Baidu, the Chinese tech giant, has unveiled its first smartphone, Xiaodu Qinghe, a device that stands apart with a bold concept: a dedicated educational companion for students that emphasizes parental supervision and safe usage. Marketed as a “smartphone tutor”, this model aims to blend learning with digital wellbeing, offering a curated learning environment for children and transparent oversight for caregivers.
The Xiaodu Qinghe runs on a customized firmware designed to deliver a broad spectrum of educational activities. On the home screen, a virtual instructor acts as a voice assistant, guiding students through study sessions, reading assignments, and topic exploration. Beyond basic tasks, the device supports journaling, chess practice, and a range of learning activities designed to engage a young audience in consistent study routines.
The platform boasts access to more than a thousand built-in textbooks and tens of thousands of courses spanning various subjects. Users can listen to audiobooks, participate in AI-enabled online lessons, and assess their understanding through quizzes and chatbot-led assessments. Completed tasks can be reviewed by neural networks that provide feedback on accuracy and offer guidance for improvement.
Education-oriented features sit alongside the device’s entertainment options. Children can watch videos, play games, and use familiar apps during leisure time, making the smartphone a multipurpose tool rather than a single-purpose device.
Parental oversight is a central feature. Parents can connect to the device remotely to monitor learning progress, track the child’s location with precise accuracy, and view the device’s surroundings by activating the built-in camera. They can manage contacts, block specific friends, and review photos, videos, messages, and other information stored on the child’s device. This level of visibility is designed to help caregivers ensure a safe and productive digital environment for their children.
Additionally, the system can alert parents if the child uses the device in conditions deemed unsafe or inappropriate, such as when lighting is insufficient or the child appears to be resting in a way that suggests disturbance or distraction. This proactive approach to kid safety aims to balance educational value with practical well-being considerations.
The Xiaodu Qinghe is planned for release exclusively in China, with a formal sales date and full feature set to be announced when the launch day arrives. Updates and pricing will be shared at the time of release, as with any major new device from this rapidly evolving segment of the market.
In related news, concerns have periodically surfaced about security in popular messenger apps, underscoring the importance of robust controls and careful device management in family-use technology. As households increasingly rely on connected devices for learning and everyday communication, strong privacy protections and transparent reporting become essential elements of any child-friendly tech solution.