"So what gives? Based on early registration numbers, it seems Telly has generated enough interest to ship more than 35,000 TVs. One issue seems to be poor shipping. Per the investor note that Lowpass reviewed, Telly claimed that FedEx delivered 10 percent of its shipments of Telly TVs broken. Since moving to a different company-seemingly Samsung partner RXO, based on Reddit posts -fewer Tellys are arriving broken, the company reportedly said."
"In a 2024 press release, Telly said that it planned to ship "millions more in 2024." But a report from Lowpass this week, citing a "Q3 update sent to investors in November 2025," said the startup had 35,000 TVs in people's homes at that time. In Q2 2025, there were 28,000 Telly TVs in use, the note said, according to Lowpass."
Telly offers free TVs in exchange for advertising data using a dual-screen design that displays ads on a smaller secondary panel below the 55-inch main screen. Owners cannot disable tracking or cover the secondary screen without paying for the TV, and recipients must complete a detailed survey. Early launch claims included large shipment targets and hundreds of thousands of signups, but investor updates show only tens of thousands of active devices in homes by 2025. Reported problems include high rates of shipping damage with one carrier and numerous online complaints, though switching carriers reportedly reduced breakage. An investor note indicates plans to order more units from Foxconn and increase deliveries.
Read at Ars Technica
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