Doubao Phone Assistant at ¥3,499? Free Alternatives Compared

Why Doubao Phone Assistant Went Viral

In late 2025, ByteDance and ZTE launched the Doubao Phone Assistant: a phone with built-in AI that operates apps when you speak—price comparison, bulk job applications, video browsing, and more. Priced at ¥3,499, it sold out on launch day; resale prices briefly exceeded ¥5,000.

Its success proved one thing: AI phone control is real demand. Many people will pay for “say a word and someone taps the screen for me.” But it also reveals a barrier: an all-in-one hardware device costs money and locks you to that device.

Three Tiers of Alternatives

If you don’t want to buy a ¥3,499 device just for AI phone control, there are roughly three paths:

Approach	Examples	Best for	Barrier
Open-source frameworks	Open-AutoGLM, Mobile-Agent, Droidrun	Developers willing to self-host	High (code, environment setup)
On-device AI apps	OEM-built AI assistants	Individuals, one phone	Low, but limited by the app
Free commercial software	iDeviceFarm	Studios managing many phones	Low—install on PC and go

Open-Source Frameworks: Free but Labor-Intensive

Open-AutoGLM, Mobile-Agent, and Droidrun are open-source projects with a similar idea: screenshot the screen, let the model decide where to tap. Fully free and customizable—but high technical overhead: Python environments, model API keys, compatibility issues. Great for tinkerers; less friendly for business teams. For a side-by-side with iDeviceFarm, see How to choose an open phone AI Agent.

Free Commercial: The iDeviceFarm Approach

iDeviceFarm takes a different path: no hardware sales, software completely free, runs on your own computer. Android, iOS, and HarmonyOS phones you already own plug in as AI-controllable devices—no extra purchase required.

• Free: No paywalls, no signup, no waiting for sales;
• Use your own phones: Existing devices connect directly, many managed in one place;
• Local runtime: Data stays on your PC, no server needed;
• MCP integration: Connect to WorkBuddy, Claude, and other AI assistants to drive phones.

How to Choose

• Want convenience, budget OK: Doubao Phone Assistant remains a complete hardware experience;
• Developer, enjoy tinkering: Open-source frameworks offer freedom at the cost of time;
• Have phones already, try free first: Start with iDeviceFarm—run your first device immediately, scale when it proves useful.

Bottom line: Doubao proved AI phone control is worth using; free options make that capability accessible to everyone. Try a phone you already have—it beats debating specs.