Vizio is entering the smartphone space with the TV-friendly VIA Plus phone. The phone will be part of Vizio's new VIA Plus ecosystem, which includes TVs, Blu-ray players, the phone and a tablet computer all sharing the same apps.
In addition to sharing apps with your TV, what makes the VIA Plus phone unique is its built-in IR blaster and universal remote app that let you use it for controlling all of your AV devices. The VIA also plays back personal HD videos on your TV through HDMI out.
The VIA Plus phone runs Android 2.2 (Froyo) with a custom skin from Vizio, has a 4-inch display (480 x 800 pixels), a 1Ghz processor and a front-facing camera and a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and flash.
Carrier, availability and pricing have not yet been released.