ByteDance’s Doubao-enabled AI phone from ByteDance and ZTE’s Nubia brand has sold out at the official RMB 3,499 price ($495), with second-hand prices surging by roughly RMB 1,500 ($210) to as high as RMB 4,999 ($706). The Nubia M153 engineering prototype marks the first previewed smartphone to include ByteDance’s Doubao AI assistant. Limited quantities prompted brisk demand and sharp resale premiums. On the second-hand market Xianyu, unopened units fetch up to RMB 4,999, representing a substantial premium over the official price. The device was developed through a collaboration between ZTE Corp and ByteDance, with ByteDance’s Doubao steering product definition and user experience, while ZTE’s Nubia brand handled hardware design, development, and manufacturing. The model is offered in a single configuration of 16GB RAM and 512GB storage, powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and featuring a 6.78-inch LTPO display. [TechNode reporting]
