As of February 19, an increasing number of mobile phone and automotive manufacturers have begun integrating DeepSeekThis growing interest reflects a significant trend in China’s tech landscape, where companies are rapidly adopting advanced AI models to enhance their products and services.
According to public reports, leading Chinese smartphone brands such as Huawei, Honor, OPPO, vivo, Nubia, and Meizu have officially announced their integration with the DeepSeek-R1 modelBeyond the smartphone industry, over 20 automotive manufacturers, including BYD, Geely, and Great Wall Motors, have declared their plans to implement DeepSeek into various aspects of their operations, including smart cockpits, voice interaction, vehicle control system optimization, and AI-driven operation.
Interestingly, while many manufacturers are jumping on the DeepSeek bandwagon, some notable players like Xiaomi, as well as electric vehicle (EV) makers known as "Wei Xiaoli"—which comprises NIO, XPeng, and Li Auto—have opted to pursue their own research and development of AI modelsThis strategic choice raises questions about the long-term viability and sustainability of proprietary systems compared to more collaborative approaches that leverage existing technologies.
Industry insiders believe that the self-developed models of Chinese smartphone brands act primarily as supplementary measures while maintaining that collaboration with third parties remains a favorable solutionFor example, in the automotive sector, DeepSeek could dramatically enhance smart cockpit experiences, which in turn may lower data training costs and improve the efficiency of training systems in the future.
Starting from February 5, 2025, major Chinese smartphone manufacturers began integrating the DeepSeek model, signaling a comprehensive upgrade in AI assistant capabilities for users.
Huawei took the lead, launching its “Xiao Yi Assistant” app with DeepSeek-R1 beta access on February 10, later transitioning to the official version
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This upgrade introduced a “web search” feature that significantly boosted the knowledge base's timeliness and conversation fluidity, allowing it to handle complex inquiries such as programming code generation.
Honor officially joined the initiative on February 8, albeit experiencing temporary server congestion due to an influx of usersHowever, the upgraded DeepSeek-R1 online version reported an average accuracy improvement of 15% across functions like multi-language translation and text writing, with specific scenarios seeing up to an 85% enhancement.
OPPO is set to launch its flagship foldable phone, the Find N5, featuring DeepSeek capabilities, allowing users to awaken the assistant through voice commands tailored towards business scenariosThe product manager at OPPO, Zhou Yibao, previously emphasized that leveraging DeepSeek through cloud access would facilitate a smoother, more efficient AI interaction experience.
Nubia has embedded the full-scale DeepSeek model, boasting 6710 billion parameters, into its system and is testing it with devices like multi-modal AI headphonesThe Nubia Z70 Ultra can directly access DeepSeek-R1 through its Nebula intelligent dialogue interface, simplifying user interaction by minimizing the number of entry points.
Ni Fei, President of ZTE's terminal division and Nubia Technology, expressed that the aim is to seamlessly integrate DeepSeek with Nebula AI, enhancing user value by transforming mobile phones and accompanying devices into smart companions.
Moreover, vivo plans to deeply integrate DeepSeek into its OriginOS system, with future smart assistant features expected to include advanced functions like content creation and image generation, although a specific launch date has yet to be announcedMeizu is also integrating DeepSeek across its Meizu 21 series, Lucky08 smartphones, and StarVAR glasses, enabling multi-device coordination.
From a cost perspective, many believe that DeepSeek's open-source nature is a crucial factor attracting numerous phone manufacturers
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By using an advanced AI model without the necessity of heavy investments in R&D, companies can significantly reduce their development costs while still harnessing cutting-edge capabilities.
According to Industry analyst Zhong Xiaolei, DeepSeek's open-source model decreases hardware expenses related to AI models, thus making it more accessible for end useHe notes that despite smartphones being equipped with various sensors, their ability to manage multi-modal inputs, like images and videos, remains an ongoing challenge that needs to be addressed.
Apart from smartphone manufacturers, nearly 20 automotive companies have also jumped at the opportunity to incorporate the DeepSeek model into their operationsThis includes well-known names such as BYD, Geely, and SAIC's Zhiji, among othersMost of these firms are focusing on enhancing the smart cockpit experience, improving voice interactions, and providing personalized services based on internal and external scenarios.
Key players in the automotive technology sector, including Huawei, Horizon Robotics, and NVIDIA, have also signposted their commitment to supporting the DeepSeek model in smart driving solutions, thereby progressing the overall technological capability of modern vehicles.
Some analysts highlight that as more automotive companies embrace DeepSeek, it could help dismantle existing technical barriers and reduce the costs associated with integrating AI in smart vehicles, consequently elevating their competitiveness in the market.
However, it should be noted that both Xiaomi and the “Wei Xiaoli” triumvirate have yet to openly announce their engagement with DeepSeekXiaomi, for instance, has been actively developing its own sophisticated modelsThe company’s chairman, Lei Jun, pointed out that over the past 15 years, Xiaomi has concentrated on areas such as smartphones, vehicles, and smart home technologies, indicating a determined focus on embedding AI within all of its product lines.
Xiaomi's public relations head, Wang Hua, previously mentioned that the Xiao Ai assistant has been registered with a large model and will soon offer more comprehensive functional experiences
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The potential recruitment of a major DeepSeek developer and investments in GPU clusters for boosting computational power exemplify Xiaomi's commitment to nurturing its proprietary technologies.
Despite the company’s ambitions, Zhong Xiaolei argues that while self-developed AI models provide some foundational support, their ability to maintain leadership remains questionableCompanies must remain agile and open to collaborating with industry leaders to sustain competitive advantages in the long runCurrent industry dynamics suggest that adopting existing high-quality models like DeepSeek will likely foster vendor loyalty among customers.
In the realm of intelligent vehicle technology, NIO, XPeng, and Li Auto have also refrained from publicly embracing DeepSeek's modelXPeng's chairman, He Xiaopeng remarked that while the model has created ripples in the tech world, applying it in the physical realm introduces various challengesXPeng currently opts to enhance user experience through its self-development efforts.
Similarly, Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, acknowledged DeepSeek's impressive contributions but expressed reservations about its potential to be a revolutionary breakthrough in the AI space, questioning the sustainable value of its touted low-cost and high-performance capabilities.
Recently, Musk's xAI introduced its latest model Grok 3, which reportedly outperforms or is on par with competitors including DeepSeek, Gemini, and ChatGPT across various performance metrics, exemplifying the competitive nature of the AI landscape.
Automotive analysts highlight that emerging players are keen on leveraging comprehensive self-developed systems to establish differentiationThe “Wei Xiaoli” companies, in particular, focus on shortening reliance on NVIDIA by accelerating the development of their in-house chips for intelligent driving functionsThey view DeepSeek as a secondary tool while prioritizing the crafting of core technologies in-house.
This signifies a recognition that, in the initial phase, DeepSeek's primary applications are grounded in basic human-vehicle communication, which does not fully exploit its complex capabilities
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