On May 8, Xiaodu, Baidu’s smart speaker brand, confirmed to Chinese media that it will launch a smartphone, with more detailed product information to be revealed next week, according to a report in Shanghai media outlet The Paper. Xiaodu said that the product will not incorporate Baidu’s AI offering ERNIEBot. Having released its first smart speaker in 2018, Xiaodu offers a range of smart hardware including speakers, earphones, hotel delivery robots, and tablets targeting learners, as well as supporting software entitled DuerOS. In September 2020, Xiaodu completed independent financing led by Baidu Capital and CPE, followed by IDG Capital, valuing the brand at about RMB 20 billion ($3.1 billion). Xiaodu completed a B+ in January, with a valuation of RMB 35.5 billion. [The Paper, in Chinese]
