OnePlus’ forthcoming TVs have been spotted in a submission to the Bluetooth SIG, giving us the first real details about the upcoming TVs since the company announced it was getting into the market last year. The listing, which was first spotted by MySmartPrice, describes them as a “unique Android TV,” says they’ll use LED display technology, and suggests they’ll come in sizes ranging from 43 to 75 inches.
From their model numbers, it appears as though the TVs are planned for the Indian, Chinese, and US markets. The 43-inch version of the TV seems to be exclusive to India, while the 75-inch model will only come to the US and China. MySmartPrice said on August 11th that OnePlus will launch the TV sets at the end of September, although it notes that its sources say that the exact date could change between now and then.
OnePlus already produces great earbuds and backpacks
Outside of these details, the listing doesn’t give us too much of an idea of what to expect from the TVs. 9to5Google notes that the “unique Android TV” description raises more questions than it provides answers. Unlike Android’s mobile operating system, manufacturers aren’t allowed to modify or customize Android TV like OnePlus does with its OxygenOS Android fork. Google makes an exception for companies it categorizes as an operator, but it’s unclear whether OnePlus would qualify to become a member of this tier.
Regardless of the TV’s specifications, OnePlus will have a tough fight on its hands as it tries to make money in a notoriously tough market. At the high end, TVs with LG-manufactured OLED panels are dominant, and it will be hard for OnePlus to compete here if it’s planning to exclusively use LED display tech for its TVs. Meanwhile, at the low end, the TV market is full of cheap TVs from the likes of TCL, and profit margins are razor-thin.
Still, OnePlus has done a surprisingly good job at investing in new product categories in the past. Its earbuds have consistently exceeded our expectations, and it also produces some weirdly good backpacks. Maybe in a year, we’ll be saying the same thing about its TVs.
Updated August 11th, 2019, 9:23AM ET: Updated to include a potential release date from MySmartPrice.