On-device AI is now shipping in a growing number of smartphones and PCs, not just as demos but as fully integrated, default features. Instead of relying exclusively on energy-hungry data centers and cloud computing, on-device processing uses local resources for some of its features.
But how effective is it? Is AI powerful and practical enough to replace some of the apps we use as part of our daily routines? More importantly, is it a meaningful upgrade? I spent a week experimenting to see whether on-device AI could earn a permanent place in my daily rotation and which apps, if any, it might allow me to uninstall.
The Experiment
I wanted this experiment to truly reflect how people use their devices in practice. The apps I targeted for full or partial replacement on my Samsung Galaxy S23 and Alienware 16X Aurora laptop were those I use almost daily, including Google Docs for note-taking and to-do lists, the Calculator app and its unit converter feature to track finances and help with my science writing, Photoshop for editing, and the Calendar app for planning and reminders. Whenever possible, I used on-device AI apps for all those use cases, turning to the dedicated apps only when on-device AI wasn’t up to snuff. Here’s what I found.
AI vs. Google Docs: Pleasantly Surprised by Wishlist Creation
(Credit: Samsung / PCMag)
To replace Google Docs functionality, I enabled writing assist and note assist in the Galaxy AI settings on my phone. On the laptop, I played around with Copilot’s Voice Typing for dictation. I used each for a week to keep track of the various notes and to-do lists I scribbled down.
In fairness, I never expected AI to fully replace Docs, because I use it heavily for drafting articles and fiction in a way I can’t replace with dictation. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the alternatives worked for creating wishlists of books, movies, or games I wanted to check out, quickly drafting grocery lists, and taking research notes. The Galaxy AI assist tools were helpful for formatting and summarizing, which was genuinely useful for sorting lists and making some of the more sprawling blocks of text more legible.
On the laptop side, Windows Voice Typing allows you to use voice-to-text anywhere you’d type with a keyboard. However, as someone who types quickly and is comfortable with a keyboard, I didn’t get a ton of utility out of it. There are also a number of tools on both devices that I didn’t use personally that I could see being valuable for people who, for instance, work in multiple languages or integrate images into their notes/docs.
It’s worth noting that Google Docs now includes Gemini, which can mimic a lot of the functionality I mentioned. However, to access it on Android, you need a Google AI Pro subscription, so for that reason alone, I will be more actively using the Notes app with its suite of Galaxy AI enhancements.
AI vs. Samsung Calculator: Not Quite a Home Run
(Credit: Samsung / PCMag)
Before this experiment, I’d been using Chrome on my PC to quickly convert between feet and meters or miles and kilometers (something I have to do frequently as someone who writes for both British and American publications). The Samsung Calculator app also has a built-in converter for many common measurements, so I use it when I’m away from my computer. I swapped to using the Copilot app on PC and Google’s Gemini on my phone for calculator and conversion functions.
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As you’d expect, AI was able to quickly and easily handle these kinds of computations. That said, it was nearly identical to punching in the same conversion in a browser on a PC. On the phone side, it was more onerous than just pulling up Calculator and choosing which units you want to convert. The only advantage AI provides here is that it adds a little extra context, like ways to do rough mental conversions or what a 1:1 conversion is, even if you’ve entered different values. That said, it won’t be supplanting my trusty Calculator anytime soon.
AI vs. Google Calendar: Depends on Your Job
(Credit: Google / PCMag)
As a freelancer, my Calendar usage is a lot lighter than when I had a full-time job, so, for my needs, I found Copilot and Gemini to be a fully suitable replacement. The core AI on both devices was great for setting timed reminders for myself, and the context-aware reminders and natural language time/date parsing (“remind me the night before the meeting” or “remind me again in two hours”) make it much more practically useful to me than Google Calendar.
This is the one scenario where I think I may completely replace the app’s functionality. For heavier users, the AI integration into existing Calendar apps could also be a huge boon, offering you all the advantages of the natural language and contextual stuff I mentioned, while still giving you a big visual way to compare your schedule to a coworker’s, for instance.
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AI vs. Photoshop: Adobe Doesn’t Need to Worry
(Credit: Alan Bradley / Google)
This showdown, more than any of the others, really boils down to use case. For quick edits on a photo I’d just taken on my phone, or simple adjustments to an image on PC, the AI alternatives worked well. Google Photos provides an AI-generated selection of recommended edits/enhancements, filters, and static adjustments that are great for getting a quick snap Instagram-ready. Galaxy AI’s Photo Assist lets you quickly move things around, delete stuff, and get playful with filters. These solutions, including Google’s Magic Eraser tool, were quicker to use than dedicated photo editors (even Photoshop Express, which I use on my phone).
That said, they’re really more enhancements to apps than full-fledged image editors. For proper photo editing, the AI tools don’t hold up, and a lot of the features feel more like fun gimmicks than substantive tools. This is another case where the on-device AI options are better suited as supplemental options, and are nowhere near sophisticated enough to serve as full replacements.
Traditional Apps Are Still King
My main takeaway from this weeklong experiment is that on-device AI isn’t really a suitable replacement for most of the apps you already have on your devices. Instead, it’s a good way to reduce the friction between those apps. In its current incarnation, it’s best suited for the fastest, surface-level functions of deeper dedicated apps: Quick photo edits, basic notes, first drafts. For long-term organization, collaborative work, or high-precision tasks, traditional apps are still king and provide functional depth that AI lacks.
Future models with more memory, smarter offline reasoning, and tighter integration across apps may be able to handle deeper workflows. At the moment, though, outside of the Calendar scenario (where I’m likely an edge case), AI is incapable of delivering the app-deleting spree I was craving.
About Our Expert
Experience
Alan is an experienced culture and tech writer/editor with a background in newspaper reporting. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, The Escapist, ESPN, PC Gamer, and a multitude of other outlets. He has over twenty years of experience as a journalist, author, and editor.
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