Perplexity on board: Deutsche Telekom announces "AI-Phone Pro"

Following the launch of Deutsche Telekom's first AI devices in August, the network operator is now following up with a Pro model. However, the smartphone marketed as the “Telekom T Phone 3 Pro” is not really a “Pro” in terms of features; unlike the first AI phone, it has a larger screen and a triple cam. However, at 230 euros, the latest addition to the range is still in the entry-level class.

KI-Phone with Perplexity Pro voucher

The main “pro” feature of the new Pro AI smartphone is the 18-month Perplexity Pro subscription included in the purchase price, which actually costs 360 US dollars (approx. 300 euros) for the period and is therefore pricier than the phone itself.

The Perplexity Pro assistant recognizes text, speech, screen content, objects in front of the camera, and links. Perplexity works similarly to Google's Gemini, which is pre-installed on every current Android smartphone, or OpenAI's ChatGPT Agent. According to Telekom, the assistant can be used to answer questions or provide support in everyday life—be it as a “personal AI secretary for finding recipe ideas, telling a bedtime story, or translating texts.”

To call up the AI assistant on the AI phone, simply double-click the “Power” or Magenta button. Perplexity uses existing apps in the background to get things done. The AI image editing software Picsart is also pre-installed, including a 12-month Pro license. This includes 500 credits per month “for designing individual avatars and backgrounds.”

6.8-inch screen and triple cam

In terms of hardware, the T Phone 3 Pro uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 (4nm), which is also installed in the cheaper AI Phone as well as Samsung's Galaxy A36 and Motorola's G75. The chip is accompanied by eight GB of RAM and 256 GB of flash memory, which can be expanded by up to two TBytes using a MicroSD card. This is now a rarity.

The screen has a diagonal of 6.8 inches (2392 x 1080 pixels) and supports a refresh rate of up to 120 hertz. There is also a triple camera on board, consisting of a 50 MP main camera, a 13 MP “depth” camera, and a 2 MP macro camera. The selfie camera has a 32 MP sensor. WiFi 6e, NFC, and Bluetooth are also integrated. The device is also protected against dust and water in accordance with IP67.

The battery is 5000 mAh and can be charged with 33 W wired and 15 W wirelessly. A power supply unit is not included with the device. On the software side, the T Phone 3 Pro is based on Android 15, and the manufacturer promises a manageable three Android updates and five years of security patches.

The T Phone 3 Pro will go on sale in Germany on 14 October. According to Telekom, customers who book a Telekom tariff can get the device for as little as 1 Euro. Deutsche Telekom customers who do not want to buy a new smartphone can access selected AI tools free of charge via Magenta AI: In the “MeinMagenta” app, both the Perplexity app behind the “Magenta AI” button and the Picsart app are available.

(afl)