3 Tech Firms Showcase AI Agent Phones in Shanghai as App Access Curbs Slow Adoption
Updated
Updated · Hong Kong Free Press · Jul 19
3 Tech Firms Showcase AI Agent Phones in Shanghai as App Access Curbs Slow Adoption
3 articles · Updated · Hong Kong Free Press · Jul 19
Summary
At least three companies at Shanghai's World Artificial Intelligence Conference pitched agentic smartphones that can order food, compare prices and compose messages from voice commands.
App access remains the main obstacle: Alibaba, Tencent and JD.com previously blocked ByteDance's Doubao phone assistant from their platforms, forcing some payment-related functions to be shut off.
Nubia's NaviX Ultra now emphasizes collaboration with apps, while Honor said its Robot Phone will ship later this year with an embedded agent using several AI models, some co-developed with Alibaba.
StepFun said its STEPX Neo has partnerships with Alipay and Didi for travel, shopping and productivity services, underscoring how platform deals may matter more than hardware alone.
Analysts said no clear winner has emerged, but predicted AI agents could reduce reliance on standalone apps within 5 to 10 years and reshape digital business models.