2 weeks Ago By Abha Shah
It's been just over 50 years since the very first mobile phone handset was invented. Back on April 3, 1973, one could barely have conceived that mobile phone handsets would one day conquer the world. And yet, in the half-century-or-so since its debut, the clunky ancestor, which had the weight, dimensions and style of a cinderblock, has metamorphosised into a sleek, high-tech piece of kit that can slip into your pocket with room to spare for a cardholder and set of keys.
Today, more people have access to a mobile than a flushing loo - an astonishing (and alarming) thought. But the story doesn’t stop there. The pace is gathering as we develop better, faster, and above all, smarter technology, all available at a moment's notice in the palm of our hands.
Artificial Intelligence (or AI as you and I know it), has transformed everyday functions. With it, we can ask our devices to tell us the temperature outside or traffic conditions and have our tech answer us back. AI allows us to edit photobombers out of pictures and cut white noise from videos.
We can get the grip of the latest headlines, create a minibreak itinerary, buy gig tickets without being chained to a desktop computer, and have AI assistants write grocery shopping lists for the entire month - and find, buy and deliver those ingredients directly to our door too. Some grown adults can’t manage that. New AI in phones can break language barriers, allowing users to make new pals while on holiday despite not speaking the lingo.
I had a very happy exchange with three Sicilian gentlemen sitting at a neighbouring table in a Palermo restaurant thanks to the AI technology embedded in my phone. When it comes to smartphones, three big names have spearheaded AI in their devices: Apple, Samsung and Google. You need only glance back at the launches from the last few years to see that these tech heavyweights have involved AI in some form in their increasingly smaller and smarter phones.
If you’re in the market for a new phone armed to the eyeballs with the latest AI wizardry, I’ve listed the best contenders below. While it’s true that AI comes at a price, as all cutting-edge tech does, if you can’t manage the eyewatering RRPs that the latest versions demand, all is not lost. Choosing a slightly older model, say two or three years old, waiting for a major sale (Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday are always fruitful), or shopping refurbished can bring down the price by hundreds.
Now that really is playing it smart. Shop now.
