Deutsche Telekom is developing a new artificial intelligence phone based on its Perplexity chatbot, the companies announced today at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. The new device will be launched later this year and will be powered by Magenta AI, which provides users with access to Perplexity Assistant, Google Cloud AI, ElevenLabs, Picsart, and a suite of artificial intelligence tools.
The concept of an AI phone was first introduced at MWC 2024 by Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile’s parent company) as an “app-free” device controlled primarily by voice that can do things like book airline tickets and make restaurant reservations. These capabilities are similar to those promised by “big action model” products, including the Rabbit R1. In a press release, Claudia Nemat, a member of Deutsche Telekom’s management board, said that the upcoming Perplexity AI phone and assistant can order taxis and make purchases without having to switch apps on the phone.
Some of the AI tools, including Perplexity’s search engine, will also be available on other devices via the MeinMagenta app (Perplexity also recently launched an Android app for its assistant). Deutsche Telekom hasn’t said more about the hardware of the AI phone, but images show something like a budget Android device with thick bezels on the forehead and chin, as well as a pink sleep/wake button.
Deutsche Telekom plans to launch its AI phone in the second half of this year. And this summer, the company will add some AI features from Google Cloud AI, ElevenLabs, and Picsart to its MeinMagenta app, which works with other smartphones.
