Chinese smartphone manufacturer Nubia Technology unveiled three artificial intelligence-powered smartphones on Tuesday, in a bid to grab a bigger slice of the pie in the highly competitive handset market.

Nubia's latest flagship handset Z60 Ultra photographer edition has incorporated AI large language models with an enhanced photography capacity and intelligent voice assistant functionality. Other AI functions include providing two-way, real-time voice and text translations of phone calls.

The company rolled out its first foldable smartphone, the Nubia Flip 5G, which is targeted at a younger demographic. Priced from 2,999 yuan ($414.7), the device boasts a 6.9-inch ultra-high-definition flexible display that supports a 120Hz refresh rate. It is slim and lightweight, measuring 7.0 mm in thickness when unfolded.

Nubia has bolstered the popularization of AI functions to smartphones priced no more than 1,000 yuan. Its Xiaoniu series supports AI imaging, intelligent voice function, intelligent translation, dialogue and creative writing.

According to global market consultancy International Data Corp, a total of 170 million next-generation AI smartphones will be shipped globally in 2024, representing almost 15 percent of total smartphone shipments and a sizeable jump from the roughly 51 million shipped in 2023. 

Notably, in the Chinese market alone, the share of next-generation AI smartphones is expected to surpass 50 percent by 2027, IDC said.

fanfeifei@chinadaily.com.cn