How promising is the "bestie phone" market Hisense is investing in?

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Author | Huang Yu

On May 8, Hisense Visual held its first product launch event without any "TVs." At this event, which focused on 3C smart hardware, a high-end large-screen "Bestie Machine" X8 Ultra with a debut price as high as 7,999 yuan drew attention.

According to the introduction, the Hisense Dabaibestie Machine X8 Ultra is equipped with a 32-inch 4K large screen, pioneering the "swan neck dynamic structure," which emphasizes adjustability and detachability. The whole machine delivers 15 hours of battery life, and the screen, once detached, can operate independently for 7 hours. It also features a TV-grade AI super-picture-quality engine, an acoustics system co-tuned with Devialet, and an 8+256GB configuration.

Even though it emphasizes an upgraded configuration, in 2026, as consumption returns to rationality and the bestie machine market slams the brakes, this expensive hardware from Hisense, priced close to 8,000 yuan, may face significant challenges.

Although the overall size of the bestie machine market is not large at present, many players are participating in the competition.

The first generation of mobile smart screens was manufactured by LG in 2021 and sold overseas, but did not elicit much market response. In March 2023, Baidu’s Xiaodu Tiantian Bestie Machine was launched, igniting the Chinese mobile smart screen market. Subsequently, TV brands such as Hisense, Skyworth, internet company Dangbei, and display manufacturers KTC, EIMIO, AK, etc., entered the arena one after another.

From a market structure perspective, according to data from RUNTO Technology, in the 2025 Chinese mobile smart screen (bestie machine) online market, Baidu ranked first with a 38.0% share; TV brands have emerged significantly, with Hisense increasing its market share to 16.5% thanks to the outstanding performance of its new 32-inch 4K X8 and X8 Pro models—an increase of 12.3 percentage points year-on-year, ranking second.

However, the golden age of the bestie machine track’s wild growth already came to an end in 2025.

According to RUNTO Technology data, in 2025, the total sales of mobile smart screens (bestie machines) in all channels in China reached 338,000 units. Although this marked a 33.5% year-on-year increase, it was already halved compared to the high growth rate of 65% in 2024.

The slowdown in growth became particularly glaring in the second half of 2025. In Q3 and Q4 of 2025, the sales growth rates of bestie machines had already slowed to 29% and 18.4%, respectively.

The RUNTO Technology report pointed out that the national subsidy policy, which previously served as a catalyst for sales, saw diminished effectiveness in the second half of the year due to limited quotas. As a result, the total online channel sales declined by 1.6% in December 2025, marking the first-ever single-month negative sales growth since the advent of the bestie machine.

Alongside the sluggish growth rate, the average selling price of bestie machines is also trending downward. According to RUNTO Technology data, in 2025, the average price in the full online channel market was 3,589 yuan, a slight year-on-year decrease of 4.1%.

However, high-end models seem to be becoming one of the major trends. Since 2025, brands such as Baidu and Hisense have both launched 32-inch 4K high-end flagship models. As a result, the sales share of units priced over 5,000 yuan grew by 3.8 percentage points to 12.2% in 2025 in the online market.

Even so, in a market where the average unit price is less than 3,600 yuan, launching a new product priced as high as 7,999 yuan means Hisense will need a much stronger product to persuade consumers.

Runto Technology’s report also argues that an average product price close to 4,000 yuan is already too expensive. Compared to extremely mature household AV entertainment terminals such as smartphones and tablets, the advantages are not prominent, making it difficult to support a high premium.

It is worth mentioning that many bestie machine products on the market still suffer from basic hardware problems such as unsmooth touchscreens, system lag, short battery life, etc., which are continuously eroding early adopters’ trust in the category.

In addition, the commonly used name “bestie machine,” which is highly feminine and even somewhat narrow in implication, has invisibly excluded male consumers—who account for half the market. Together with various product names in the market such as “random screen,” “mobile smart screen,” etc., this has caused disarray in industry marketing, and the category is still stuck in a niche market.

In 2026, the bestie machine will undoubtedly continue to suffer from categorical confusion. Against this backdrop, how to further clarify the category’s use-case scenarios and improve the “quality-to-price ratio” remains a major challenge for participating companies.

Risk Warning and DisclaimerThe market carries risks; investments should be made with caution. This article does not constitute personal investment advice and has not taken into account individual users' special investment objectives, financial situation, or needs. Users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions in this article are suitable for their particular situation. Investment based on this is at your own risk. ```