Искусственный интеллект: Человек против смартфона — кто выйдет победителем? Translation: Headline: Artificial Intelligence: Human vs Smartphone — Who Will Emerge Victorious?

The race to dethrone smartphones as the leading gadgets has officially commenced. Several companies are exploring alternative devices powered by artificial intelligence, as reported by The Economist.

For the past two decades, Apple’s iPhone with iOS and Google’s Android have dominated the user interface with the digital realm. As part of the arrangement, the corporation behind the most widely used search engine pays substantial amounts to the Cupertino-based company for its integration into smartphones.

In return, Apple has selected Google’s AI solutions to enhance Siri.

«After a thorough evaluation, we concluded that Google’s technology offers the most efficient foundation for Apple Foundation Models. We are excited about the innovative opportunities it will create for our users,» the tech giants stated in a joint announcement.

Neither company had an incentive to alter the status quo, unlike their competitors.

On January 19, Chris Lehan, the global affairs director at OpenAI, announced that the company «is on track» to unveil its debut device in the second half of 2026.

Two days later, it emerged that Apple is developing a wearable gadget aimed at seizing the initiative from OpenAI. Meta is working on AI-powered smart glasses and is reallocating resources away from VR headsets to focus on this domain.

Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, has incorporated its own AI, Alexa+, into Echo speakers and will soon do the same with Echo glasses and headphones.

The coming years could prove challenging for smartphones. Jan Van from Counterpoint Research anticipates that global shipments will decline by approximately 6% in 2026, with no signs of recovery. However, a 2% growth was recorded in 2025.

One of the factors contributing to this decline is the sharp increase in memory chip prices, driven by the AI boom—where billions are being invested in data centers, consuming all available supply.

According to Van, the cost of 12 GB of RAM has risen by $70 over the past 15 months. Manufacturers of budget smartphones will be compelled to raise their prices, negatively impacting sales volumes. Nonetheless, Apple, whose smartphones are sold at a healthy markup, will also feel margin pressure.

The situation is exacerbated by what is being referred to as the «chip war.» Smartphone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung were once the largest customers for semiconductors, but their positions have been usurped by Nvidia and other AI chip developers, who are considered more valuable and profitable for producers.

As their significance wanes, phone manufacturers will find it increasingly difficult to secure the necessary chips.

Some have long been dissatisfied with the revenue-sharing model for smartphones. App developers are required to pay Apple a fee of up to 30% on purchases made within the ecosystem.

OpenAI, which derives most of its income from subscriptions, must also share part of its revenue with Cupertino or Google.

Meta has been seeking ways to reduce its dependency on the smartphone duopoly since Apple introduced a feature in 2021 that allows users to opt out of being tracked. This complicates data collection and has negatively impacted the advertising business.

Additionally, consumers may transition to devices that align better with the business models of Apple’s and Google’s competitors. With built-in lenses, Meta’s glasses could display WhatsApp messages, meaning that spending more time on its platforms could increase revenue from ads.

Amazon is also not backing down in its quest to place its Echo speakers in every home and its glasses on every face, thus gathering more information for its growing advertising business and simplifying purchases on its platform.

OpenAI stands to benefit if people abandon smartphones in favor of relying on chatbots to interact with the digital world.

Currently, the threat to Apple and Google remains minimal. Worldwide, there are a total of 15 million smart glasses users, while Apple sold 250 million iPhones in just the past year. If the recent agreement with Alphabet allows Siri to function better, it might encourage even more smartphone purchases.

At the same time, developers of alternative gadgets face significant challenges. Google had to halt sales of its smart glasses due to the privacy concerns surrounding the built-in cameras.

There are also technical hurdles. The glasses need to be lightweight, leaving little space for batteries. Issues like overheating and limited lifespan contributed to the failure of a product launched by the startup Humane in November 2023.

Alex Katuzhyan from Qualcomm believes that these «next-gen» gadgets will gain widespread acceptance, but only as supplementary tools.

Mark Zuckerberg previously echoed this sentiment, suggesting that individuals moving to smart glasses will not abandon smartphones; they will likely just reduce their screen time.

The emergence of mobile phones with screens did not deter consumers from purchasing computers, The Economist pointed out.

The duopolists are also in motion. Rumors suggest Apple is developing its own smart glasses. Google has launched Android XR—a platform for operating virtual reality headsets—and has released a new version of its smart speaker based on Gemini.

It’s worth noting that Apple plans to unveil its own AI-based web search, which will be integrated into the Siri voice assistant.