As AI takes hold of your smartphone, the end of the app era could be in sight

• Smartphone makers flooded Mobile World Congress to show off new AI features.
• More AI tools are moving on to devices, which would make them faster and cheaper to run.
• It could push us toward more helpful devices, but it's unclear if it would galvanize mobile sales.
• This article is part of "5G and Connectivity Playbook," a series exploring some of our time's most important tech innovations.

You can't turn a corner at Mobile World Congress 2024 without someone mentioning "artificial intelligence." Those words have been tossed around vaguely in keynotes and roundtables, but one thing has become clear: AI is most definitely coming for our smartphones.