OnePlus has expanded its smart TV range with the launch of OnePlus Y1S and Y1S Edge TVs. The TVs launched along with the company’s latest smartphone, OnePlus Nord CE 2. Priced at Rs 16,499 and Rs 16,999 onwards, the new TVs are an extension of the company’s OnePlus TV Y series. OnePlus claims that the new TVs mark the imperative leap into the brand’s smarter connected ecosystem segment. In an email interaction, OnePlus India CEO Navnit Nakra, spoke about the company’s TVs, the company’s vision and philosophy for the segment and more.
Will there be India-specific or India-first features in upcoming OnePlus TVs?
OnePlus TVs were first introduced to India market and continue to be exclusively available in the country. It has always been imperative for us to prioritize our users’ needs. So we regularly seek feedback from our India community which is implemented towards product development to offer the best possible smart TV user experience.
The new OnePlus TVs Y1S and Y1S Edge come with several distinguished features keeping in mind the needs and aspirations of our community in India. These include the OxygenPlay 2.0 which offers users a range of international and regional content from prominent partners in several languages. Given that our community comprises many technology enthusiasts, the OnePlus TVs offer them several customized smart features. These include, OnePlus Connect 2.0 allowing users to navigate their OnePlus TVs using their smartphones. They can also enjoy a seamless IoT connectivity between their OnePlus TVs and other OnePlus products such as the OnePlus Buds and OnePlus Watch.
Given that watching movies and shows together is also a popular family activity in India, our smart TVs come with ‘Kids mode’ to help parents monitor content. There’s also Game mode, which offers users an immersive gaming experience with lower latency levels.
What have been the biggest learnings for OnePlus in the TV category in the last few years?
OnePlus has always been a user-driven brand and we constantly aims to deliver the best possible product experience to our community. Our community’s feedback is valuable for us and continues to be crucial towards enhancing our experience that our smart TVs offer. At the time of the launch of our first smart TVs, we created a dedicated group of community members called the OnePlus TV Product Ninjas who share constant feedback with us.
We stepped into the smart TV segment during the third quarter of 2019 with our Q Series range. After the positive response we recieved, we went on to expand our smart TV category with the launch of OnePlus TV U and Y series in 2020. As per Counterpoint report, OnePlus TV Y Series 32 inch was the best-selling smart TV in India in the less than Rs 30,000 price segment in Q4 2020.
Last year, we launched the OnePlus TV U1S. Counterpoint report termed it as the best-selling smart TV in greater than Rs 40,000 price bracket in Q4 2021. We are excited to have launched the much-anticipated OnePlus TV Y1S and Y1S Edge which are an extension to our Y Series.
What will be the differentiating factors for OnePlus TVs compared to the competition in what is an overcrowded market now?
OnePlus has always been more focused on consumer needs as opposed to trends. Our vision with OnePlus TVs has been to build a truly seamless and connected ecosystem experience for our community. Available across 32 and 43 inch screen sizes, the new OnePlus TVs embody OnePlus’ philosophy of burdenless user experience with a host of features at affordable price point.