinese internet, primarily concerned with smooth communication and interaction with their Chinese counterparts.

'I am American. If you have any questions, please ask me. Also, what are the rules of this app? (No need to translate into English for me. I can screenshot the comment and translate it in my photo app.)'

Like many foreign netizens, to interact amicably with domestic users, they frequently rely on Google Translate. However, due to cultural and linguistic differences between East and West, machine translations often lead to misunderstandings.

Of course, similar 'mishaps' can happen to domestic netizens too. For many in the Chinese community, a plethora of English posts can be overwhelming, and the time spent understanding and responding to comments increases significantly. 'The recommendation feed is full of foreigners. At first glance, I thought I was abroad. It's exhausting to keep up.'

To address the absence of a 'one-click translation' feature on these Chinese social platforms, domestic users have devised various workarounds:

Apple users employ the system's automatic floating translation, which can be activated after setting up a series of function sequences in shortcuts. However, the translation results are often less than intelligent, and occasionally, the language cannot be detected.

Using the quick translation feature available in input methods like iFLYTEK and WeChat allows for translating replies, but the constant copying can be tedious.

A more common option is to utilize the AI translation function in various AI software, switching between social and translation apps to facilitate communication. However, frequent screen switching can dampen users' enthusiasm...

Apple's built-in floating translation function proves ineffective

After numerous trials and tests, those using AI phones can be considered the winners.

Especially for users of vivo, Xiaomi, OnePlus, OPPO, Huawei, and other brands, they finally discovered these new system functions after being reminded by others. 'Long-press the screen with two fingers, and a toolbar appears. Select translation from the AI function subtitles, and the page will display Chinese. Only after exploring and using it do you realize how powerful the real-time subtitle translation function is. Thanks to technological advancements, English beginners can now connect with the world. In the past, these mobile phone functions went unnoticed due to the lack of application scenarios, but now they can all be utilized!'

AI Phones Have Now Distinctly Evolved

It's not just the translation function that has garnered praise from users. Foreign netizens, quick learners of memes, are now engaging in meme wars with domestic users, alongside their increasingly proficient language skills. To ensure clarity for both sides, bilingual memes are now in demand. In terms of rapid image processing, compared to other external software that requires downloading and screen-switching, the swiftness and convenience of AI phones' functions have once again been validated.

This is the first time AI phones have received such widespread user recognition.

For a considerable period, the scenario where AI large models can shine brightest has been PC + office work. Meanwhile, in terms of comprehensive application results, the related functional effects of AI phones lag behind professional AI apps like Doubao, Wenxiaoyan, and iFLYTEK Spark.

A while ago, the American recycling company SellCell released a survey report on mobile phone AI functions. The data revealed that nearly half of iPhone users consider AI function support as an important factor when purchasing a phone, but 73% of users found that the experience enhancement brought by Apple's AI was minimal after purchasing an iPhone. Many respondents bluntly stated that these AI functions are impractical, and after curiosity wanes, the usage rate of AI functions on mobile phones may further decline.

This perception also applies to numerous domestic AI phone products.

Judging from the accelerated deployment of AI technology by major mobile phone manufacturers, Xiaomi has 'Super Xiao'ai, vivo has 'Blue Heart Large Model,' OPPO has 'AndesGPT,' Honor has 'Magic Large Model,' and Huawei has 'PanGu Large Model.'

Smart assistants, AI cameras, image recognition, speech recognition, gaming, entertainment, AI translation... While the various AI functions launched by smartphone manufacturers appear practical, there is still a significant gap between them and user expectations. These extensive yet shallow AI functions inevitably lack significant advantages compared to free AI applications. The mismatch between functions and expectations also limits application scenarios, further reducing the attractiveness of the products.

As Mohit Agarwal, Research Director at Counterpoint, noted, 'Smartphones have played a pivotal role in the popularization of Gen AI. However, many consumers are still unaware of the benefits of Gen AI on mobile phones. Only 19% of surveyed users are willing to pay a premium for phones equipped with Gen AI.'

AI phones' real-time translation function is highly praised by users

And this time, as AI phones truly become the optimal solution for addressing common issues due to their related functions, many people are even considering upgrading to the same model. Perhaps this signifies that AI phones are ushering in their best era, one that truly belongs to them.