ByteDance, the parent company behind the popular social video platform TikTok, will soon be launching a smartphone. The company has partnered with Smartisan Technology for the same and has been working on a smartphone for the past seven months.
The company has confirmed the same as it has entered into a deal with Chinese smartphone maker Smartisan. The upcoming smartphone is a continuation of earlier plans from Smartisan Technology and not a product that has been developed ground up after ByteDance came onboard.
The smartphone project is currently being led by Wu Dezhou, a former executive at Smartisan. However, apart from the confirmation of the smartphone being developed by ByteDance, there’s nothing more known about it.
Reports indicate that the smartphone will come pre-installed with apps owned by the company. These apps would include big names such as TikTok, Jinru Toutiao, and a music streaming service, which are already very popular in China.
Earlier this year, ByteDance had reportedly acquired certain patents from Smartisan Technology and some employees were transferred from Smartisan to ByteDance as well.
Headquartered in Beijing, Smartisan Technology makes electronic products and also offers online services. While it may not be as popular as other Chinese companies, the brand has its own smartphones, earphones, operating system, cloud services, and more under its portfolio.
On the other hand, ByteDance is a social media company that has grown in influence, thanks to TikTok‘s popularity in Asia and North America. ByteDance is currently being touted as the world’s most valuable startup and is competing against the likes of Baidu and Tencent.
