World's first Doubao AI-agent phone approved by China MIIT, launches September 16
On September 9, the Nubia NaviX Ultra, the world's first AI-agent phone powered by ByteDance's Doubao assistant, received MIIT network access approval. It will launch September 16 with 512GB storage and system-level AI agent interaction.
On September 9, the world's first AI-agent phone powered by ByteDance's Doubao assistant received network access approval from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The device, the Nubia NaviX Ultra from ZTE's Nubia brand, will launch September 16 with 512GB storage as standard and is open for reservation. The phone emphasizes understanding, action, memory, and security.
The device integrates the Doubao AI model at the system level rather than as a standalone app. Users interact with the embedded AI via voice or a dedicated orange physical button. The system-level GUI agent architecture interprets on-screen content and simulates human-like taps and swipes, completing multi-step tasks across apps. For example, users can ask the phone to compare prices, fill in order forms, and complete payments through a single voice command.
Core AI model computation runs entirely on-device, so user data is not uploaded to the cloud, significantly reducing privacy risk. Nubia and ByteDance have shifted to standardized Model Context Protocol and A2A protocols, moving from forced access to request-based collaboration. More than ten partner platforms—including Douyin, Luckin Coffee, Qunar, Meituan, and Didi—have completed integration. The device received network access approval from MIIT on September 1, completing the full compliance chain from large-model filing to terminal certification.