Manus 2.0 ships: Manus Studio on desktop, Cue gives every agent a phone number and wallet

Manus shipped version 2.0 on September 30: the desktop app becomes Manus Studio, a new agent framework called Cascade debuts alongside it, and Cue, the flagship personal-agent app, opens an invite beta. It is the first major release since Meta acquired Manus in August and the company declared independent operation on September 1 — competing head-on with Meta’s Muse.

Facts

• Manus Studio: the desktop app adds timeline-based video editing, one-click web deployment with multiplayer servers (aimed at game development), and cloud Computer Use.
• Cascade: the new agent framework; Manus claims 23.2% fewer tokens, 28.2% less task time and 32% lower cost (self-reported, no third-party re-test yet).
• Cue: each agent gets its own email address, phone number, wallet and computer; agents can message, pay within user-set budgets, answer calls with summaries, and work in teams. Invite beta, overseas first, with a China version in preparation.
• Automation: tasks can be triggered by email, calendar and Notion events.
• Context: Meta’s Muse has topped the US App Store free chart for ten straight days, and OpenAI’s counterpart Dots launched last week.

Editorial take

Issuing agents identities and payment ability turns “agents spending your money” into the product’s main axis — hard budget caps and auditable actions are what make that route viable, and Cue’s restaurant-ordering demo remains a concept video for now. Cascade’s three improvement numbers are self-reported; wait for independent tests. Still, the product judgment that agents need their own contact details and payment accounts matches where Dots and Muse are heading, and deserves a serious look from agent builders.