Nubia is about to launch the world's first OS-level AI agent smartphone
A Chinese smartphone brand is set to demonstrate what it claims is the most capable AI integration in a consumer phone to date. Nubia, a sub-brand of ZTE, will unveil a new flagship at WAIC 2026 in Shanghai (July 17–20) featuring an AI agent built directly into the operating system — not bolted on as a separate app. The previous model in this line, the M153, sold out its entire 30,000-unit first batch in a single day when it launched in China in December 2025.
The agent, explained
Most phones that advertise AI today use it for generating text, editing photos, or answering questions inside a chat window. Nubia's approach is different: its agent, powered by ByteDance's Doubao AI, runs at the system level and can control the entire phone on your behalf.
The company's demo scenario involves booking a flight. Ask it to find the cheapest ticket and the agent will open the relevant apps, compare prices across services, fill in your personal details, and process the payment — all without you touching a screen. The underlying technology is a GUI-agent architecture (software that reads and interacts with on-screen interfaces directly) combined with an on-device language model, so it doesn't rely solely on app APIs. ZTE also cites its own CoClaw intelligent planning technology for coordinating actions across apps.
Nubia M153 — the first commercial smartphone with a fully integrated OS-level AI agent, developed in partnership with ByteDance.
What this means outside China
Right now, not much — at least directly. The M153 launched in China at 3,499 yuan (roughly $480 / £380), and no pricing, specs, or release timeline have been announced for the US or UK, per Gizmochina.
The closest Western alternative is the Samsung Galaxy S26, whose Gemini assistant can now reach into third-party apps to handle multi-step tasks in the background — a notable step forward, but still operating through app integrations rather than direct OS control, reports CNBC. Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Gemini on the Google Pixel 10 round out the current field, neither matching Nubia's claimed depth of system integration.
ByteDance's involvement adds a political dimension. The same regulatory friction that has dogged TikTok in the US could complicate any future effort to bring a ByteDance-powered phone to Western shelves.
The outlook
WAIC 2026 should produce a full hardware reveal and clearer specs. Whether a global version follows is an open question — Nubia has shown no sign of planning a Western launch. For now, the M153 is a benchmark for what OS-level AI agents can do, even if most consumers outside China won't be able to buy one anytime soon.