OnePlus is making its first move away from smartphones with the release of a television set focused on intelligent connectivity.
The Chinese firm, which made waves with its affordable high performance OnePlus One handset in 2014, is aiming to make a TV product that will seamlessly connect the home.
“We believe your TV has the potential to be so much more than where you watch your favourite shows,” said chief executive Pete Lau.
Mr Lau told Business Insider that he hopes its first television will be released in 2019, using smart features and artificial intelligence in a bid to stand out from traditional televisions.
He added that the device would receive gradual updates for about five years after launch, which will make it smarter each time.
As part of the announcement, the company launched a competition for the public to name the product.
Excited to take the next step forward together! What would you like to see in the OnePlus TV? Have ideas for a name? ✍️Let us know here: https://t.co/IpSnDtPxkT
— Pete Lau (@petelau2007) September 17, 2018
Despite an increase in the number of televisions being sold during the World Cup, the sector has been rocky in recent years.
In 2015, Sharp stopped making its own television sets in the US and licensed the brand out on TVs to Hisense – before eventually selling its TV business to the company in 2017. Meanwhile, many of JVC’s TV sets in Europe are actually made by Turkish manufacturer Vestel.
