Polestar, known to be a serious competitor of Tesla in the United States, surprises us with a bold announcement: the intention to launch an Android smartphone. Behind this decision is a web of ties and common interests between different companies of the Geely group.
Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of the Chinese-Swedish electric car brand Polestar, announced, for the end of December 2023, the launch of a smartphonepremiumยป. Interestingly, this move would also help Meizu, a well-known Chinese phone brand, to enter the high-end market. The link between all this? We explain to you.
Who is Polestar?
Polestar originally started out as a brand associated with Volvo, specializing in performance vehicles and upgrades. Founded in Sweden, the company gained a reputation by focusing on racing cars, especially in the Swedish championship. Over time, Polestar has broadened its reach, offering high-performance versions of existing Volvo models and improving their on-road capabilities.
When the Chinese group Geely acquired Volvo, it also saw the potential of Polestar as a separate brand. Rather than limiting her to a secondary role, Geely decided to empower Polestar to grow on its own. With this investment and Geely’s resources, Polestar has been transformed into a premium electric car brand, positioned to compete with brands such as Tesla, particularly in the European and US markets. The ambition was clear: to combine Swedish design and quality with Chinese technological advances and production capabilities.
Since its acquisition by Geely, Polestar has not only expanded its product line, but also strengthened its global presence. In France, Polestar has successfully overcome its trademark dispute with DS Automobiles. But, the Sino-Swedish brand has not yet been deployed on French territory. In the meantime, it will soon launch an Android smartphone.
Merging the automotive and tech worlds
This maneuver may seem surprising, but it becomes clearer when we know that Eric Li, the founder of the Geely group, owns a substantial share of Meizu, up to 79.09%. And the connection does not end there. Meizu is actively working on an infotainment interface for cars, named Meizu Flyme Auto. It is therefore a strategic marriage between the auto and tech sectors that is taking shape, revealing the depth of the integration between these two worlds.
With this initiative, Polestar aims to make the smartphone a native and integrated element of the car. Since modern cars and smartphones share many electronic components and software, the idea is to create a synergy between the two, making the user experience smooth and interconnected both in the vehicle and through the smartphone.
Polestar’s initiative is not isolated. Nio, another Chinese car giant, also has big European ambitions and plans to launch a high-end Android smartphone too.
As these automotive players expand their reach into technology, tech giants like Huawei and Xiaomi are forging their way into the automotive world. Huawei, a historical leader in mobile telephony, develops motors for electric cars and has also developed an infotainment system for these vehicles. Xiaomi, on the other hand, does not want to be outdone and has already announced its intention to launch its own electric car models.
This growing porosity between the automotive and technology industries signals a profound transformation. Cars are no longer mere means of transport, but are becoming extensions of our personal technological ecosystems. And, conversely, technology is increasingly embodied in tangible objects, such as electric vehicles.
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