Dumb phones get smart with AI integration

Feature phones, often referred to as 'dumb phones,' are poised to gain artificial intelligence capabilities, marking a significant step in bridging the digital divide. HMD, a prominent feature phone manufacturer, demonstrated an AI assistant integrated into one of its 4G feature phones at Mobile World Congress. Users can activate the assistant by holding the middle navigation button and then ask questions, such as for weather forecasts.

Unlike high-end smartphones, these feature phones will process AI queries via the cloud, requiring a strong 4G connection for minimal delay. HMD plans to utilize a range of large language models, including OpenAI's ChatGPT for Europe and DeepSeek for China. This initiative is particularly aimed at benefiting individuals in low-income regions where a feature phone may be the sole connected device and at assisting the elderly population who might find menu navigation difficult.

These AI features on feature phones represent basic yet crucial applications, such as voice-activated torch functionality. While not as advanced as smartphone AI, HMD focuses on delivering services that meet customer needs, with possibilities for future development as the technology rapidly evolves.