AI on phones has moved from “cool demo” to “I can’t live without it” for many people in India. Here are the 7 AI features that are genuinely useful in daily life in 2026 — ranked by how often people actually use them (based on real user feedback from forums, Reddit India, and YouTube comments).
1. Call Screening & Smart Reply (Most Used AI Feature)
- What it does: Phone answers unknown calls, transcribes what the caller says live, and gives you options to reply without picking up.
- Real use: Avoid spam calls, telemarketers, or awkward “who is this?” moments.
- Best phones right now: Google Pixel 10a (Gemini-powered, very accurate), Samsung Galaxy S26 series (Galaxy AI version), upcoming Xiaomi 17 series.
- India tip: Works perfectly with Hindi/English mixed calls — huge relief in cities like Ahmedabad.
2. Magic Eraser / Object Removal in Photos
- What it does: Tap on anything in a photo (person walking by, photobomber, trash can) → AI removes it instantly and fills the background naturally.
- Real use: Clean up vacation photos, Instagram posts, family pictures in seconds.
- Best phones: Google Pixel 10a (best-in-class), Samsung Galaxy S26 series, Vivo V70 Elite (ZEISS + AI editing).
- India tip: Extremely popular for Diwali, wedding, and street-food photos.
3. Live Translation During Calls & Messages
- What it does: Real-time voice translation during calls (you speak → other person hears translated voice) or text chat translation.
- Real use: Talking to relatives abroad, international clients, or delivery partners in different languages.
- Best phones: Samsung Galaxy S26 (Galaxy AI live translate), Google Pixel 10a (Gemini live call), Honor Magic V6 (MWC demo showed excellent Hindi–English).
- India tip: Game-changer for multilingual families and small businesses.
4. AI Battery & Performance Optimization
- What it does: Phone learns your usage pattern and closes background apps, lowers brightness, switches modes automatically to save battery.
- Real use: Phone lasts 1–2 hours longer on heavy days without you doing anything.
- Best phones: iQOO 15R (very aggressive optimization), Samsung Galaxy S26 series, upcoming Xiaomi 17 (HyperOS AI).
- India tip: Most useful in summer when heat kills battery faster.
5. Circle to Search / Visual Search
- What it does: Long-press home button or circle anything on screen → Google instantly searches it (product, actor, song, landmark).
- Real use: See a nice shirt online? Circle it → find where to buy. See a dish? Circle → get recipe.
- Best phones: Almost all new Samsung Galaxy (S26 series), Google Pixel 10a (native), OnePlus 15R.
- India tip: Very handy for shopping on Meesho/Amazon or identifying street food.
6. AI Photo Editing (Best Take, Reimagine)
- What it does: Combine best faces from burst shots, change backgrounds, expand image, turn selfies into professional portraits.
- Real use: Fix closed eyes in group photos, make boring backgrounds look exotic.
- Best phones: Google Pixel 10a (Magic Editor), Samsung Galaxy S26 (Galaxy AI), Vivo V70 Elite.
- India tip: Extremely popular for wedding, college, and family event photos.
7. Smart Voice-to-Text & Note Summarization
- What it does: Dictate long notes/essays → accurate transcription + AI summarizes in bullet points.
- Real use: Students taking lecture notes, professionals in meetings, quick WhatsApp replies.
- Best phones: Google Pixel 10a (Gemini), Samsung Galaxy S26, upcoming Xiaomi 17.
- India tip: Works well with Hindi + English mix — huge time-saver.
Quick Recommendation
- Want the best all-round AI experience right now → Google Pixel 10a (cleanest, most accurate).
- Already using Samsung ecosystem → Galaxy S26 series.
- Budget + strong AI → Wait for Xiaomi 17 series (value king expected soon).
Which AI feature do you use most every day — call screening, photo editing, or something else? Share in the comments, and subscribe for daily practical tech guides & deal alerts!
