TikTok parent company Bytedance confirms that it is developing its own smartphone

Chinese social media firm ByteDance Ltd said on Monday it is developing a smartphone, following a deal it made with device maker Smartisan Technology.

The plans come as the tech firm expands into new sectors beyond video and news apps.

In a statement, a ByteDance spokeswoman said a smartphone had been part of Smartisan’s development plans before the deal it made with ByteDance. “The product was a continuation of earlier Smartisan plans, aiming to satisfy the needs of the old Smartisan user base,” the spokeswoman added.

On Monday a sub-division of Chinese financial news outlet Caijing reported that the phone had been in development for seven months. The effort is being led by Wu Dezhou, a former executive at Smartisan, the outlet added.

Earlier this year ByteDance acquired a set of patents from Smartisan . Some Smartisan employees also transferred to ByteDance, as part of what the latter company called a “normal flow of talent.”

Smartisan is a niche player in China’s smartphone sector and is best known for its flamboyant founder Luo Yonghao.

ByteDance has risen to become a leading player in tech, rivaling the likes of Baidu Inc and Tencent Holdings Ltd in influence.

Douyin, the company’s app for streaming short videos , has more than 300 million monthly users in China, ByteDance marketing manager Zhi Ying said in June. TikTok, Douyin’s global-facing counterpart, has also grown popular in North America.

ByteDance has recently begun investing in sectors not directly related to social media. The company has hired staff from London-based startup JukeDeck, which specializes in AI-generated music, Reuters reported in July.