SHANGHAI, China — Chinese technology companies unveiled a new generation of artificial intelligence-powered smartphones at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), highlighting devices designed to complete everyday tasks through conversational voice commands rather than traditional mobile applications.
The so-called AI agent smartphones aim to allow users to order food, book transport, compose messages, compare prices and perform other digital tasks by simply speaking to their devices.
Industry experts say the technology could fundamentally reshape how consumers interact with smartphones, although significant technical and commercial challenges remain.
Nubia unveils AI agent smartphone
Smartphone manufacturer Nubia introduced its NaviX Ultra, an AI-powered handset integrated with Doubao, the popular artificial intelligence assistant developed by ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok.
Describing the launch as the beginning of a new era, Nubia said the device is designed to function as an intelligent personal assistant capable of carrying out tasks across multiple applications through natural language commands.
The unveiling follows the limited release of the Doubao Phone prototype in December, which quickly sold out.
The prototype allowed users to perform tasks such as ordering meals and comparing online shopping prices using voice instructions.
However, the device soon encountered resistance after major Chinese technology companies, including Alibaba, Tencent and JD.com, restricted the AI assistant’s access to their platforms.
The restrictions significantly reduced the assistant’s functionality, prompting ByteDance to disable certain features, particularly those involving financial transactions.
Access to apps remains a major hurdle
Analysts say one of the biggest obstacles facing AI agent smartphones is gaining seamless access to third-party applications.
Kiranjeet Kaur, Associate Research Director at market intelligence firm IDC, said many technology companies are reluctant to surrender direct relationships with their users.
“Platforms want to keep direct contact with their users; otherwise they lose control to another party,” she said.
She added that while AI agents represent the industry’s long-term ambition, the technology is still developing and often delivers inconsistent results.
Unlike the original Doubao Phone, Chinese technology media report that Nubia’s NaviX Ultra is seeking partnerships with application developers instead of attempting to bypass their platforms.
Honor and StepFun join AI race
Technology manufacturer Honor also showcased its Robot Phone, featuring an interactive camera mounted on a small robotic arm.
The company said the device can recognise gestures, follow users, stabilise videos, take selfies and respond to music through AI-powered interactions.
Honor plans to integrate an AI agent built using multiple language models, including some developed in partnership with Alibaba, before the device launches later this year.
Meanwhile, Shanghai-based AI startup StepFun introduced the STEPX Neo, describing it as an “AI agent-native smartphone.”
According to the company, the phone has established partnerships with major Chinese digital platforms, including Alipay and ride-hailing service Didi, enabling users to complete travel bookings, shopping, office tasks and multimedia editing through a unified AI interface.
Global race for AI-first smartphones
The shift toward AI-driven smartphones is not limited to China.
Technology companies including Google are integrating increasingly advanced AI capabilities into their mobile operating systems, enabling features such as appointment scheduling, content generation and task automation.
In Japan, U.S.-based startup Brain Technologies partnered with SoftBank Corp. to launch its Natural AI Phone, an AI-centric smartphone capable of interacting with selected applications through voice commands.
Although early demonstrations showed the technology could send messages and complete simple tasks, performance remained inconsistent in more complex scenarios.
A new era beyond apps?
Market analysts believe AI agents could eventually replace the traditional app-based experience that has dominated smartphones for more than a decade.
Marc Einstein, an analyst at Counterpoint Research, said there is currently no clear leader in the emerging AI smartphone market.
“There is no clear winner in this race yet, which is why it is currently quite a hot topic,” he said.
He predicted that within the next five to ten years, consumers may no longer interact with smartphones primarily through standalone applications.
Instead, AI assistants could become the main interface between users and digital services, fundamentally transforming the mobile ecosystem, reshaping the digital economy and challenging the business models of technology companies built around app-based platforms.