SoftBank's ¥1/Month AI Smartphone | The Full Picture on Natural AI Phone
機械翻訳 / Machine-translated
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AI Friends
2026年4月26日・28分で読める
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"Aren't you tired of the endless routine of opening LINE, copying reservation details, and switching between apps?" — If so, this news will come as a shock.
On April 17, 2026, SoftBank and U.S.-based Brain Technologies jointly announced the "Natural AI Phone," launching on April 24 as a SoftBank exclusive for one year.
It's a new kind of smartphone where AI moves automatically across apps on your behalf.
We'll break it all down in plain language anyone can understand.
The Natural AI Phone is an AI agent-embedded smartphone developed by Brain Technologies, an AI company based in San Francisco, and sold exclusively in Japan by SoftBank.
Think of it as having "an ultra-capable personal assistant living inside your phone who handles every request for you."
A standard iPhone or Android assumes "the user selects and operates the app," but the Natural AI Phone is built on a fundamentally different philosophy: "the AI reads the user's intent and automatically operates the necessary apps."
As a side note, Brain Technologies is the company that unveiled the concept of "a smartphone without apps" in partnership with Deutsche Telekom in 2024. The Natural AI Phone represents that evolved concept now going on sale for the first time in Japan.
Let's look one by one at five points that set this device apart from iPhones and Galaxy phones that are also called "AI smartphones."
The most distinctive feature of the Natural AI Phone is the colored physical AI button on the right side of the device.
For example, when a friend sends you a LINE message saying "Lunch tomorrow?", pressing the button once lets the AI understand what's on the screen and suggest options like "Should I check your calendar?" or "Should I search Tabelog for a restaurant?"
Press it twice and that information is saved as a "memory for later use."
Unlike Siri or Gemini, you don't have to speak up to activate it — which is nothing short of revolutionary.
Just say "Dinner with a colleague in Shibuya next Tuesday at 7 PM, budget under ¥5,000" — and the AI will handle everything end-to-end: checking your calendar, searching Tabelog for matching restaurants, presenting candidates, confirming the reservation, and sending a confirmation message to your colleague on LINE. The supported apps start with nine — Gmail, Google Maps, Google Calendar, YouTube, LINE, Tabelog, Amazon, Rakuten Ichiba, and Yahoo! Shopping — with more to be added.
Natural AI accumulates your conversation history, usage history, and purchase history in its proprietary "Understanding System."
In other words, the more you use it, the more it becomes tailored specifically to you.
It remembers things like "my usual yakiniku place," "weekly yoga class," and "school pickup time" and puts them to use in future suggestions.
It's also reassuring to know that data is stored only on the device and in Japan-based cloud servers, and the company has explicitly stated that it will not be used to retrain AI models.
The Natural AI Phone's home screen is not the traditional "grid of app icons," but a new design called "FocusSpace," where information is grouped by goal — such as "certification study," "diet," or "travel planning." Create a space called "Summer Okinawa Trip," for example, and you can see round-trip flights, hotel reservations, sightseeing notes, related LINE conversations, and Google Maps pins all on one screen.
You might expect it to run an entirely new OS, but the foundation is Android 15.
That means regular Android apps work as before, and you can also migrate existing data from Google Play and LINE.
Rather than "all-in on AI," this hybrid design — "AI features and regular smartphone functionality together" — provides peace of mind for first-time users.
At ¥93,600, the price is considerably lower than flagship models like the iPhone 17 or Galaxy S26 that exceed ¥150,000, and is standard within the mid-range segment.
The Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 is more than capable for video streaming, social media, and general gaming, but those who frequently play graphically demanding 3D games or edit high-resolution video may find the specs a bit lacking.
For those who see value in "saving time with AI features," it's an exceptional deal; for those who prioritize gaming performance, it's worth considering other models.
SoftBank's "Shin Toku Suru Support+" works like this: if you return the device at the 25th month of a 48-installment plan, the remaining 24 payments are waived.
Add an MNP (switching from another carrier) discount, and the math works out to 24 months × ¥1 = effectively ¥24 over two years.
Keep in mind, though, that returning the device is mandatory, and any damage or water exposure will result in additional fees — so a case and insurance coverage are strongly recommended.
The AI features on iPhone, Pixel, and Galaxy all take the form of "AI providing a little assistance with existing operations" — like removing backgrounds in photo editing or translating calls, following a "press a button and the AI responds" pattern.
The Natural AI Phone, by contrast, works like this: "tell the AI your goal in words, and it automatically completes everything across apps." The fundamental difference is that the AI, not the user, is in the driver's seat.
"I find smartphone operation tedious and want to cut down on jumping between apps" → Natural AI Phone. "I'm serious about photos and video" → Pixel or Galaxy. "I'm already in the Apple ecosystem and looking to upgrade" → iPhone. "Gaming performance is my priority" → Galaxy S26 or iPhone 17 Pro. Keeping it that simple leaves no room for confusion.
Imagine a couple in their 30s, the Asan family, living in the suburbs of Tokyo.
Exhausted from weekday work, they have no energy left to plan weekend family outings.
What used to take 30 minutes — Googling, checking Tabelog, making a reservation, sharing on LINE, adding to the calendar, all across five apps — gets completely transformed.
