Nubia unveils the NaviX Ultra, set to release on September 16, marketed as the world’s first mass-produced AI-agent smartphone with on-device AI processing.

More than a dozen partner platforms have been integrated, including Douyin, Luckin Coffee, Qunar, Meituan, and Didi, enabling broad AI-assisted interactions across services.

All core AI computations happen on-device, reducing cloud data transmission and privacy risk, with regulatory approvals in China secured, including MIIT permissions and LLM filing for terminal certification.

Analysts at CITIC Securities say widespread on-device AI deployment could redefine the consumer electronics supply chain and valuations.

NaviX Ultra’s design draws from the legacy M153 prototype; Nubia and ByteDance standardized Model Context Protocol and A2A protocols, requiring partner apps to provide MCP services and data access before interfacing with Doubao.

The device incorporates ByteDance’s Doubao AI Phone Assistant at the system level, accessible via voice or an orange physical button to orchestrate tasks across apps with a single command.

NaviX Ultra centers on four capabilities—natural language understanding, cross-app task execution, memory of user preferences, and on-device security—featuring a GUI agent that can interpret screen content and simulate taps or swipes.

Industry outlook positions 2026 as the inaugural year of the AI-agent smartphone, with IDC projecting AI-capable smartphones to reach about 147 million shipments in China (roughly 53% of the market), while global smartphone shipments may fall about 13.9% overall.