Key takeaways ByteDance’s Nubia M153 smartphone with deep AI integration sold out within a day at $495 but quickly faced restrictions from major Chinese apps, including WeChat, Alipay, and Taobao. The...
The TikTok parent company launched the Nubia M153 on December 1 in partnership with ZTE, positioning it as an engineering prototype rather than a commercial product.
Priced at 3,499 yuan ($495), the device features ByteDance's Doubao AI assistant integrated directly into the Android operating system.
The initial batch of approximately 30,000 units sold out on the first day, with resale prices climbing more than 40 percent above retail.
The device allows users to control their phones through voice commands, side buttons, or ByteDance's Ola Friend earbuds.
Demonstration videos showed the assistant navigating rival platforms to execute complex tasks such as comparing product prices across e-commerce apps and booking restaurant reservations.
Within days of launch, China's most widely used applications began restricting the Doubao assistant's capabilities.
Users reported being logged out of WeChat, receiving abnormal environment warnings, and facing blocked functionality on Alipay, Taobao, and multiple banking applications.
A senior security executive told Nikkei Asia that the AI assistant had been granted excessively broad permissions.
"To us, it has been granted excessively broad permissions, so extensive that it can open virtually any app without relying on an API," the executive said. "If a user claims they transferred money to the wrong person after instructing Doubao to do so, who is responsible: the user, Doubao, or us?"
The Nubia M153 grants the Doubao assistant the high-level INJECT_EVENTS permission, typically reserved for system components developed by phone manufacturers. This allows the AI to read on-screen content, simulate user touches, and effectively control the device.
WeChat said in a statement that it had not taken any specific action to block Doubao, suggesting instead that the assistant's activity was automatically flagged by routine risk controls.
Tencent later appeared to restrict access to its messaging app for Nubia M153 users, though the company maintained it was not taking targeted action against the device.
Facing mounting criticism and platform restrictions, ByteDance announced on December 6 that it would temporarily suspend several AI functions.
In a statement posted on Doubao's official WeChat account, the company said it would prevent the device from claiming activity or incentive rewards intended for active human users.
It also disabled the assistant's interaction with financial apps, including banking and payment services, and suspended AI control in competitive gaming scenarios.
"This is a necessary step to ensure the technology has a more solid and far-reaching future," ByteDance stated, adding that it would continue working with hardware makers to establish "clear and secure AI operating behavior guidelines."
On Wednesday, December 4, ByteDance confirmed it had disabled the AI assistant's ability to control WeChat because of login problems while working with developers to define acceptable use cases.
The company emphasized that the phone does not store screen content or operation processes on its servers and that such data would not be used for model training. It also clarified that the assistant would not perform sensitive operations such as payments or identity authentication on behalf of users.
Industry observers suggest the restrictions reflect broader competitive concerns beyond security.
Zhou Hongyi, co-founder of Beijing-based cybersecurity firm Qihoo 360, warned that apps may redesign their interfaces to confuse AI tools, hide crucial information behind more steps, or add dynamic verification measures.
The Doubao assistant's ability to operate across multiple platforms without traditional API permissions threatens the app-based business models that have defined China's internet economy.
E-commerce platforms rely on controlling search flows and advertising traffic, and an AI assistant that can automatically compare prices or claim rewards across competing services directly undermines these revenue streams.
Doubao has emerged as a dominant player in China's AI ecosystem, recording 159 million monthly active users in October, more than double the user base of its nearest competitor, Tencent's Yuanbao, which stands at 73 million.
Despite the rocky launch, ByteDance is moving forward with its AI smartphone strategy.
The company has confirmed it is developing a second-generation device with ZTE for release in late 2026 and has halted production of the current prototype.
ByteDance has emphasized it does not plan to manufacture its own smartphones long-term.
Instead, the company is pursuing partnerships with established hardware manufacturers to embed Doubao across multiple device brands.
Several Vivo employees confirmed to Jiemian News that Vivo and ByteDance have already agreed to cooperate and are currently discussing partnership specifics. The company is also in discussions with Lenovo and Transsion.
The partnerships aim to create a new AI ecosystem model combining internet giants and hardware manufacturers.
ByteDance plans to waive custom development fees and share revenue from token sales, allowing smartphone manufacturers to earn directly from traffic distribution and subscriptions.
Industry analysts remain cautious about ByteDance's prospects.
Morgan Stanley noted that major smartphone manufacturers, including Apple, Huawei, and Xiaomi, possess strong enough technology capabilities to develop their own AI assistants rather than partnering with third-party providers.
IDC China has warned that by 2026, ByteDance may face difficulty securing partnerships with top-tier manufacturers.
The clash between ByteDance and established platforms marks the latest chapter in ongoing battles over platform interoperability and control in China's tightly contested mobile ecosystem.
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