Just press the AI button and say "Show me places for kids on Saturday, indoors if it rains," and the AI combines weather forecasts, nearby facilities, and reviews to present three options. Pick one, and the reservation, calendar entry, and LINE message to your partner are all done.
No more Saturday morning arguments over "So what are we doing today?"
Bsan, who works in sales at an Osaka trading company, takes trips to Tokyo almost every week, but the hassle of booking bullet trains, hotels, checking routes to clients, and filing expenses regularly causes overtime.
With the Natural AI Phone, just write "4/25 2:00 PM Tokyo ABC Trading" in your calendar, and the AI suggests the optimal bullet train, shortlists hotels within budget, and pre-notifies you of routes via Google Maps.
When you return, say "Summarize my expenses this trip" and the future where expense reports are automatically generated from photos of receipts is within reach.
Csan, 78, lives alone in the countryside and wants to exchange LINE messages with grandchildren in Tokyo.
But switching between apps is a struggle, and sending a photo can take 10 minutes.
With the Natural AI Phone, just press the AI button and say "Send today's sunset photo to my grandson Kenta," and the camera app opens, the photo is taken, and it's sent to Kenta on LINE — all automatically.
For seniors, the elimination of operational complexity as a barrier represents enormous value.
SoftBank's acquisition of a one-year exclusive is driven by a strategic desire to break free from dependence on iPhone.
While domestic carriers struggle to differentiate themselves with iPhone, this is an attempt to cultivate a new AI-era category in-house.
Considering SoftBank's investment in OpenAI — championed by Masayoshi Son — and its relationship with Arm under the SoftBank umbrella, a broader vision of "making Japan a testing ground for AI devices" becomes apparent.
If the Natural AI Phone becomes a hit in Japan, Apple will be pushed to urgently strengthen Siri's cross-app functionality.
In fact, Apple is rumored to be planning a major Siri overhaul in iOS 19, and the arrival of the Natural AI Phone could accelerate the entire industry's roadmap.
Google Pixel is also likely to push harder on making Gemini more agentic.
The true starting gun for "the AI race among smartphones" has been fired — from Japan.
As the era of "AI operating apps" arrives, "designing apps that are easy for AI to call upon" becomes a new competitive axis.
Since the Natural AI Phone plans to expand its list of supported apps, negotiating to get your own app on that list will become a new form of business development for Japanese IT companies.
Conversely, traditional apps that don't redesign their UIs with AI in mind risk falling out of use.
A major reshaping of Japan's app industry feels likely to begin in the second half of 2026.
A. Spreading the ¥93,600 device price over 48 installments comes to ¥1,950/month.
With MNP (switching from another carrier) + Shin Toku Suru Support+, returning the device at the 25th month brings the effective cost to ¥24 over 24 months.
Service fees are separate; the total estimate when combined with SoftBank plans like "Paytoku" or "Mini Fit+" is roughly ¥5,000–¥8,000/month.
A. Since the phone is Android 15-based, migration from iPhone is possible.
Migration tools via Google Drive and LINE Keep allow you to transfer contacts, photos, LINE chat history, and more.
However, iMessage and FaceTime are Apple-exclusive and cannot be transferred.
iPhone users may want to try it as a second device first to evaluate the AI experience before fully switching over.
A. Brain Technologies and SoftBank have explicitly stated that "conversation and usage data will not be used to retrain AI models."
Data is stored only on the device and in Japan-based cloud servers and is designed not to be transferred to the U.S. or elsewhere.
If you still have psychological reservations about sharing personal information with an AI, the safer approach is to avoid entering sensitive information (bank account numbers, health data). It is also expected that users will be able to toggle data collection on or off in settings.
A. After April 2027, the possibility of sales through docomo, au, and Rakuten Mobile is high.
However, since the possibility of extending the exclusive period is also noted, entry by other carriers remains unconfirmed.
If you want it now and want to maximize your MNP discount, buy immediately from SoftBank. Waiting until late 2026 is also a sensible option if you prefer to observe first.
Keep in mind, however, that MNP campaigns may be time-limited.
A. SoftBank and Brain Technologies have jointly optimized the device for the Japanese market, and it has been announced that conversation and commands in Japanese are at a practical level.
Supported apps include Japan-specific services like LINE, Tabelog, Rakuten Ichiba, and Yahoo! Shopping from the start, making the localization feel more thorough than other AI smartphones.
Accuracy for dialects and specialized terminology improves over time as the Understanding System learns through use.
A. Since you just press the AI button and speak, the operational complexity is actually lower than a conventional smartphone.
For seniors in particular, the advantage of "not having to remember where apps are" is significant, potentially lowering the barrier to LINE and video calls with grandchildren.
For children's use, details on parental control features await an official announcement.
The Natural AI Phone is the biggest device revolution of 2026, transforming the smartphone from "a tool you operate apps on" to "a partner that acts on your intentions."
A future where you hand all of life's small annoyances to AI — and use the time you free up for family and hobbies — is just around the corner.
For those who can port their number, now is the perfect time to get ahead of the AI smartphone era, with the option to try it for an effective ¥24/month.
This article is a cross-post from AI Friends.
