South Korean company Newnal has launched a revolutionary blockchain-based AI smartphone OS at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona. The cutting-edge AI OS promises to build a digital clone of its users. The clone would be based on user data to create an AI avatar that appears, behaves, and responds exactly like them.
Compared to other conventional AI models, such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini, Newnal's AI is trained solely on user data and not on public internet content. The blockchain OS gathers data from personal apps, emails, and social media to build a customized knowledge graph. This enables the AI to develop with the user, even growing older over time.
A company representative emphasized that this system prioritizes privacy, allowing users to own and control their AI without relying on third-party data sources. The open-source AI can be embedded into any device, making it a versatile addition to the smartphone industry.
To demonstrate the tech at MWC 2025, Newnal placed the AI OS within a custom mobile phone. A demo video posted online shows a distinctive smartphone interface where an AI avatar occupies the top of the screen. However, normal smartphone features such as email, social media, and shopping are still available on the bottom.
Though the technology is ambitious, experts are not convinced. Dipanjan Chatterjee, a Forrester Research analyst, likened Newnal AI to previous failures such as Rabbit's AI devices and the defunct Humane AI pin. He noted that although such technologies impress in laboratory settings, they tend to fail in practical applications.
Although Chatterjee also sees the possibility of agentic AI becoming real, where the artificial intelligence performs on behalf of the user. He thinks that experiments such as Newnal's AI can revolutionize the future of smartphones, enhancing the traditional touchscreen interactions.
There is not much information on Newnal's AI, but its vision of AI-driven, personalized digital assistants suggests where mobile technology may be going. Whether this technology catches on or becomes a footnote in tech history remains to be seen.