China's ByteDance Plans To Develop Its Own Smartphone (theverge.com) 38
China's ByteDance, owner of the popular TikTok streaming app, is taking a step into hardware to develop its own smartphone [Editor's note: the link may be paywalled; alternative source], Financial Times reported Monday, citing two people familiar with the project. From a report: ByteDance, whose $75bn valuation ranks it as one of the world's biggest start-ups, plans to launch a phone preloaded with its own apps -- which include newsfeeds, short video platforms and games -- in a bid to further spread its reach. The move comes as Chinese tech companies, spooked by the fallout from US bans on exports to Huawei, are ramping up their self-reliance. ByteDance is one of the few tech companies from China to boast a large user base outside its home market, including in India and the US.
Re: It's about control (Score:1)
The US are the ones that threw out Huawei. But I guess itâ(TM)s the same: the US also wants to control the backdoors to their citizens phones, and what propaganda they see.
Re: (Score:2)
Comparing the US and China is laughable:
1: China requires all ventures on their soil be 51% owned by a Chinese company.
2: The Chinese government requires all companies to have a government person on all boards, with full deciding authority.
Only idiots would believe that propaganda. Which is why they conveniently never show any links to something 'everyone just knows'.
I believe that they have relaxed the 51% requirement (for some ventures), but they still require control of any venture on Chinese soil. Try this link:
https://www.chinalawblog.com/2... [chinalawblog.com]
(part 1 is here: https://www.chinalawblog.com/2... [chinalawblog.com])
Re: (Score:1)
Is it possible that they will try to resurrect Firefox OS for this purpose?
Most straightforward path to a phone OS when you cannot use Android (nor iOS) but still want to be as compatible as possible, is probably Replicant [wikipedia.org].
Re: Will they use Firefox OS?Firefox IS fork (Score:1)
See https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/KaiOS
KaiOS is a web-based mobile operating system that is based on Linux.[2] It is forked from B2G (Boot to Gecko), an open source community-driven successor of Firefox OS which was discontinued by Mozilla in 2016
hmm (Score:5, Insightful)
China's ByteDance,
Who?
owner of the popular TikTok streaming app,
What?
is taking a step into hardware to develop its own smartphone
So?
[Editor's note: the link may be paywalled
Yep. But I guess that was the link you were paid for. The alternate source says "Overall, the FT report is highly skeptical of the phoneâ(TM)s prospects." Yep, sounds about right. While we're at it, I'm skeptical that they're actually going to make their own phone.
The move comes as Chinese tech companies, spooked by the fallout from US bans on exports to Huawei, are ramping up their self-reliance.
So it's going to be based on Longsoon? Or RISC-V? Because otherwise, it's not going to help with that.
Re: (Score:3)
[Editor's note: the link may be paywalled
Yep. But I guess that was the link you were paid for.
They apparently didn't pay enough, because the "alternate" source is the one linked next to the headline! LOL
Re: (Score:2)
I can't help but think that they were pushed into getting into the hardware business by the Chinese government, because Huawei is in trouble and they're worried that they'll soon need a new trojan horse to get their spyware into the world.
Re: (Score:2)
If you haven't heard of Tik Tok, your kid will likely catch you up on it soon,
It would take at least a few years, since I'd have to make one. At least, AFAIK. Hope I'm right, else I pity the poor bastard.
Re: (Score:2)
Each part of trumps body will receive its own life sentence.
Wait, wait, I've seen Chaika: The Coffin Princess. I know how this ends. It isn't going to be pretty.
Re: (Score:1)
Now you're blathering like the losing party at a professional wrestling tournament.
A $75bn startup! (Score:1)
Damn! These guys oughta be millionaires in no time!
Re: (Score:2)
How does a company with a crappy video app. get that sort of valuation? Just mind blowing.