Breezing into the smartphone market: Gree, China’s top air-conditioner, announces new device

Air-conditioning powerhouse Gree Electric, one of the most popular air-conditioner brands in China, will release its first smartphones within six months, taking on a tough market filled with big rivals including Xiaomi.

Gree will release a high-end smartphone model as well as a version aimed at bargain-lovers, according to Dong Mingzhu, chairman and president of the Zhuhai-based company, in an interview with news portal QQ Tech.

It was the first time she acknowledged that the company would be releasing smartphones in the market. Speculation about the release had been rife after she briefly flaunted a smartphone with a Gree logo on its back during a university lecture in Guangzhou on March 18.

Gree, the world’s largest specialised air conditioner manufacturer by sales, began to consider making its own smartphones two years ago, Dong said, adding that the firm's management had been using a prototype for two months.

“If we were less demanding, our phones can hit the market anytime. But the management and myself want to keep on doing tests for pressure, drops and heat,” the 60-year-old was quoted as saying in Boao, Hainan province, where she was taking part in a business forum.

She did not reveal the specifications for the new handsets, though the report cited an unnamed source as saying Shenzhen-based ZoweeTechnology would be a supplier.