In brief: TikTok parent, ByteDance, to launch smartphone as app family grows

ByteDance, the world’s most valuable startup and the Chinese company behind viral video app TikTok, is going into hardware.
The company confirmed it is developing a smartphone, months after saying it acquired certain patents from Smartisan, a Chinese handset startup that also has developed its own operating system.
The move comes as a reminder that while TikTok is what the US$75 billion startup is primarily known for globally, ByteDance sees the app as only a piece of its puzzle.
Just this year, ByteDance launched two chat apps in China: Duoshan, the video-based platform often compared to Snapchat, and Flipchat, an interest-based instant messaging app.
The Beijing-based company continues to operate Jinri Toutiao — which translates to “today’s headlines” — the news aggregator by which it was first known.
Trademark registration records suggest that ByteDance also is eyeing financial technology sectors such as payment, which can be plugged into the company’s various social media platforms.
A smartphone of its own could serve as a valuable tool for the company to direct traffic to its entire family of apps, which likely will come installed on the device.
ByteDance also will be able to collect more user data and provide better system support for its platforms by cutting out the intermediary.