The future of technology is fast approaching, with the emergence of AI-powered PCs and smartphones right around the corner. Sooner than you may expect, these innovative devices will become a staple in your tech arsenal.
As we discussed in a recent cover story, top PC manufacturers such as Dell, HP Inc., and Lenovo, along with chipmakers Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm, are all primed to release a new generation of laptops boasting microprocessors designed to handle generative artificial intelligence software.
Industry experts at Gartner and IDC have recently issued forecasts on the future of AI PCs, with Gartner also providing insights on the optimistic outlook for AI-capable smartphones. Referred to as “AI at the edge,” this trend entails performing complex language models and related software tasks on personal devices instead of relying on cloud computing.
The advantages of AI PCs and smartphones for both consumers and businesses are numerous. Not only do these devices offer cost efficiency compared to cloud-based AI workloads, but they also deliver accelerated performance while prioritizing privacy and security.
While the specific applications that will benefit from AI capabilities on the edge of the network remain unclear, it is expected that industries such as gaming, personal productivity, and creative fields will undoubtedly reap the rewards.
According to Gartner’s projections, worldwide shipments of AI PCs and smartphones will reach an impressive 295 million units combined by 2024. This marks a tenfold increase from the 29 million units shipped in 2023. Gartner defines AI PCs as personal computers equipped with AI-capable chips that optimize and accelerate AI tasks without relying on cloud-based computing services.
Furthermore, the research firm defines AI smartphones as devices capable of running AI models locally, generating content, strategies, designs, and methods. This includes applications like Google’s Gemini Nano, Baidu’s ERNIE, and OpenAI’s GPT-4.
The future of technology is bright, and with the rise of AI PCs and smartphones, we are embarking on an era of unprecedented possibilities. Brace yourself for the transformative power these devices will bring to our lives.
The Future of Artificial Intelligence in PCs and Smartphones
According to Gartner’s projections, the year 2024 will see a significant increase in shipments of Artificial Intelligence (AI) PCs and Gen AI smartphones. Gartner expects 54.5 million AI PCs to be shipped, comprising 22% of the global total. Additionally, they predict that there will be 240 million Gen AI smartphones, also accounting for 22% of the total.
Looking ahead to 2025, Gartner foresees AI PCs capturing an even greater market share, reaching 43%, while Gen AI smartphones will see their share increase to 32%.
In terms of overall PC shipments for 2024, Gartner estimates a total of 250.4 million units, which represents a 3.5% increase. For smartphones, they project a 4.2% rise in shipments, reaching 1.2 billion.
IDC’s forecast takes a longer-term perspective, extending to 2027. They predict that AI-powered PCs will make up nearly 60% of all personal computers shipped by that year. The number of AI-powered PCs is expected to grow from an estimated 50 million this year to 167 million in 2027, as stated by Tom Mainelli, IDC’s group vice president for Devices and Consumer Research.
Mainelli attributes this trend to the promises of enhanced user productivity, faster performance, lower inferencing costs, on-device privacy, and security offered by AI PCs.
IDC categorizes the AI PC market into three levels based on a performance metric called TOPS (tera operations per second), which measures AI chip performance.
At the base level are “hardware-enabled” AI PCs, which run under 40 TOPS. IDC confirms that Qualcomm, Apple, Intel, and AMD are already producing chips for this category.
One level up are the “next-generation” AI PCs, capable of running between 40 and 60 TOPS. These PCs run on an AI-first operating system that enables persistent and pervasive AI capabilities in the OS and apps. Qualcomm, AMD, and Intel have all announced future chips for this category, with delivery expected to commence later this year. Furthermore, Microsoft plans to release updates to Windows 11 to fully leverage these new chips, according to IDC.
The highest level consists of “advanced AI” PCs, which utilize chips with more than 60 TOPS of performance. Although there are no chip vendors targeting this market yet, IDC anticipates their emergence in the coming years.
In conclusion, the future of AI in PCs and smartphones looks promising, with significant growth and advancements expected in the coming years.
