Tencent reportedly working on a gaming smartphone

Chinese internet giant Tencent is said to be working on a gaming smartphone. However, the company won't be developing the device alone. It is reportedly teaming up with a major manufacturer for the gaming-centric phone.

China's 36KR outlet has made such claims, citing "several independent sources." The outlet also reported that the alleged device will be powered by a Qualcomm processor and it might either be Tencent-branded or dual-branded.

The report also suggets that Tencent is in talks with Asus, Razer, Wentai, and Xiaomi's Black Shark. Three of these brands already have a gaming phone in their arsenal. It is believed that Tancent will use its own branding if it joins forces with Wentai.

If the company makes a gaming smartphone, it would pre-install its own services and storefront on the device and generate more revenue. As Tencent studios also makes a lot of mobile games, we could expect exclusive collaboration with various titles. This will help them lure more users to buy its gaming smartphone.

If the company teams up with already established brands, then we might see a device that borrows some of the features and design elements from existing devices. This also indicates towards a Snapdragon flagship chipset, a huge battery, and a dedicated gaming mode. We might also get to se screens with high refresh rate and air vents.

There's no certainty that the Tencent-branded phones will make it to western coast, although the company has a stake in major Western gaming studios such as Games, Supercell, and Riot Games.