The Polestar 4 electric SUV is displayed at the 20th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition at the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Shanghai), China, April 18, 2023.
VCG | Visual China Group | Getty Images
Launched a smartphone equipped with an electric vehicle
Meizu is not a major smartphone player in China with companies like apple Oppo is the biggest of them all. Polestar smartphones aren’t about gaining market share.
Instead, the electric car company’s unusual move to launch a smartphone stems from the automaker’s desire to make cars like phones on wheels.
“If you have the opportunity to connect these two worlds without any borders…then you can really have a seamless transition,” Ingenrath said.
For example, you can imagine a world where you’re using an app on your phone, and when you get into your car, the same app shows up on the car’s dashboard screen.
“You know, I still have some issues with showing text messages,” Ingenrath said of his frustrations with current technology.
Ingenrath added that the phone will be a “premium” device. Meizu is known in China for its mid-range devices. It will also help Meizu enter the high-end mobile phone market, Ingenrath said.
While it’s still rare for a car company to launch a phone, the idea is gaining some traction.Chinese EV Startups Nioh It plans to launch its first self-developed mobile phone in September.
This is especially relevant for the world’s second-largest economy for a number of reasons.
It’s not just about bringing good European design to China, when it comes to software, you have to be very, very specific about delivering to the market.
Thomas Ingenrath
CEO of Polaris
First, there is no Google Android mobile operating system. That means automakers can customize the operating systems on phones and cars to sync up. For example, Meizu has its own operating system called FlyMe. The company is building an operating system for Polestar cars based on it.
A smartphone released by Polestar may also have a similar operating system, which would allow for seamless integration.
“It’s not enough just to bring good European design to China, when it comes to software, you have to be very, very specific to the market,” Ingenrath said.
Neil Shah, vice president of research at Counterpoint Research, said: “Many OEMs will follow the example of Geely and other potential future players such as Apple if they can launch a car equipped with a smartphone to improve all aspects of mobility. Deliver a comprehensive and more connected experience,” told CNBC.
OEM is Original Equipment Manufacturer, which refers to the manufacturer of automobiles.
Smartphones also allow Polestar to bundle software, apps, services and features, such as remotely controlling or opening a car with a phone, Shah said.
Shah added that rolling out the phone could also help automakers learn more about customers’ habits.
Polestar 4 ‘more premium’ than Tesla Model Y
The Polestar 4 is priced at 349,800 yuan ($47,890) in China, more expensive than the Tesla Model Y, which starts at 263,900 yuan.
Ingenlath said the Polestar 4 is positioned as “higher-end and more luxurious” than the Model Y.
Polestar customers come from German automakers, says CEO BMW and Mercedes Benz The car is positioned more as a car-like competitor porsche Macan.
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