OnePlus has launched its first television series, the OnePlus TV, with prices starting at Rs. 69,900 onwards. There is just one screen size for the OnePlus TV, with both the Q1 and Q1 Pro variants coming with a 55-inch 4K QLED screen. The TV range is naturally priced at a premium because of its size and specifications, and we were left wondering if the company could be bringing more smaller and more affordable screen sizes to its OnePus TV range.
We asked OnePlus CEO Pete Lau about this during an interaction at the OnePlus TV launch event, and he confirmed that the company is not looking at launching smaller screen sizes for the OnePlus TV right now. “We want to focus on the premium segment, and we feel that 55 inches is the ideal and aspirational screen size for premium buyers. Like our smartphones, we want to offer high-end televisions and won’t be looking at smaller screen sizes for now,” said Lau, through an interpreter.
The Indian television market is largely focussed on smaller screen sizes, which sell in larger volumes. Other manufacturers such as Xiaomi, Motorola, and TCL have TVs across size and price ranges, with key variants in the 32-inch and 43-inch sizes. These smaller variants tend to work better here for various reasons, including space issues, availability of high-resolution content, and cost. Today, it’s possible to buy a 32-inch HD-resolution smart TV for under Rs. 10,000.
“We’re aware that smaller screen sizes are common in Indian homes, but we want to cater to a different segment,” said Lau. He went on to state that the OnePlus TV was something they hoped that the company’s own community would look at buying, appealing to OnePlus smartphone users who are familiar with the company’s products and philosophies.
The OnePlus TV goes on sale during the Amazon Great Indian Festival, and is priced at Rs. 69,900 for the Q1 and Rs. 99,900 for the Q1 Pro. The more expensive variant features a motorised soundbar which slides out from the bottom of the television, and features eight speaker drivers and 50W of sound output.
Is OnePlus TV Q1 Pro the ‘Flagship Killer’ of TVs? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.