Doubao Phone Gains Shanghai DNA as Smart Agent Terminals Emerge—Shanghai Targets 300 Billion Yuan Industry by 2027
China’s AI sector has seen a flurry of smart agent terminal launches in recent weeks, including ZTE’s approved second-gen Doubao Phone and StepX’s...
In the past two weeks, China’s AI industry has been abuzz with new product launches marking a pivotal shift: ZTE’s second-generation Doubao Phone secured regulatory approval, StepX unveiled its first native smart agent phone, and Qianwen introduced its smart agent glasses—all pointing to the rise of 'smart agent terminals' replacing earlier 'AI terminals'.
At this year’s World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), the transition from 'AI terminal' to 'smart agent terminal' became a key theme. Unlike traditional AI terminals (basic Q&A tools for navigation or chat), smart agent terminals excel at 'getting things done'. For example, Qianwen’s upgraded glasses can identify clothing, call Taobao/JD agents to place orders, and complete payments via Alipay’s AI Pay—acting as a personal assistant rather than a passive tool.
ZTE’s Doubao Phone has evolved significantly: its first generation was blocked by apps like WeChat for simulating human clicks, but the second gen uses Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Agent-to-Agent (A2A) protocols (app-approved interfaces) and passed generative AI service filing for market access.
Industry experts note AI terminal commercialization follows three stages: adding AI to traditional devices (e.g., Doubao app), integrating AI into OS (one-click wake-up), and building AI-native terminals (chip-model-terminal integration). The recent launches indicate a move from stage two to three.
End-side AI is critical for smart agents: lightweight models (like Qianwen’s 800M-parameter version or StepX’s Step Edge, 0.1s local calls) and chips (Shanghai’s Houmo M50 chip: 160 TOPS at 10W, runs billion-parameter models offline) enable low latency and privacy.
Shanghai’s 2026-2027 action plan targets a 300B yuan industry, 3 global brands, 2 leaders, and 10M units each for AI computers, phones, and new terminals. Companies like ZTE (Shanghai-based Nubia brand) and StepX (new STEPX brand) leverage Shanghai’s policy and ecosystem advantages.
Sources
- Shanghai Observer via Sina Finance: https://finance.sina.cn/stock/jdts/2026-07-28/detail-inikhyqq9497349.d.html