The development paths for artificial intelligence (AI) integration in smartphones are diverging as ByteDance extends its collaborations with multiple brands, while technology giants Apple Inc. and Alphabet maintain a standardized application programming interface (API) strategy. Following the December 2025 launch of the Doubao phone M153 in partnership with ZTE Corporation’s Nubia, recent reports indicate that ByteDance is broadening its AI smartphone alliances to include Vivo, Lenovo Group, and Transsion.