Text: Leon

Editor: cc Sun Congying

Major internet companies are entering the AI terminal market at a faster and more aggressive pace than anticipated.

Following Alibaba's introduction of the Kuake AI Glasses, ByteDance recently unveiled the 'Doubao Mobile Assistant Technical Preview Version,' with the first batch of engineering prototypes developed in collaboration with ZTE. The Nubia M153 model, priced at 3,499 yuan, has already sold out on the official website. (Extended Reading: Kuake Glasses Launch: AI Glasses Finally Look Good!)

After the announcement, ZTE's A-shares (000063.SZ) briefly reached the daily limit, while its Hong Kong shares surged by over 10%. Meanwhile, due to the limited availability of engineering prototypes, the device has seen price increases ranging from 700 to 1,500 yuan on second-hand trading platforms.

At a time when nearly all mobile phones are marketed as 'AI-powered,' manufacturers have generally adopted a technical approach that combines access to large model APIs with self-developed edge-side models, offering AIGC applications such as AI photo editing and writing.

More ambitious players like Honor simulate clicks by utilizing Android's 'Accessibility Mode,' enabling AI to perform certain app functions on behalf of users, such as ordering coffee.

Unlike these development routes, ByteDance and ZTE have engaged in a deep collaboration, integrating the Doubao large model and Agent into the operating system to 'take over' the phone and enable automated operations in specific scenarios. This tightly integrated model of 'leading large model + mobile hardware' is a first in the market, attracting significant attention from both the industry and consumers.

AI Takes Over Mobile Phones in a Big Way

Mobile voice assistants made their debut in the early days of smartphone development, with Apple's Siri being a notable example, introduced as a new feature of the iPhone 4s in 2011. Given that AI technology was still in its infancy at the time, voice assistants had limited functionality, capable of only basic tasks like checking the weather, setting alarms, or opening apps, without fundamentally altering the mobile phone user experience.

With the emergence of GPT in 2022, AIGC technology has gained widespread adoption. Powered by multimodal large models, mobile assistants have gradually evolved from 'Apps' to 'Agent' forms, meaning they can now operate mobile phones on behalf of users and execute complex instructions. The Doubao Mobile Assistant is a product built on this logic.

In a demonstration video, staff showcased various ways to use the Doubao Mobile Assistant to 'take over' the phone, such as fully managed shopping price comparisons, order placement, and payment. Except for sensitive steps like payment, which require manual completion by the user, other operations can be achieved by invoking the GUI Agent (simulated clicks).

In the more advanced 'Pro Mode for Operating the Phone,' Doubao can not only simulate clicks but also invoke multiple tools while supporting contextual memory, reducing the frequency of user inquiries and significantly enhancing fluency.

Staff demonstrated a highly complex operation: For a trip to Paris next month, mark Parisian restaurants saved on social media on a map, check which museum has an exhibition on the second day after arrival, book a 10 AM ticket on a travel platform, and organize relevant information into a memo.

During the task, the Doubao Mobile Assistant successively opened multiple apps such as Xiaohongshu, WeChat, Dianping, and Maps, reading relevant data and successfully completing map annotations. Subsequently, by invoking the 'PersonalContext_Search' tool, it analyzed the user's preferred museum type, then queried exhibition dates and completed ticket booking on the travel platform, taking a total of 8 minutes and 4 seconds. During this time, user intervention was only required to confirm key and payment information, with all other steps being automated and highly convenient.

Additionally, some users who purchased the phone shared their experiences on social media, including autonomous photo taking and editing, ordering takeout, and price comparison shopping, all of which the Doubao Mobile Assistant completed relatively smoothly. Of course, being in the testing phase, some tasks may take longer or require multiple user interventions, which are expected to be continuously optimized with software updates.

Doubao stated that it would maintain an update frequency of approximately every two weeks (excluding holidays) from the launch until the first quarter of 2026.

WeChat Login Issues Within Three Days of Launch

Unlike traditional voice assistants, AI assistants require extensive reading and invocation of user and third-party app data to better understand contextual meanings, making data security and compliance crucial and often controversial.

On December 3, the third day of the Doubao Mobile Assistant's launch, some users experienced WeChat logouts. According to a report by Yicai Global, users received a WeChat prompt stating, 'Your WeChat login environment is abnormal. For account security, please change devices and log in again.' It is reported that after attempting to switch WeChat accounts, the user experienced passive logouts again.

Additionally, if users attempt to operate WeChat through the Doubao Mobile Assistant, they will see a message stating, 'Doubao's phone operation is a lab feature and does not currently support WeChat operations.'

A WeChat spokesperson responded, 'There were no special actions taken; it might have triggered existing security risk control measures.' According to the 'Tencent WeChat Software License and Service Agreement,' it explicitly prohibits 'logging in or using this software and services, or performing automated operations, or creating, publishing, or disseminating the aforementioned tools, methods, etc., through third-party software, plugins, cheats, or systems not developed or authorized by Tencent.' Violations may result in Tencent restricting account functions or even banning the account.

