Mr. Luo, who has retreated from the mobile phone industry for many years, has come forward to expose a major industry scandal.

At the recent Geek Park Conference, Luo Yonghao, the founder of Smartisan Phone, reminisced about how his company's TNT system once drew the attention of three manufacturers, who were poised to use their financial muscle to acquire it directly. One of these manufacturers was led by Yu Chengdong.

On the eve of the TNT launch, Luo Yonghao brought the machine to meet with Mr. Yu and demonstrate it. After learning that Luo Yonghao's TNT system was developed in just over half a year by a team of only 150 people, Mr. Yu reprimanded his own staff, saying, "Others can achieve this with over a hundred people in half a year, yet you need two or three years with a thousand or two people."

Image source: Weibo @Oriental Finance

Subsequently, Mr. Yu dispatched a dozen individuals to delve deeper into this technology. After a four to five-hour discussion, he expressed interest in investing or acquiring it. However, behind the scenes, the person in charge approached the product and R&D heads of Smartisan Phone, inquiring about their salary expectations for a job switch.

Regarding this recruitment attempt, Luo Yonghao openly expressed his dissatisfaction, stating, "It was too crude, devoid of any finesse. These two executives are like my brothers; how could they be easily swayed?"

So, what exactly is this "TNT" that Mr. Luo mentioned multiple times, and why did it pique the interest of three manufacturers?

In essence, TNT is a deeply customized desktop-level operating system built on Android and integrated into Nut mobile phones. Users can access it by connecting a screen via a cable. When paired with a touchscreen-enabled display, it transforms into a tablet upon connection with a mobile phone.

Image source: Smartisan Mall

The overall concept is akin to the multi-screen collaboration featured by current mainstream manufacturers, all striving to bridge the gap between different devices and achieve ecological unity, similar to Huawei's early "Touch to Connect" and Samsung Dex functions.

Unfortunately, "ideals are abundant, but reality is harsh." The premature TNT ecosystem demanded substantial investment in funds and manpower and relied heavily on the mobile phone user base for support. With the demise of Smartisan Phone, TNT naturally vanished without a trace.

Dear viewers, which feature of Smartisan Phone do you still miss?