(Photo/Thepaper.cn)

Ahead of any other smartphone makers, a Chinese IT company jumped to announce on Oct. 24 that they were ready to unveil the world’s first VR-camera smartphone, coded as “Da Ling,” which is meant to sound like the English “darling.”

The “darling” smartphone will be sold for 3,980 RMB, but a premium version – decorated with a 3.08-gram bullion bar and a diamond – is priced at 8,900 RMB. The phones will be available starting in November.

The VR phone is designed and produced by Protruly Vision, a Shenzhen-based IT company that develops products and services related to electronic vision. Previously, the company's vision technology has mainly been used in automobiles.

According to Protruly's CEO, Tang Dechuan, the “darling” VR smartphone has successfully connected a VR camera with a smartphone, allowing the phone to do real-time editing on VR images captured by its wide-angle twin lens.

“People tend to believe that such technology must be produced by international giants, but timing is important. Protruly has the technology. When conditions are ripe, success is assured,” Tang told Thepaper.cn in an exclusive interview.

Tang also revealed that Huawei may produce VR phones in the future, noting that the company was only just “breaking into a new era.”

“Once more giants enter the business, it is unclear whether we can remain the best.”