The Russian mobile device market is undergoing a tectonic shift. Demand for smartphones with built-in artificial intelligence (AI) is experiencing explosive growth. According to my data, in just the last twelve months, the share of such gadgets in the retail network of one of the largest operators increased from 6.5% to 16%. The total sales volume of AI smartphones jumped by 27%.
The key driver of this growth was an expansion of the product range by almost 150%. The market is becoming saturated with offerings, and consumers are actively voting with their rubles for technological novelties. However, it is important to emphasize: at this point, only 2.8% of Russians actually use devices with neural networks. Only models whose AI functionality is fully available and operates stably on the territory of the Russian Federation were taken into account. Gadgets with blocked or inactive options were not included in the statistics — this is a critically important nuance for understanding the real penetration of the technology.
Who buys AI smartphones?
The buyer profile is fairly even. Among owners of tech novelties, 58% are men and 42% are women. The greatest interest is shown by customers aged 37 to 47 — they account for 40% of sales. They are followed by the groups aged 25-36 (22%) and 48-58 (21%). This suggests that AI functionality is in demand not only among young people, but also among a mature, solvent audience.
Where is the AI smartphone market heading?
Today, advanced neural network tools are the prerogative of premium flagships. But the situation will change dramatically. I predict that within the next two to three years, full-fledged AI features will massively migrate to the mid-budget segment. This is an inevitable process that will open the floodgates for the total popularization of the technology.
This trend is only part of the country's global digitalization. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has already stated that more than half of Russian enterprises have begun to implement AI, although it is still far from an industrial scale. In early July, the State Duma approved a framework law on AI regulation, and the government is introducing smart services into the work of its own apparatus. Even the Moscow Exchange is launching an AI system to identify transactions with signs of manipulation and insider trading.
My professional opinion: The 27% growth in AI smartphone sales is just the first signal. As soon as the technology becomes available in the segment up to 30-40 thousand rubles, we will see an avalanche-like increase in penetration. Investors and manufacturers should prepare for a battle for the mass consumer, where the main trump card will not be hardware, but software and the ecosystem of neural network services.