StepFun wants to rebuild the phone so an AI assistant handles the tasks

Chinese AI company StepFun presented a new brand, STEPX, in Shanghai on July 13, 2026, for devices built around large language models, the type of AI behind chatbots. An operating system, a personal assistant and a phone were launched at the same time.

Three parts in the package

The operating system is called Step AOS. The company describes it as "agent-native," which roughly means the system is built so that an AI agent can carry out tasks for the user. It is meant to work as a layer between the AI models, the phone's functions and various services.

The assistant is called Amoo. It is an agent you talk to, and it is supposed to understand what the user wants done. In demonstrations, it was shown planning trips, booking rides and restaurant tables, managing the calendar, editing documents and handling tasks across multiple apps.

The phone is called STEPX Neo. It has an extra screen on the back and can be controlled with voice, images and text. According to the outlet Jiemian, a family of models called Step Edge, which can run directly on the device itself, was also mentioned the same day. It was reportedly released the day before, on July 12.

Partners and open questions

According to Jiemian, the first partners include Ctrip, Alipay, Didi, Meituan, WPS, CapCut (Jianying) and Bilibili. The collaboration with Bilibili starts August 20. Another outlet, LetsDataScience, reports, however, that the partners were not named in the demonstrations themselves.

The phone's exact specifications and release date had not been made public. The price was not announced either. Jiemian writes that STEPX Neo is still at the "showcase stage." Before the presentation, Yicai Global reported that a source at a Chinese phone manufacturer said the phone was still awaiting a mandatory license. That information predates the launch and may have been overtaken by events.

Yicai also mentions Huaqin Technology, Longcheer Technology and OmniVision as hardware and supplier connections. StepFun was founded in 2023 in Shanghai by former Microsoft executive Jiang Daxin.

Software before hardware

StepFun chairman Yin Qi emphasized the software: "The most important part of today's presentation is our Step AOS." He also said: "We have asked many people in the terminal industry, and everyone has told us to listen and not to make hardware."

Yicai sees the launch as part of a broader shift in which the AI competition moves from training models in the cloud to users' own devices. According to Yicai, agent ecosystems and newly designed operating systems become decisive here. The Doubao phone from ByteDance and ZTE is mentioned as a comparison.

LetsDataScience judges that claims about leadership and autonomous capabilities await independent tests. According to the site, the launch shows a direction for the product, not proven reliability in the mass market.