OnePlus branched into the smart TV segment with the launch of the OnePlus TV Q1 series earlier last year. The smart TV series made its debut alongside the OnePlus 7T lineup. The company decided to kick off its journey with two premium offerings. But the plan doesn’t appear to have worked out as OnePlus is shifting its focus towards affordable smart TVs.
OnePlus co-founder and CEO Pete Lau took to Twitter today, out of the blue, to reveal that an affordable OnePlus TV is launching early next month on 2nd July. The caption, as you see below, reads – “We’re making our premium smart TV experience more accessible to our Indian community.”
It's official. We're making our premium smart TV experience more accessible to our Indian community. #SmarterTV pic.twitter.com/gc7WUcVIxJ
— Pete Lau (@PeteLau) June 8, 2020
The teaser poster shows off the silhouette of a OnePlus TV with its Kevlar back panel, the same as the original variant. Not much else is confirmed by the poster but Navnit Nakra, OnePlus India’s new Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) sat down for an interview with Economic Times to give us some more juicy deets.
“Entry and mid segments are growing rapidly and have captured our focus. If we want to diversify to a wide audience in India, then it is the best way to start,” said Nakra in the interview. OnePlus is gearing up for mass appeal, taking on rivals like Xiaomi and Realme in the budget segment.
The company intends to launch two new OnePlus TV variants. One that sits in the sub-Rs. 15,000 price segment (possibly a 32-inch HD-ready smart TV) and another a mid-range series in the Rs. 20,000 – Rs. 40,000 price range. Counterpoint’s research has already shown that the budget segment holds more than 70% of the smart TV market share, with Xiaomi leading the pack.
The budget smart TV is already crowded with players like Xiaomi, iFFalcon, Vu, and now, even Realme. OnePlus needs to be cautious with its approach. But, I feel if the company manages to offer great picture & audio quality, along with add-on features, like OnePlus Connect, then it does stand a fighting chance in this segment.
OnePlus only managed to court 3% of the premium market share with its OnePlus TV Q1 lineup. It includes the Q1 and Q1 Pro, featuring 55-inch 4K QLED panels, 50W speakers, Android TV, and a hoard of other features. The company is now looking to broaden its appeal in India. It plans to not only launch new budget smart TVs but also bring cheaper phones to the market.
Now, we have to wait and see whether the budget OnePlus TV will be accompanied by OnePlus Z, the budget smartphone, or not. Are you excited for the launch of cheaper OnePlus TVs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
