Can AI Features on Your Phone Really Make a Difference in the UK?

In the UK, many of us are curious about the AI features on our phones and how they can improve our daily lives. I decided to put these features to the test and used them for a week to see what worked and what didn’t. From photo edits to voice typing, I tried it all to find out if these features are really worth using.

I started by testing the photo tools on both Samsung and Pixel devices. I was impressed by the Pixel’s AI eraser, which removed an unwanted object from a photo of my mother’s vacation. The result was noticeable and made a big difference to the overall quality of the photo.

I also tried the Best Take feature on the Pixel, which took a burst shot of a group of people and selected the best photo. The result was a perfect group photo with no one blinking or looking away. On the other hand, Samsung’s Generative Edit was more aggressive and showed in the results.

When it came to writing and voice typing, I was surprised by how well the features worked. The assistant suggestions on the keyboard were mixed, but the voice typing was accurate and handled background noise well. I dictated around 40 messages over the week and needed fewer edits than I would have if I were typing on my small onscreen keyboard.

The writing suggestions were also useful, especially for work replies. If I drafted something quickly, the suggestion would tighten up the sentence without the need to rewrite. I used the rewrite option to draft an urgent email, and the result was better than my original draft.

However, not all AI features were created equal. The assistant tasks were inconsistent, and complex requests fell apart. I asked Gemini on Pixel to find a Chinese restaurant that’s open after 9 pm on Friday, add it to my Calendar, and text my colleague its name. But it only got to step one and stopped there.

The background features, such as call screening and battery optimisation, were arguably the best AI features of all. They didn’t ask me to do anything and just ran in the background, making my life easier. The call screening feature flagged seven calls as likely spam, with six of them correctly identified.

By the end of the week, I had switched off or forgotten most of the AI features. But some, like Magic Eraser, Best Take, and voice typing, will stay on my phone. These features made a real difference to my daily life and were worth using.