ByteDance, the Chinese tech giant behind TikTok and Douyin, is launching an AI voice assistant for Chinese smartphones. This tool, powered by their popular Doubao large language model, will allow users to voice-activate tasks like finding content and booking tickets. The assistant will first debut on ZTE Corp.'s Nubia M153 handset, a prototype priced at 3,499 yuan ($495), before becoming available on phones from other manufacturers. This move puts ByteDance in direct competition with Chinese smartphone makers like Huawei and Xiaomi, as well as Apple's upcoming Apple Intelligence in China. Despite not developing its own smartphones, ByteDance is in talks with multiple phone makers to roll out the AI voice assistant. With 159 million monthly active users of Doubao in October, ByteDance has emerged as the leading player in consumer AI apps in China, surpassing competitors like Tencent's Yuanbao and DeepSeek. The company's success is further bolstered by ZTE's 10% stock surge on Monday, attributed to the phone's announcement and recent 5G equipment contracts in Vietnam.
