An AI-powered smartphone phone without apps is why we like MWC

Every possible smartphone on the market today, no matter how “smart” it may be, depends on user inputs to perform any task – whether it is sending a text message, playing music, or GPS navigation, or altering its settings.

But, imagine a phone that actively provides users with prompts to move ahead with tasks using on-device AI, in real time. That’s precisely what Deutsche Telekom and Brain.ai have managed to do. The two companies presented the smartphone, dubbed the Concept AI Phone, at MWC 2024.

Concept AI Phone: How it works

The Concept AI Phone, in essence, looks to replace the app-based interface found on Android devices and iPhones with an onboard AI that processes your requests via textual prompts and generates its own UI according to the same.

The Concept AI Phone presents you with only one choice. That is, a single button you can tap to interact with and make use of the on-board Large Action Model (LAM) – Natural AI.

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The Concept AI Phone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which brings AI capabilities from the cloud right to the device. However, the device can also pull any information and data as and when required from the internet.

To demonstrate the same, Deutsche Telekom and Brain.ai showcased a couple of use cases at the event – including booking flight tickets via a combination of choice prompts and an on-screen interface, as well as asking the AI to recommend a gift for someone based on their likes and dislikes.

It did all of this, generating a UI in real-time, and presenting users with several options based on the information they provided, such as budgets, locations, and more.

Bear in mind though. You can still access applications with their native interfaces, including social media, device settings, as well as other utility apps. While the device does put AI front and center, it also allows users to choose between a fully AI-driven experience and the classic smartphone user experience.

How does the Concept AI Phone compare to the rabbit r1?

Interestingly, the Concept AI Phone from Deutsche Telekom and Brain.ai isn’t the first such attempt at a smartphone like this. Something similar was also unveiled at CES 2024, named the rabbit r1.

The device also employed an on-device LAM to actively help users while going about their tasks and generate its own UI while doing so. However, the phone had two crucial differences when compared to the Concept AI Phone.

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The first of them is the fact that it had a compact form factor – the device could entirely fit into your palms. The second is that unlike the Concept AI Phone, the rabbit r1 does not provide users access to classic apps the way the former does.

However, both devices, the rabbit r1 and now, the Concept AI Phone, have brought entirely AI-powered phones closer to reality than ever before. And we can’t wait to see how it compares to the classic smartphone user experience for ourselves.