The first mass-produced smartphone built around an agentic operating system was launched on 14 July by Chinese AI company StepFun, marking a departure from app-based assistants toward devices that can complete multi-step tasks independently. The StepX Neo runs Step AOS, a proprietary OS that divides phone functions into atomic capability groups—communication, applications, files, and system tools—allowing its built-in agent, Step Amoo, to combine them in response to a single natural-language request. The device operates fully offline for core tasks, learns user preferences over time, and handles cross-app workflows such as booking pet-friendly flights or filling out customs forms without repeated prompts.

That launch coincides with a deepening partnership between Alibaba Group and Honor, the Huawei spin-off, to develop what Honor calls a “next-generation terminal operating system” for AI-powered devices. Honor will host a sub-forum at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on 19 July, featuring Alibaba’s head of multimodal interaction and Qualcomm’s China R&D chief. The collaboration, viewed from Shenzhen, aims to embed agentic capabilities directly into the OS layer rather than layering them atop Android, a design philosophy shared by StepFun’s rebuilt Android-Linux-RTOS stack.

Parallel to the AI push, Chinese manufacturers are extending battery endurance to new thresholds. Honor’s newly announced 600 Smart 5G packs a 7,700 mAh cell—the largest in its global lineup—paired with the first commercial deployment of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 chipset, which prioritises power efficiency on entry-level 5G. The device claims 28 hours of continuous video playback and carries IP64 and SGS drop-resistance certifications. In the mid-range, Xiaomi’s Redmi 15C offers a 6,000 mAh battery with 22 hours of video playback, while OnePlus’s 13R employs silicon-carbon battery technology to increase energy density without added bulk, according to laboratory tests.

Huawei, meanwhile, used a Kuala Lumpur launch event the same day to unveil its Pura 90s Series with a 200MP telephoto camera and AI-powered image optimisation, alongside the FreeClip 2 S open-ear earbuds and MatePad Air tablet. The product wave underscores a broader strategy among Chinese hardware makers to differentiate through integrated AI experiences and extreme battery life, rather than incremental hardware upgrades alone.

The next milestone is the Honor-Alibaba sub-forum at WAIC on 19 July, where details of the Agentic OS are expected. Honor’s 600 Smart 5G is scheduled to go on sale in Europe at the end of July, priced at €219.