TikTok’s parent company planning to launch own smartphone

Facebook and Amazon also tried but failed

Popular music app TikTok's parent company is reportedly diving into the smartphone industry. According to Financial Times, ByteDance, the company behind the viral video-sharing app, Tik Tok, is building a smartphone.

If launched, the phone will come pre-loaded with many company’s apps like Douyin, which is a Chinese version of Tik Tok, messaging app Flipchat and a news app Jinri Toutiao. ByteDance is also looking forward to competing with giants like Apple and Spotify in music streaming service by launching its own version.



“ByteDance’s latest project, the brainchild of founder Zhang Yiming, follows its acquisition of a number of patents from Smartisan, a Chinese phone-maker, and subsequent recruitment of some of its staff,” reported Financial Times. “Mr Zhang has long dreamt of a phone with ByteDance apps pre-installed, according to one person with knowledge of the secretive project.”

In the past, Tech giants like Facebook and Amazon have also tried to launch their own smartphones in order to lure more customers but, failed to do so along with Snapchat’s hardware incursion, Spectacles.

With the on-going trade war between US and China amid national security concerns, it might be difficult for ByteDance to tap into the American phone market. Tech giant, Huawei, has been banned by the US Department of Commerce, encouraging Microsoft and Google to cut ties with it also.



But, all is not lost for the ByteDance, as Tik Tok is extremely popular in the Indian market and in its home country where it has more than 500 million users. Only time will tell whether Yiming’s dream of launching a smartphone will see the light of the day.

This article originally appeared on Mashable.