You probably know OnePlus as the fastest growing smartphone brand in China, which has found great success in making high-end phones that still manage to significantly undercut the increasingly astronomical price of the competition (for you, iPhone). XSMax).
OnePlus is now looking to repeat the operation with a new smart TV, which is expected to come out in 2020. There is talk of a Bluetooth remote that could offer interesting connectivity options for the set, but what exactly is the OnePlus TV and what will it do different? competition?
UPDATE: Although we have been told to expect OnePlus TV to be available in 2020, no release is planned for Western markets. Coming to China and India first, performances in these territories will determine whether the set will spread abroad. Read on to find out why and what we expect to see in the first OnePlus TV.
Cut to the hunt
- What is it? The first smart TV from the smartphone manufacturer OnePlus
- When did he come out? In 2020
- Where will it go? China and India have confirmed, although Western markets may be important
- How much will it cost? Knowing OnePlus, it will be an average price, but it will not underestimate either
The OnePlus 6 was one of the best mid-range phones of 2018
OnePlus TV release date
When will OnePlus TV be available? We first thought this could happen as soon as 2019, although 2020 now seems more likely.
In an interview with the Indian Economic Times, Pete Lau, CEO of OnePlus, said that there was currently no official deadline for its launch, although 2020 was a preliminary plan.
Lau added: "India will be one of the first markets to get OnePlus TV, it will be available through Amazon, we have not set a deadline, we want it to be the best."
So there is no confirmation in Western markets, although a broader global outlet beyond Asia will likely depend on the popularity of the product as it comes out.
OnePlus TV Award
There is no price for OnePlus yet, no matter what they call it, but OnePlus' strategy in the smartphone market is to offer mid-range products that cut the competition by around 20-30%.
The final price could be between €600 and €500 to €1,000, depending on OnePlus' choice, but we'd be surprised to see it fall outside these ranges. It's probably safe to say that it won't be cheaper than the OnePlus 6 phone ($529/€469), but it's hard to predict with so little information to be provided.
In the Economic Times interview, CEO Pete Lau said he was expecting "a star killer, like we do with smartphones, at a very competitive price (sic)."
OnePlus TV: What's in a name?
OnePlus CEO Pete Lau first announced the decoration in a blog post on the OnePlus official forum, rather than a glitzy launch event, in line with the customer-centric brand vision.
A few days later, a follow-up article invited forum members to suggest names for the new television. Ten finalists received a free pair of OnePlus Bullets Wireless for their suggestions (see list below).
OnePlus was careful to point out that "the OnePlus team is under no obligation to use suggestions submitted as part of this contest", although it is a winner (shown below) to be rewarded with a OnePlus TV stay and a fancy hotel for the first decoration launch event.
OnePlus TV: what we want to see
A medium-sized television.
Don't forget that 40" screens seemed like overkill. Today's TV market is increasingly geared toward 55" and 65" screens, even as the average home size declines.
If OnePlus could deliver a well-designed 40-inch TV that didn't skimp on resolution or smart features, so that it was a modern set that consumers could install in their living room, we might see it as a hit.
4K display
4K is the buzzword of the moment and if it doesn't match this resolution, the OnePlus TV will be a tough sell. We think OnePlus is looking for a mid-range 4K TV, a TV that doesn't try to compete with OLED predecessors on the big screen, but doesn't settle for low resolution either.
This sleek OnePlus design, at a decent price
The success of the OnePlus smartphone lineup lies in its ability to remain affordable compared to the competition, even though the company has focused its attention on high-end devices in recent years.
And just as important, OnePlus phones look good. Smart TVs must offer a stylish design to stand out and sell as a lifestyle item like a TV. Perhaps it will leave the smartphone scene with more imaginative color options (like a limited edition red TV)?
A smart TV platform that works
Given that the OnePlus range of smartphones run on an Android operating system, we imagine a OnePlus smart TV would use the Android TV platform rather than create its own interface from scratch.
Android TV has many benefits as it is a widely used platform that comes with Chromecast and a host of built-in streaming services as a result.
But it's also subject to software bugs and what we really want to see on a OnePlus TV is a smooth user experience, worth more than all the quantum dots in the world.
a connected service
We hope OnePlus TV finds smart ways to connect to phones: use your phone as a standalone remote, have a smartphone app to browse the TV guide or browse the Netflix catalog, and easily stream videos and pictures to a TV l & # 39; together.
With the smart home sector bigger than ever, it would be really surprising not to see devices like Alexa and Google Assistant built in from the start, allowing you to easily connect to other devices in the home. .
We'll be seeing the OnePlus TV announcement in the coming months, so stay tuned: if we're sure of anything, it's going to be a movie to watch.