TikTok's parent company confirms the plans for a smartphone

A department of the financial news publication Caijing claimed that a former Smartisan leader (Wu Dezhou) leads the project, which reportedly began seven months ago.

There is a good chance that you will not see this phone outside China when Smartisan is a niche brand even in the country. However, it is a reflection of ByteDance's growing ambitions ̵[ads1]1; it extends far beyond the most well-known video app to develop chat clients, a reported streaming service, and even a talent contest. The company knows that it is competing with heavyweights such as Baidu and Tencent, and by splitting into categories like smartphones it can provide a better chance of survival.