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STEPX Neo: The AI Phone That Talks Back, Starting at 3999 Yuan

STEPX Neo: A Phone That's All About AI

What if your phone wasn't just a tool, but a companion that understands you? That's the pitch from STEPX, a new brand that just launched its first 'large model-native' phone, the Neo, in Shanghai. Priced at 3,999 yuan, it's not just another smartphone—it's a statement.

Design: Retro-Futuristic with a Twist

The Neo looks like it stepped out of a sci-fi movie. The back panel has a transparent mechanical vibe, and there are five hidden Easter eggs nodding to AI history. But the real head-turner is the MiniLED dot-matrix back screen. It's not just for notifications; it's a dynamic expression space for the AI agent. Think of it as the phone's face—it can show emotions, patterns, or whatever the AI is 'feeling.'

Hardware: Sensing the World

STEPX didn't skimp on sensors. The Neo packs a six-microphone array, a low-power audio perception chip, and the Whisper1.0 sound pickup algorithm. Together, they form an auditory system that can hear you from across the room. The dual-screen setup—main screen plus the back screen—gives the AI a way to communicate beyond just text.

Software: The Brain Behind the Beauty

Under the hood, the Neo runs Step AOS 1.0, the first agent-native operating system. It's built around long-term memory, task scheduling, and a security architecture that's 'trustable, visible, controllable, and reversible.' The memory is split into a 'user domain' and an 'agent domain,' so your data stays yours.

The real magic is the Step large model matrix. It uses a 'terminal-cloud collaboration' approach: the phone handles simple commands offline, while the cloud takes on complex planning and cross-app tasks. So, yeah, it's smart—but it also respects your privacy.

Ecosystem: More Than Just a Phone

STEPX isn't going it alone. They've launched Step Studio, a natural language development tool that lets creators build AI-native experiences. At the event, they showed off a flight skateboard assistance system and a brain-computer interface 'thought-to-speech' demo from Bilibili creators.

And the ecosystem is growing. The Step Amoo agent has integrated with nearly 100 partners, including Alipay, WeChat Work, Xiaohongshu, Ctrip, Didi, Gaode, and Meituan. That means you can use AI payments, collaborate across agents, and get full-service fulfillment—all from your phone.

Pricing and Availability: Soft and Hard

The Neo comes in carbon black and silicon silver, priced at 3,999 yuan. But here's the kicker: it's a 'soft and hard model' full-stack pricing, meaning you get 12 months of 10 billion tokens per month for free. Plus, the first 10,000 users who meet certain criteria will receive 'Starship Tickets,' which let you exchange your current model for a new STEPX terminal at zero cost within the next 5 years.

Pre-sales started on the evening of October 13th, and it officially goes on sale October 16th.

Key Points

  • Price: 3,999 yuan (carbon black, silicon silver)
  • Freebies: 12 months of 10 billion tokens/month; 'Starship Tickets' for early adopters
  • Key Features: Dual-screen (main + MiniLED back screen), six-mic array, Step AOS 1.0, terminal-cloud collaboration
  • Ecosystem: Step Studio for developers; partnerships with Alipay, WeChat Work, Xiaohongshu, Ctrip, Didi, Gaode, Meituan
  • Availability: Pre-sales started Oct 13; on sale Oct 16

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