NEW YORK -- ByteDance, the world's most valuable startup and the Chinese company behind viral video app TikTok, is going into hardware.
The SoftBank Group-backed company this week confirmed it is developing a smartphone, months after saying it acquired certain patents from Smartisan, a Chinese handset startup that also has developed its own operating system. A ByteDance spokesperson said the new smartphone is a "continuation of plans that were in place" at Smartisan before the deal.
