StepFun’s AI-First Phone Replaces Apps With an Intelligent Agent
Chinese Startup StepFun Launches a Phone Built Around an AI Agent, Not Apps
Chinese startup StepFun has launched a smartphone designed around an artificial intelligence agent rather than the traditional app-based interface.
The approach places the AI agent at the center of the user experience, shifting the focus from opening individual applications to interacting with a system intended to carry out tasks through natural-language instructions.
The launch reflects a broader effort across the technology industry to make AI a primary interface for consumer devices. Instead of treating AI as a feature within existing apps, agent-focused phones aim to make it the main way users access digital services.
StepFun’s device also highlights how competition in artificial intelligence is expanding beyond standalone software. Startups are increasingly exploring how AI models can be integrated into hardware and everyday computing experiences.
