Vivo unveiled latest AI phone amid recovery

As artificial intelligence is expected to inject fresh vitality into the smartphone market, more Chinese tech companies are rolling out new products to attract consumers in hopes of maintaining their edge amid the intensified competition.

Chinese smartphone brand Vivo, for instance, unveiled its latest AI smartphones S19 series, which are equipped with its self-developed large language model, The phones feature better photo-taking capabilities and a string of AI-powered features, including automatically removing unwanted objects in photos.

The move came after Vivo secured the top position in China in terms of smartphone shipments in the first quarter of 2024, according to data from the market research company Counterpoint.

AI phones are now the latest trend that all smartphone brands are eager to embrace. As AI impacts all corners of the device market, smartphones are expected to drive the AI revolution into every home, according to a report by global market consultancy International Data Corp.

IDC predicted a substantial increase in next-generation AI smartphone sales starting in 2024, forecasting 37 million units in the Chinese market, reaching 150 million by 2027.