Telecom Giant ZTE Unveils 4K AI Soundbar with Matter and Thread Built-in at MWC 2025

At MWC 2025 on Monday (March 3, 2025), Chinese telecom giant ZTE introduced a series of AIoT devices, including its next-gen 4K AI soundbar featuring Matter and Thread support.

The release comes at a time when key telecom players such as Qualcomm and Huawei have maintained a relatively low profile within the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), raising expectations that this new Matter-enabled device could drive broader adoption in the consumer electronics market.

ZTE's 4K AI Soundbar

The 4K AI soundbar has a sleek look mixed with a metal-like case and fiber front cover. A small screen leans in to display elegant animations.

It comes with four built-in speakers and works with two additional external stereo to create a surround sound experience. Powered by a 4-TOPS NPU, the unit supports customizable voice interaction and can connect to external cameras, opening the door to applications like gesture-based gaming and home fitness.

In its role as a smart control center, the device incorporates a dual-microphone array and offers full support for Matter over Thread, although ZTE has not specified which device types will be compatible in the press release. At press time, Matter Alpha had not received a response from the firm regarding further details.

Notably, this launch follows the introduction of a similar device from the firm – the 4K AI flagship set-top box – released last September, which shared a nearly identical design and key features with the new soundbar. However, neither devices are listed on CSA’s certification website, and the availability is still unannounced.

When Can You Get the 4K AI Soundbar?

Currently, no availability details have been announced for the AI soundbar or any of the other devices unveiled as part of ZTE's 2025 range at the Mobile World Congress.

As soon as further information is available, we'll share it here.