ByteDance — the creator of social video platform TikTok, which is currently the world’s most valuable startup, is reportedly working on making a smartphone. The company has also made a deal with device manufacturer Smartisan Technology for the same.
This development comes as ByteDance, or Douyin as it is known in mainland China, is expanding into new sectors beyond its dominating market of video and news apps. In a statement, ByteDance spokesperson confirmed that a smartphone had been a part of its development plans, adding that “the product was a continuation of earlier Smartisan plans, aiming to satisfy the needs of the old Smartisan user base.”
As per the report coming from the Chinese media, the smartphone from ByteDance has been in development since the past seven months. The effort for the same is being led by Wu Dezhou, who is a former executive of Smartisan.
For the development of smartphone, ByteDance has acquired a set of patents from Smartisan Technology and some of the device makers’ employees have also been transferred to ByteDance which it likes to call a “normal flow of talent.”
While Smartisan may not be as well-known as other Chinese smartphone brands, it has been a niche player in the highly competitive market. The privately-owned company was founded by Luo Yonghao and is based in Beijing.
On the other hand, ByteDance was founded in the year 2012 and has now become a leading player in China’s technology industry and is competing against the likes of giants such as Baidu and Tencent.
The company currently has more than 300 million active users on a monthly basis in China only, as ByteDance revealed last month. On the other hand, TikTok, the global-facing product has seen a surge in its popularity in North America and India.
Recently, ByteDance acqui-hired UK-based startup Jukedeck for an undisclosed amount. The company makes software that can autonomously compose music and also has certain intellectual property assets.
(Source)
