ByteDance is introducing an artificial intelligence voice assistant for Chinese smartphones, starting with ZTE’s Nubia M153, as domestic brands push system‑level AI features while Apple’s upgraded tools remain unavailable in China.

The Doubao‑powered helper will let users search for content, answer questions and complete tasks such as booking tickets, price comparisons and purchases through voice commands. The Nubia M153 is a limited engineering prototype priced at 3,499 yuan (about $495), with a dedicated AI button, a 6.78‑inch display and a triple‑camera array, running Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. ByteDance and ZTE say software, notably the camera, is still in development, with updates scheduled every two weeks until March 2026.

ByteDance said it does not plan to build its own phones and is discussing collaborations with several manufacturers to embed the assistant. Reuters reported: “Chinese tech giant ByteDance said on Monday it is launching an artificial intelligence voice control tool that will debut on a smartphone made by ZTE Corp,” and that it will roll out to other brands “in due course.” In the same report, ByteDance added it has “no plans to develop its own smartphones.”

The launch positions Doubao against features from Huawei and Xiaomi and creates a window for Chinese firms while Apple Intelligence has yet to arrive locally. Finimize reported investor enthusiasm, noting ZTE shares rose about 10 per cent to their highest level since late October after news of the prototype and separate 5G equipment contracts in Vietnam.

Tech in Asia said the Doubao Mobile Assistant operates at the operating system level rather than as a standalone app, enabling screen reading and app launching. It also reported that actions judged sensitive require manual approval, a safety emphasis that may temper automation while reducing risk.

ByteDance, owner of TikTok and its Chinese version Douyin, has become a prominent player in consumer AI. Doubao recorded around 159 million monthly active users in October, according to Aicpb.com, outpacing Tencent’s Yuanbao at 73 million and DeepSeek at 72 million. That user base could help handset makers differentiate in a crowded market where camera counts and chip branding increasingly converge.

ByteDance said it is in talks with multiple phone makers for broader deployment. ZTE’s limited release suggests an engineering preview rather than a finished flagship, but frequent updates point to rapid iteration as vendors seek to make AI assistance a defining feature of new devices sold in China.

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