Chinese technology companies demonstrated advanced agentic smartphones at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) held in Shanghai on the weekend of July 18 and 19, 2026. These smartphones utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to perform a variety of tasks, such as ordering food and composing messages through simple voice commands.

Among the highlights was Nubia's unveiling of the NaviX Ultra, a phone powered by Doubao, an AI chatbot tool developed by ByteDance, the creator of TikTok. Nubia described this launch as the beginning of "a new era of AI agent smartphones."

However, broad access to apps owned by other companies remains a challenge for AI agent devices. Kiranjeet Kaur, associate research director at US market intelligence firm IDC, noted this as a significant sticking point.

StepFun’s chairman Yin Qi mentioned that the company has established "deep partnerships" with major Chinese platforms, including Alipay and ride-hailing giant Didi, according to a sponsored article in the state news agency Xinhua.

Marc Einstein of Counterpoint Research commented on the competitive landscape, stating, "There is no clear winner in this race yet, which is why it is currently quite a hot topic."

The event showcased at least three firms presenting agentic phones, highlighting the growing momentum in AI-powered mobile technology within China and the broader Asia-Pacific region.

Sources