ByteDance, the parent of embattled short-form video app TikTok [1], entered the smartphone market, The Verge reported, in what appeared to be its first use of patents acquired in May.
The Smartisan Jianguo Pro 3 offers premium-tier features including a quad camera set-up comprising 48MP main, 13MP ultra-wide, 8MP telephoto and 5MP macro lenses. On the front is a 20MP shooter.
It includes an in-display fingerprint sensor, a 4000mAh battery and runs on Qualcomm’s gaming-focused Snapdragon 855 Plus processor.
The phone is priced CNY2,899 ($414) and is equipped with Douyin, a Chinese version of TikTok which can be accessed with a single swipe.
ByteDance had been tipped to make a move on the smartphone sector since acquiring patents and recruiting some staff [2] from Chinese vendor Smartisan.
The move could prove risky for ByteDance given other major internet companies have enjoyed little success with similar ventures.
In 2013, a joint effort between Facebook and HTC, for example, was shelved [3] after failing to impress in international markets, and Amazon received a lukewarm reception for its Fire phone.
[1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/apps-home-banner/tiktok-hits-back/[2] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/devices/news-devices/tiktok-maker-mulling-smartphone-play/
[3] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/devices/news-devices/report-facebook-phone-launches-cancelled/
