SoftBank Exclusively Launches Natural AI Phone With All-Purpose AI Agent

The Natural AI Phone, developed by U.S. startup Brain Technologies, features an AI agent that can operate across apps to make restaurant reservations, arrange itineraries and complete data entry on users’ behalf. SoftBank has secured exclusive sales rights in Japan, reflecting a shift in smartphone competition away from hardware specifications and standalone apps toward AI that can understand users’ needs and execute tasks across services.

The 5G phone is priced at 93,600 yen in Japan. A single command can activate the AI agent to automatically carry out tasks across multiple apps, reducing the need to open each app individually. SoftBank will serve as the exclusive seller in Japan, but publicly available information has yet to specify an official launch date, initial shipment volume or service plans.