After the incident escalated, the Doubao Mobile Assistant issued a statement on the evening of the 3rd, stating that the banned WeChat accounts were being gradually unblocked. It also emphasized that the Doubao Mobile Assistant does not engage in any hacking behavior, requiring user authorization to obtain the INJECT_EVENTS permission (Android system-level permission), and that the cloud does not store any screen user content, nor does it enter the model training process.

Li Liang, Vice President of Douyin Group, stated on Weibo, 'I believe that as long as there is user consent, there is no infringement of privacy. The Doubao Mobile Assistant can only complete phone operation tasks with user authorization, and all permission usage is clearly disclosed in the official privacy and security white paper, without any so-called 'invasion' or 'unauthorized access' behaviors mentioned in some rumors.'

As for whether the Doubao Mobile Assistant needs to obtain authorization from the corresponding app operators when reading and processing relevant app data, and what norms and principles it follows for data collection and usage, ZTE had not responded to an interview by 'Wall Street Tech Eye' as of press time.

In the 'Doubao Mobile Assistant White Paper' published on its official website, four chapters introduce the information security capabilities and technical measures of the Doubao Mobile Assistant, promising limited collection and reasonable use of cloud and edge-side data, and implementing security encryption, desensitization, isolation, and other protective measures for sensitive data. However, it does not explicitly list which third-party apps it has obtained specific authorizations from.

This minor incident has highlighted the current dilemma faced by AI assistants in invoking third-party apps. Industry insiders point out that although regulations such as the 'Network Data Security Management Regulations' have established norms for automated tools and AIGC-generated data, due to the numerous entities involved in AI phone (assistant) data circulation, responsibility attribution at various stages remains undefined. From the perspective of third-party app vendors, merely obtaining user authorization does not mean that AI phones (assistants) can host their apps or invoke data, as it may involve trade secrets.

On the positive side, the industry is actively promoting the establishment of relevant standards. On December 2, the Cloud Computing Standards and Open Source Promotion Committee, in conjunction with the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, released the 'End-Cloud Collaborative Agent Interaction Dual Authorization Security Guidelines,' which explicitly state that agents must obtain both application authorization and user authorization to legally access third-party applications.

An Entry Ticket for AI Giants, A New Opportunity for Mobile Phone Manufacturers

Although the Doubao Mobile Assistant is still in the technical preview stage, it has clearly garnered significant attention while, to some extent, increasing the exposure of ZTE phones, achieving a win-win situation. The collaboration was undoubtedly driven by the market expansion aspirations of ByteDance and mobile phone manufacturers.

For ByteDance, hardware represents a strategic gap in its portfolio. In recent years, ByteDance has acquired assets such as Pico, Smartisan phones, and Oladance, gaining hardware design capabilities for phones, earphones, and VR headsets. However, it has yet to form a product layout of 'flagship app + self-developed hardware.' With Doubao's monthly active users exceeding 150 million, AI native applications have clearly become a breakthrough point.

At this stage, Doubao explicitly states, 'There is no plan for self-developed phones, and we are in talks with multiple manufacturers for Doubao Mobile Assistant cooperation.' However, another Doubao hardware product on its official website, the Ola Friend earphones, is self-developed and comes from its acquired Oladance brand, indicating that ByteDance remains focused on the AI hardware market but adopts a relatively prudent development approach.

In fact, during the early days of smartphone development, major internet companies like Facebook, Alibaba, and Tencent all ventured into custom OS (or UI) development, launching mobile hardware through collaborations with mobile phone manufacturers. However, due to insufficient competitiveness, they failed to enter the mainstream market, such as Alibaba Cloud phones and HiQQ phones.

The hardware fascination of major internet companies actually stems from the logic of 'software-hardware integration.' The late Apple founder, Steve Jobs, once said, 'Apple is a software company,' with its core competitiveness derived from the combination of in-house developed OS and hardware. Products like the Mac and iPhone were born under this logic, bringing tremendous success to Apple.

If OS was the overlord of the old era, then AI represents the hope of the new era. Alibaba CEO Wu Yongming boldly predicted in a speech that large models will be the next-generation operating systems, and AI Cloud will be the next-generation computer. This explains why major internet companies are flocking to the AI hardware market, whether through self-development or collaboration.

Additionally, amid the year-on-year decline in the mobile phone market, AI has become a new growth driver, receiving attention from mobile phone manufacturers. Training large models requires heavy asset investment, which not all companies can afford. For second-tier brands like ZTE, collaborating with leading large models is undoubtedly the most cost-effective approach.

However, whether the 'Doubao model' can become mainstream in the market remains to be seen. On one hand, major mobile phone manufacturers like Apple and Huawei are relatively cautious in their collaborations with large model vendors. Under the product architecture of their proprietary OS, they are unlikely to grant core permissions to third-party large models.

On the Android front, domestic mobile phone manufacturers have a relatively open attitude. According to current information, OPPO, Vivo, Honor, and other manufacturers do not have plans to integrate the Doubao Mobile Assistant but do not rule out future cooperation. According to media reports, an insider from a mobile phone manufacturer stated that Doubao should release a technical solution next month, and internally, they are adopting a wait-and-see attitude, with no current cooperation plans but not ruling it out. 'It depends on the match between Doubao's solution and our own desired AI functionalities,' the person emphasized.