Chinese smartphone brand Realme targets 100 million AI handset shipments in 3 years

‘AI is an opportunity we absolutely cannot miss and … a new battlefield full of challenges,’ Realme CEO Sky Li says

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Realme plans to roll out AI features across all its devices, starting from premium handsets such as its flagship GT 6. Photo: Realme

Published: 8:00am, 28 Aug 2024

Chinese smartphone maker Realme aims to ship 100 million artificial intelligence (AI) handsets in the next three years, according to CEO Sky Li, as the firm gears up to “popularise AI” for young consumers as global competition intensifies.

Realme is breaking into the hotly contested field by sharpening its focus on imaging, efficiency and personalisation, which revolve around the core needs of young users, Li said in a recent interview with the South China Morning Post.

“2024 marks the starting point for AI smartphones, and AI is an opportunity for the smartphone industry to reshape the future and push for disruptive innovation,” Li said. “For us, AI is an opportunity we absolutely cannot miss, and it’s also a new battlefield full of challenges.”

Shenzhen-based Realme – a spin-off of Oppo, itself started by hardware giant BBK Electronics like rival Vivo – made a concerted push into AI with the recent launch of its flagship GT 6 device and the establishment of the Realme Next AI Lab.

Realme’s AI Smart Loop on its GT 6 recommends other apps to open based on text on the screen. Photo: YouTube / Realme India

Like virtually every other smartphone maker, Realme is making AI-related features a core part of its value proposition to consumers this year. Its features include enhancing low-resolution photos on the Realme 13 Pro, which is meant to compensate for not having top-tier hardware.

Li said Realme wants to make AI more accessible to young people by baking the latest technology into affordable devices. “As AI continues to mature in the smartphone industry, it will also need pioneers to popularise these advancements,” Li said. AI features will first roll out to its flagship GT models and then move to more affordable devices, he added.