This could be TikTok owner's first phone after Smartisan deal

Nearly 10 months after acquiring tech-related patent rights of Smartisan, TikTok owner's first smartphone is finally giving a glimpse to the outside world.

According to leaks from Weibo user @YJayyy, Chinese social media firm ByteDance is set to unveil a phone that features 4 rear cameras. This would be the first smartphone made by ByteDance after acquiring patent rights of Smartisan.

Unlike Huawei's 2*2 arrangement of 4 cameras on its Mate 30, the Smartisan phone will have 3 cameras in the first column and 1 in the second.

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

In July this year, ByteDance said it was developing a smartphone. “The product was a continuation of earlier Smartisan plans, aiming to satisfy the needs of the old Smartisan user base,” a spokeswoman said in a statement.

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 and Tencent 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.