One Carrier Thinks You Might Want an 'AI Phone'

Deutsche Telekom and Perplexity are collaborating on an innovative "AI Phone," featuring a lock-screen AI assistant, slated for a 2026 release with a sub-$1000 price tag.

Unveiled at Mobile World Congress, this device prioritizes AI functionality. While specifics on screen, camera, and other features remain undisclosed, the Perplexity assistant takes center stage, offering one-touch access to information and task completion. The assistant, already available on Android, handles language processing, text and image interpretation, calendar management, email composition, summarization, and translation. Furthermore, it facilitates tasks like hailing taxis, placing orders, and online shopping.

Related: 5 Clever Uses for the Perplexity AI Assistant on Android

This lock-screen integration distinguishes the AI Phone from the standard Android implementation of the Perplexity assistant. While the AI Phone's processing location (on-device vs. cloud) is unclear, it likely leverages the cloud-based infrastructure of the existing assistant.

Unlike past instances of carrier-imposed bloatware, this phone aims for a clean experience, with a spokesperson assuring a sub-$1000 price point. Consumers averse to the lock-screen assistant can opt for alternative devices within that price range.

Although Deutsche Telekom refers to the AI Phone as a "concept," the planned 2026 European launch suggests the core AI functionality is finalized, with hardware details still under development.

Beyond Perplexity, Deutsche Telekom is integrating other AI services into its MeinMagenta app, including Google Cloud AI for translation and Q&A, ElevenLabs for podcast creation, and Picsart AI avatars. These services are already accessible via dedicated Android and iOS apps.

In essence, Deutsche Telekom envisions the AI Phone as an indispensable companion, providing on-demand assistance with tasks ranging from ordering services and real-time translation to email composition, call initiation, music playback, text summarization, and calendar entry creation. This functionality, combined with integrations from Google Cloud AI, ElevenLabs, and Picsart, aims to create a comprehensive AI-powered mobile experience.

The above is the detailed content of One Carrier Thinks You Might Want an 'AI Phone'. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!