AI Byte
AI Byte is a weekly column covering all things artificial intelligence, including AI models, apps, features, and how they all impact your favorite devices.
Google is finally challenging OpenAI in the broader market for AI, but most Android users care about the features that are available on their specific phone. That’s where it gets tricky — each major Android manufacturer has its own set of unique AI features. On top of that, many phones tap into external sources, like ChatGPT or Perplexity, for a more versatile experience.
Currently, Samsung offers the best mobile AI experience. Galaxy AI is arguably the best mobile AI suite, and Samsung works with Google to ensure some of the most useful Gemini features are optimized for Galaxy phones. The “best of both worlds” situation is why I love using AI on Samsung phones, but Motorola is dangerously close to beating Galaxy AI at its own game.
Moto AI uses a mix of AI models and services, includes Motorola-exclusive features, and relies on custom hardware buttons to make accessing it all easier. On paper, that’s all the makings of a standout mobile AI suite. In reality, the execution is somewhat questionable. That being said, if you’re looking for a sleeper contender that can win the mobile AI race with the right moves, it’s Motorola.
Motorola doesn’t have a horse in the AI race — and that’s a good thing
When it comes to mobile AI, the most important thing is giving users choice — how much AI they want to use, which models and services they prefer, and whether compute is handled on or off device. For some Android brands, that philosophy might conflict with their broader AI strategy. It’s unlikely that Google is going to integrate third-party AI models natively in Pixel phones, as that would hurt the company’s efforts with DeepMind, Gemini, and Google AI.
Motorola isn’t trying to compete with Gemini or ChatGPT, and that gives it an advantage. Moto AI can use whatever AI model or service is best at handling a given task without needing to worry about exclusivity.
Motorola currently uses Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Perplexity natively as part of Moto AI. I don’t know of any other Android brand that uses a greater variety of AI models and services to power its mobile AI suite than Motorola.
With this kind of utility, the user always wins. Moto AI picks the best model or agent for the job.
Motorola’s Razr 2025 lineup was the first to integrate Perplexity in a phone, and it powers a Next Move feature that intelligently surfaces the AI features you’ll need most in a given situation. Meta’s Llama models are used to power Catch Me Up, the notification-summarization feature. And, you can “Ask Copilot” when using Moto AI to tap into Microsoft and OpenAI smarts.
If that wasn’t enough, Moto AI’s backbone is built on Google AI. You also get all the Google features that are available cross-platform on Android, like Gemini with live video and screen sharing support.
Moto AI’s feature set is rock solid
Motorola also seems to be picking the right AI features to develop, because many of them are actually useful. Pay Attention is an audio-recording feature that can transcribe and summarize meetings, conversations, and more on your smartphone.
I recently tested an expensive dedicated AI recorder, so there’s clearly demand for this kind of tool. Eventually, I came to the realization that it could’ve just been an app. With Moto AI, it effectively is one, and it can help you pay more attention in meetings or calls.
Remember This is another handy note-taking tool. Instead of audio recordings, it’s intended to help you capture photos or screenshots and write text-based notes on the fly. You can snap a picture of a piece of paper you don’t want to lose with a written note to help you remember what it is. I wish you didn’t have to ask Moto AI’s universal search for help recalling saved memories, but the concept is still helpful.
Finally, generative AI-based photo editing is a bit controversial, but it is solid with Moto AI. Magic Canvas will create AI-generated images from scratch, and Group Shot is Motorola’s version of Best Take — it captures multiple photos to ensure that everyone in the photo has their eyes open in the resulting image.
The Moto AI suite is thorough but not overwhelming, partially because features like Next Move help show only the tools you’ll need in a given situation.
Moto AI only needs a few tweaks to be a game-changer
At the same time, Moto AI is a bit rough around the edges. The inclusion of the AI Key on the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 was an excellent move, and it’s already available on other Motorola phones. Hardware buttons are an important part of mobile AI, because having the power button responsible for too many actions is a recipe for disaster.
The problem is, the AI Key in its current state is too limited to be all that useful. Moto AI doesn’t start listening when you trigger the AI Key — you need to also tap the mic button on the screen, which kind of defeats the point. You also can’t remap it to Gemini or specific features aside from Remember This and Pay Attention. It’d be nice if it worked more like triggering a classic assistant, where Moto AI would start listening immediately.
The AI Key is a microcosm for the Moto AI suite as a whole. With a few small changes, the AI Key could be incredibly useful and a differentiator for Motorola phones.
The same is true for Moto AI at large. If Motorola made it as easy to recall Remember This memories as Nothing’s Essential Space, I’d love it. If Motorola borrowed Samsung’s toggle for only running AI features on-device, it would address the needs of privacy-conscious users.
My wishlist of things I’d like to see Motorola improve is quite small when you think about it. The company could tweak all of these aspects of Moto AI in a software update. Considering Moto AI only exited the beta testing stage relatively recently, I’m optimistic Motorola is heading in the right direction. If it plays its cards right, it could offer the best mobile AI suite on Android.
The key to AI
The Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 is arguably the best flip phone of the year, and that’s thanks in part to a suite of AI features that aim to make your life a little easier.
