‘Budget’ mobile phone manufacturer OnePlus has announced that it is currently working on bringing out its own smart TV, reportedly to be equipped with an AI assistant and the ability to control viewing from a smartphone.
The China-based manufacturer is further diversifying its product range in its bid for dominance of the entry-level ‘smart’ space.
OnePlus has built a reputation over recent years for lowering the price tag high spec’d consumer goods and its CEO says he is intent on doing what they’ve done in the phone market in the TV world.
"We feel the current market of TVs is still feeling quite traditional in their functionality and experience," said Pete Lau, founder and CEO, talking to Business Insider.
The ‘OnePlus TV’ could launch as early as next year, and Lau says the company is intent on nailing on all fronts – aesthetics, image quality and audio performance. He also was clear to separate what they are working on from the rest is how they plan to approach integrating internet connectivity; "Current TVs haven't really well-integrated the internet .. [we’re working on] making the experience match with what would be expected in today's connected society."
OnePlus TV will incorporate an as yet undisclosed AI assistant and support connecting up to a user’s smartphone.
Lau has since followed up to confirm that its first TV will take the form of a 4K LED TV, and the manufacturer will update over a period of 5 years following launch to perfect its offering.
“It won’t be something that's perfect and absolutely complete and revolutionary from the start. So we can't get everyone's hopes up too soon” – suitably lowering everyone’s expectations before we even get a glimpse or further specs for the TV.