Signal Signal 4: generative AI-capable smartphone sales grew about 364% in 2024 to 234.2 million units

Summary

Deloitte's fourth watch signal is the rise of edge AI, where models run directly on devices such as phones, smartwatches, security cameras or industrial robots instead of distant cloud servers. The report gives four reasons it matters. Latency is one, since autonomous vehicles cannot wait for server responses, and privacy is another, since data never leaves the device, while exploding cloud bills and internet dependency complete the list. The market for smartphones capable of generative AI shows the potential, growing nearly 364% year over year in 2024 to 234.2 million units and heading toward 912 million by 2028. Real-world uses include smart cameras recognising objects locally, industrial sensors predicting equipment failures and health wearables monitoring vital signs without broadcasting medical data. The report calls this a fundamental shift already in motion.