ByteDance is expanding beyond its social media base , signing a deal with manufacturer Smartisan Technology to develop a device . The device has reportedly been in development for 18 months and the Chinese company is said to have bought Smartisan patents . It claims more than 300 million monthly users for its Douyin video streaming app and reported increasing popularity for Douyin ’s global operation TikTok in North America . Expansion beyond social media has also seen the company hire staff from a company that produces user - generated music .
ByteDance is expanding beyond its social media base, signing a deal with manufacturer Smartisan Technology to develop a smartphone. The device has reportedly been in development for seven months and the Chinese company is said to have bought Smartisan patents. ByteDance claims more than 300 million monthly users for its Douyin video streaming app and reported increasing popularity for Douyin’s global operation TikTok in North America. Expansion beyond social media has also seen the company hire staff from a company that produces AI-generated music.