Gaia has officially announced the launch of the Gaia AI Phone, first launching in Korea and Hong Kong. This is the first smartphone engineered for full AI sovereignty.
The upcoming device is built on Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge hardware and functions as a full network node.
Unlike AI assistants from Apple, Google, and others that route every query to their cloud, Gaia performs inference directly on the device for better privacy.
Why On-Device AI Changes Everything
Every major tech company is putting AI on phones the same way—your data goes to their cloud, gets processed on their servers, and they control the experience
—Matt Wright, Gaia CEO
Although widely used, this model puts control in the hands of central servers and leaves you vulnerable to:
- Data breaches,
- Content restrictions,
- Geopolitical blocks.
The Gaia AI phone eliminates these risks by building its platform directly into the device itself.
According to Matt, Gaia is proof that sophisticated AI can run entirely on your device while transforming your role from an AI consumer into an active infrastructure owner, who earns rewards for network participation.
Gaia also breaks away from the traditional SaaS AI model, where users pay ongoing fees to use cloud-based AI. Instead, it offers a model based on decentralization.
What exactly does that mean?
Each Gaia AI Phone becomes part of the network infrastructure, where contributing compute power earns token rewards. The shift redistributes both computational work and the value it generates.
Founded in 2024, this project has raised over $20M and works with top institutions like UC Berkeley to show real-world uses for decentralized AI.
Visit the official Gaia website to learn more about how it transforms the AI revolution.
Economic Distribution of Power Through Participation
The more processing power a device contributes to the network, the more it earns. And as more users come online, the network becomes stronger and more valuable.
In essence, this creates a system where every smartphone owner benefits from the project’s growth over time.
“This isn’t just about privacy—it’s proving that decentralized AI infrastructure can deliver performance that rivals centralized systems while creating economic value for participants,” said Shashank Sripada, COO of Gaia.
Fitting enterprise-grade AI into mobile hardware without compromising node functionality had been a technical challenge, he explains. Fixing this roadblock required breakthrough compression and optimization techniques.
Loaded with Rewards and Partner Apps
To make the user experience even more rewarding, the Gaia AI Phone will come with pre-installed integrations of leading Web3 and AI services.
These include:
- EdenLayer: An AI-native gaming platform that runs entirely on-device,
- Roam: A global eSIM provider for smooth data connectivity,
- Umy: A crypto-native travel booking app with token-based discounts.
Phone owners will also receive token airdrops from ecosystem partners as the network expands. These benefits are designed to provide immediate entry into the decentralized AI economy, and there’s more on the way.
Major collaborations with Web3 and gaming projects will be announced in the coming weeks, as part of Gaia’s broader rollout strategy.
Pre-Order Window Now Open
Pre-orders for the Gaia AI Phone are now open in South Korea, with deliveries expected by the end of 2025.
The current pre-order release is limited to just 1,000 phones at $1,399 per unit. The small rollout lets Gaia work with first users and demonstrate the viability of decentralized AI on phones.
It will be the first public showcase of the device in action, and the first in a series of announcements planned for Q3 and Q4 2025. Platform upgrades, new partnerships, and tools to grow the network globally are also in the pipeline.
As a smart device built to challenge the status quo, the Gaia AI Phone is expected to attract strong demand during its early release. The limited rollout offers early adopters a rare chance to shape the future of decentralized AI.
Pre-order Gaia’s AI Phone today.
Authored by Bogdan Patru, Bitcoinist – https://bitcoinist.com/gaia-ai-phone-preorder-decentralised-smartphone/
