Swedish electric car manufacturer Polestar is planning to launch its own smartphone in December, alongside delivering its cars in China, according to Thomas Ingenlath, the company’s CEO.
This move highlights the approach taken by electric car makers who are introducing their vehicles in China by placing technology at the core of their offerings, catering to car buyers’ desire for the latest features.
The company intends to start production of the Polestar 4 for the Chinese market this year, with deliveries expected by the end of this year.
In addition to cars, the company is taking an unusual step by introducing a smartphone bearing its brand name.
This initiative is part of a joint project between Polestar and Meizu, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer owned by the automotive giant Geely.
Meizu is not a major player in the smartphone market in China, and the Polestar smartphone is not an attempt to increase its market share.
Instead, this unconventional move reflects the auto industry’s desire to make cars more akin to mobile phones.
Ingenlath stated, “When you have the opportunity to connect these two worlds without any boundaries, you can achieve seamless transition.
You can imagine a world where you use an app on your phone, get into your car, and the app appears on the car’s dashboard.”
Meizu is known in China for its mid-range devices, and Ingenlath explained that this collaboration helps Meizu enter the advanced smartphone market.
While it’s still uncommon for car manufacturers to launch phones, the idea is gaining some attention.
Emerging Chinese electric car company Nio, for instance, plans to launch its own self-developed mobile phone in September.
There are several reasons why this makes sense, particularly in China, where Google’s Android OS lacks official support, giving car manufacturers the ability to customize the operating system for both the phone and the car, ensuring seamless integration.
Polestar likely leverages Meizu’s operating system, FlyMe, which it uses for developing an OS for Polestar cars.
The Polestar smartphone may adopt a similar operating system, ensuring smooth integration.
Many automakers are following in the footsteps of Geely-owned companies like Polestar and perhaps future players like Apple, by connecting electric cars with smartphones to provide a comprehensive and connected mobility experience.
Polestar’s smartphone will enable the company to bundle software, apps, services, and features, such as remote control or car operation via the phone, while also helping them gather more insights into their customers’ habits.
