OnePlus is best known as a smartphone maker, but the company has plans beyond that market. Today, the company has unexpectedly announced plans to launch the OnePlus TV.
Revealed in a blog post today, the “next big step” for OnePlus is the OnePlus TV. CEO Pete Lau says that this new product will be a “premium, flagship” TV. Speaking to Business Insider, Lau says that OnePlus feels “the current market of TVs is still feeling quite traditional in their functionality and experience. And they haven’t really integrated the internet very well, and making the experience match with what would be expected in today’s connected society.”
With the OnePlus TV, the company hopes to solve that problem. We still don’t know if this new TV will target high-end features like 4K and HDR, but Lau assures that this is a “premium” device and will have the specs to match. However, we do know a couple of key points for this upcoming TV.
For one, it will integrate AI features. Lau mentions that he wants the OnePlus TV to have “seamless connectivity between your smartphone and TV” and to integrate features from devices such as Google Home and Amazon Echo. Currently, OnePlus hasn’t decided what AI will power this experience, but the company is working with “major industry players” to ensure support for current connected-home ecosystems.
Interestingly, OnePlus also plans to include a built-in camera on this device. Apparently, it will be “essential” to the experience on OnePlus TV. Addressing the obvious privacy concerns, Lau says that “we have this in mind, and we will have a solution.”
The “OnePlus TV” name is not final, though. The company has already opened up a contest with its fans to round up suggestions. Finalists will get free sets of the company’s Bullets Wireless headphones, and one grand prize winner will actually name the new product and be flown out to the launch event. There’s no specific timeline for this product, but Lau says that OnePlus is hopeful for a 2019 launch.
More on OnePlus:
- OnePlus introduces Type-C Bullets earbuds as the headphone jack dies
- OnePlus 6T confirmed to pack in-display fingerprint sensor, thicker design
- Android 9 Pie is now available for all OnePlus 6 users in open beta
- OnePlus 6 Review: Setting the standard for an affordable flagship… again
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