OnePlus reveals OnePlus TV launch date (Update: Phone app seen in action)

Update, September 17, 2019 (2:10AM ET): We’ve already seen OnePlus drop hints about a dedicated smartphone app that will be able to control the OnePlus TV. Now, the company’s founder and CEO Pete Lau has shared another glimpse of how OnePlus TV users will be able to type search queries into their phones when looking for content on their televisions.

The GIF accompanying the tweet shows a search query for Wonder Woman being typed into the connecting application on the phone. The interface on the television searches for the film and also displays instructions on how to exit the smartphone typing mode.

It’s a cool feature for OnePlus to implement because it really is frustrating to use a remote control to navigate to each individual letter on a TV screen while searching for content or typing in passwords. We’re sure we’ll see more tidbits about the OnePlus TV app as the launch nears.

Original article, September 17, 2019 (2:46AM ET): OnePlus has finally set a launch date for its hotly anticipated OnePlus TV. The device will launch on September 26 in India, the company revealed in a tweet.

The TV’s launch announcement is accompanied by a teaser video. It shows a man’s OnePlus 7 Pro being sucked into a huge ring of fire, along with some other things like an old-school CRT TV. The video ends with the text “Evolution is around the corner,” suggesting that OnePlus phones could play a big role in how the OnePlus TV is operated.

There’s more to that story.  OnePlus CEO Pete Lau confirmed in a separate tweet that users will have an option to control the OnePlus TV with their phones. Since Lau has not specifically said it requires a OnePlus smartphone, we presume anyone with an Android phone will be able to operate the OnePlus TV using their phone as a remote control. However, OnePlus could potentially introduce the feature (or specific options) for OnePlus smartphone users before anyone else.

The image in the tweet also gives us a glimpse at the interface of the OnePlus TV remote control app on phones. It looks like OnePlus could launch a dedicated app to connect the TV to an Android device. An ‘Explore’ tab at the top of the phone’s screen in the image indicates some sort of content menu.

While Google has its own Android TV Remote Control app to navigate content or start a voice search on an Android TV, OnePlus’ version looks like a custom-made experience for OnePlus TV users.

The OnePlus TV’s September 26 launch date is also the day the company has confirmed it will launch the OnePlus 7T in India. It looks like India will be the first country to get both products from OnePlus. There is no word on wider global availability of the TV, but we hope to get you more information on the day of the launch.