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STEPX Neo: The First Large Model Native Phone Lands at 3999 Yuan

STEPX Neo: A Phone Born for the AI Era

On October 13, Shanghai-based STEPX (Step Terminal) took the wraps off its first large model-native intelligent agent phone, the STEPX Neo. The device isn't just another smartphone with AI features slapped on—it's built from the silicon up around large models, blending hardware, operating system, and AI into one cohesive package. At 3,999 yuan, it's aiming to redefine what a phone can be.

Design: Retro-Futurism Meets AI History

The Neo sports a "retro-futuristic" look. Flip it over and you'll find a transparent mechanical back panel with five Easter eggs that nod to key moments in AI history. But the real conversation starter is the dual-screen setup: a standard main display paired with an independent MiniLED dot-matrix back screen. Think of it as the agent's personal canvas—a space where it can express itself through dynamic patterns and animations.

Hardware That Senses and Speaks

STEPX didn't skimp on sensory organs. A six-microphone array, a low-power audio perception chip, and the Whisper1.0 sound pickup algorithm work together to give the Neo an acute sense of hearing. It's designed to listen, understand, and respond—not just to voice commands, but to the world around it.

Software: An OS with a Split Personality

Under the hood 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 OS splits memory into two domains: one for you, one for your agent. This separation keeps your data private while letting the AI learn and grow.

Powering the brains is the Step large model matrix, which uses a terminal-cloud collaboration. Simple commands and offline tasks are handled on-device, while complex planning and cross-app orchestration get offloaded to the cloud. It's a smart way to balance speed, privacy, and capability.

An Ecosystem Ready to Play

STEPX also introduced Step Studio, a natural language development tool that opens up the phone's sensors, back screen, and protocols to developers. At the launch event, Bilibili creators showed off projects like a flight skateboard assistance system and a brain-computer interface that turns thoughts into speech. Meanwhile, the Step Amoo agent has already integrated with nearly 100 partners—Alipay, Tencent (WeChat Work, WeChat Reading), Xiaohongshu, Ctrip, Didi, Gaode, Meituan—enabling AI payments and cross-agent collaborative editing.

Pricing and Availability

The Neo comes in carbon black and silicon silver, priced at 3,999 yuan. Early buyers get 12 months of 10 billion tokens per month. Plus, the first 10,000 users who meet certain task criteria will receive a "Starship Ticket," which lets them exchange their current model for a new STEPX terminal at zero cost within five years. Pre-sales started on the evening of October 13, with official sales beginning October 16.

Key Points

  • STEPX Neo is the first large model-native intelligent agent phone, priced at 3,999 yuan.
  • Features a dual-screen design with a MiniLED dot-matrix back screen for dynamic expressions.
  • Runs Step AOS 1.0, an agent-native OS with dual-domain memory and terminal-cloud collaboration.
  • Step Studio opens up development, with early projects from Bilibili creators.
  • Integrated with nearly 100 partners for services like AI payments and cross-agent collaboration.
  • Pre-sales live now, official sale on October 16; early buyers get token bonuses and a Starship Ticket.