Amazon’s latest Best in Tech Survey shows AI becoming a more important factor in laptop buying, with 58 per cent of buyers saying upcoming AI features would be “extremely useful” for productivity. On-device AI assistants, at 28 per cent, and AI-processing chips, at 25 per cent, were the most sought-after capabilities, according to Amazon.
The interest in AI comes as consumers become more familiar with using it across devices.
A recent CyberMedia Research (CMR) study found that 71 per cent of Indian smartphone users use Gen AI features multiple times a week. Amazon’s earlier smartphone survey similarly found that 82 per cent of buyers consider AI features when making a purchase decision.
However, the laptop findings also show that buyers continue to look closely at the hardware, with 53 per cent saying they would choose another brand if it offered better specifications at the same price.
AI moves beyond an additional feature
The findings indicate that AI is increasingly becoming part of the decision-making process for consumers buying personal technology. While AI features have been added to smartphones and laptops as a way to differentiate newer models, the Amazon survey suggests buyers are now looking at what these capabilities can do for productivity and everyday use.
For laptop buyers, the interest is particularly visible in the response to upcoming AI features. Amazon said 58 per cent of buyers considered these features “extremely useful” for productivity, this proportion recorded across the consumer electronics categories covered by its survey.
This interest also extends to specific AI capabilities. On-device AI assistants were selected by 28 per cent of laptop buyers, making them the most sought-after AI capability in the survey. AI-processing chips followed at 25 per cent, while AI-powered content creation and editing was selected by 23 per cent. Real-time transcription and translation capabilities followed at 17 per cent.
The results suggest that consumers are not simply looking for an AI label on a device. They are also showing interest in the hardware and capabilities that allow AI features to work on the device.
On-device AI enters the buying decision
The preference for on-device AI assistants is significant because it shows where consumers see value in AI-enabled laptops. Instead of looking only at AI-powered applications, buyers are also considering capabilities that are built into the device.
Amazon’s survey places on-device assistants ahead of AI-powered content creation and editing, as well as real-time transcription and translation. AI-processing chips also rank highly, with one in four laptop buyers selecting them as a preferred capability.
This points to a broader shift in how AI hardware is being viewed. The processor is no longer being considered only for conventional computing performance; buyers are also beginning to look at the device’s ability to handle AI-related workloads.
Amazon’s findings, however, do not suggest that AI has replaced traditional hardware priorities. Processor performance remains the single most important purchase driver for laptop buyers, with 87 per cent ranking it first. RAM and storage follow, with battery life also among the key considerations.
This means AI is becoming an additional layer of evaluation rather than replacing the specifications consumers have traditionally considered before buying a laptop.
Smartphone users are already using Gen AI regularly
The growing interest in AI among laptop buyers comes as smartphone users are becoming more familiar with Gen AI.
A CyberMedia Research study reported that 71 per cent of Indian smartphone users use Gen AI features multiple times every week. The report also found that AI has become a key consideration when consumers purchase smartphones, alongside factors such as performance and camera quality. Business Standard: Gen AI goes mainstream on smartphones
The usage data provides context to Amazon’s smartphone findings. If consumers are already using Gen AI features regularly, their expectations from new devices are likely to extend beyond the presence of AI as a feature.
Amazon’s earlier Best in Tech Survey found that AI features influence the purchase decisions of 82 per cent of smartphone buyers. At the same time, performance and speed remained the most important consideration, with 87 per cent of respondents ranking them first.
The two sets of findings point to a similar pattern seen in laptops: AI is becoming an important part of the purchase conversation, but consumers continue to judge a device on its core performance.
Consumers are willing to look beyond brands
The Amazon laptop survey also shows that buyers are not necessarily tied to a particular brand when making their purchase.
According to the company, 53 per cent of laptop buyers said they would choose a different brand if it offered better specifications at the same price. A further 15 per cent said they were attracted by new innovation and design.
This suggests that specifications can outweigh brand familiarity when consumers compare laptops. Amazon found that 48 per cent of buyers compare two to three brands before making a decision, while only 18 per cent enter the purchase process with one brand already in mind.
The finding is particularly relevant as laptop makers increasingly compete on AI capabilities. If buyers are willing to switch brands for better specifications, AI-processing capabilities and on-device features could become another area where manufacturers compete for consumers.
AI becomes part of the wider device choice
Taken together, the findings from Amazon and CMR show that AI is moving from a technology consumers hear about to one they increasingly use and consider when buying devices.
Amazon’s laptop survey shows that 58 per cent of buyers see upcoming AI features as extremely useful for productivity, while its smartphone findings show that 82 per cent consider AI features when making a purchase decision. CMR’s finding that 71 per cent of smartphone users use Gen AI several times a week provides another indication that these features are becoming part of regular device use.
At the same time, consumers are not abandoning the basics. Performance, processor capability, RAM, storage, battery life and camera quality continue to influence purchase decisions.
For device makers, the findings point to a market where simply adding AI features may not be enough. Buyers are increasingly looking at what AI can do, whether it can run on the device and what hardware supports it. They are also willing to compare brands and switch if another product offers better specifications at the same price.
 "AI becomes a key buying factor as consumers seek on-device features")
