At this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC), Chinese artificial intelligence company iFLYTEK showcased its growing portfolio of AI-powered translation and productivity devices, signalling a renewed push into international markets, particularly Europe.
The company, founded 26 years ago and currently valued at approximately €16 billion, has built its reputation around intelligent speech technologies and large language models. While many global AI firms have focused on cloud-based chatbots, iFLYTEK is taking a different path: combining artificial intelligence with dedicated hardware designed for real-world communication scenarios.
A Different Approach to AI
According to company representatives, iFLYTEK’s strategy differs significantly from companies such as OpenAI or emerging AI platforms focused on generative chat services.
Rather than prioritising cloud-based conversational AI for individual users, iFLYTEK’s core business revolves around AI-enabled hardware devices and enterprise solutions.
These include:
The company also provides “all-in-one AI solutions” for major industries including telecommunications and media companies. These systems allow organisations to deploy private AI infrastructure, train models on proprietary business data, and integrate AI tools such as translation engines and business analytics assistants.
In contrast to public cloud services used by many AI platforms, iFLYTEK emphasises private deployments tailored for enterprise environments.
Why Dedicated Translation Devices Still Matter
One of the company’s key exhibition areas at MWC focused on its translation hardware. With smartphones already offering translation apps, the question arises: why would users need a separate device?
Company representatives argue that dedicated hardware performs better in complex environments.
In noisy settings, such as conferences or international exhibitions, translation devices equipped with advanced microphone arrays and specialised noise-reduction algorithms can capture speech more accurately than standard smartphone microphones.
New products such as AI translation glasses aim to address another challenge: distance. When a speaker is presenting on stage, smartphones may struggle to pick up speech clearly, whereas wearable devices can capture audio and display translated subtitles directly within the user’s field of vision.
For professional users, terminology is also a key factor. iFLYTEK says its systems incorporate over 100,000 specialised industry termscovering sectors such as medicine and manufacturing, enabling more accurate translations in technical environments.
Europe Becomes the Next Target Market
Although the company has already established strong business across Asia and the Middle East, Europe is now emerging as its next expansion priority.
The company’s initial entry strategy focuses on online distribution, primarily through global e-commerce platforms. Rather than targeting specific countries immediately, the firm plans to measure demand across Europe through online sales before committing to deeper regional investments.
The company has set a preliminary target of selling more than 10,000 devices in Europe during its first year of expansion, which will help determine which markets warrant further investment.
Offline retail partnerships are also expected to follow as the brand builds awareness in the region.
Addressing Europe’s Data Privacy Concerns
One of the most pressing questions for European consumers concerns data protection.
The company says it is addressing this by processing European user data entirely within the region. Devices sold in Europe connect to servers hosted on cloud infrastructure located inside the EU, ensuring data does not leave the region.
In addition, many devices offer offline functionality, allowing translation and other AI features to operate without sending data to external servers.
Such measures aim to align with Europe’s strict regulatory environment under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Future Plans: Local Offices and R&D
While the company currently conducts most research and development in Asia, executives suggested that European offices and research centres could follow if the market grows strongly.
A similar expansion strategy has already been implemented in Dubai, where initial sales growth led to the establishment of a local office and plans for future research facilities.
If European revenues grow at a comparable pace, the company says it would consider building local teams for customer support, retail management, and potentially AI research.
Looking Ahead
Having already participated in Mobile World Congress three times, the company views the event as a key platform for building global visibility.
Executives say the international exposure provided by MWC has contributed to rapid growth in overseas business, with international revenue increasing significantly in recent years.
With Europe now firmly on its roadmap, the next year will likely determine whether the company’s specialised AI hardware approach can gain traction in a market increasingly dominated by cloud-based artificial intelligence services.
