AI Agent Race on Smartphones: Nubia, StepFun and Honor Compete in Models, Hardware and Apps

Chinese tech companies are intensifying the competition to put AI agents on smartphones. Nubia has partnered with AI startup StepFun to integrate the Step-2 large language model into its smartphones, enabling a voice assistant that can handle complex tasks like booking flights or ordering food. Honor, meanwhile, is developing its own AI agent platform that can coordinate multiple apps. The race involves not only AI models but also hardware acceleration and application ecosystems. StepFun's model is said to be optimized for on-device inference, reducing reliance on cloud servers. Nubia's implementation aims to provide a more private and responsive experience. The competition highlights the growing importance of on-device AI agents in the Chinese smartphone market.