Tesla rival Polestar is launching its own smartphone

Swedish electric car manufacturer Polestar plans to launch a smartphone with its first SUV model, which it will launch in China in December. The company will launch the Polestar 4 SUV in China, the world’s largest electric vehicle market, in the coming months. This model will be the third model the company will sell in China.

Polestar makes smartphones

Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said the company plans to start production of the Polestar 4 for the Chinese market this year and deliveries will be made later this year. In addition, Polestar will take the unusual step of launching a smartphone bearing the brand’s name. This step will be realized thanks to the joint venture established in June between Polestar and smartphone maker Meizu, owned by Chinese auto giant Geely.

However, Polestar does not expect its smartphone to break sales records or gain significant market share. Although Meizu is a well-known brand in China, it is not a big player. Therefore, we can say that this move is due to the desire of automobile manufacturers to make the car like a “mobile phone with wheels”.

Combination of two worlds

The Polestar CEO sees it as a fusion of two worlds. For example, imagine you are using an app on your phone and the same app is displayed on the car dashboard screen when you enter the car. It will also likely be possible to use the phone as a key.

However, Ingenlath added that the phone will be a “premium” device. However, for now, there is no information about the design or hardware of the phone. While it’s still unusual for auto companies to launch phones, the idea is gaining traction. Chinese electric vehicle start-up Nio plans to launch its first self-developed mobile phone this month.

China is a special place

On the other hand, there are many reasons why this is the second largest economy in the world. First, there is no Google Android mobile operating system. This means that automakers can synchronize the car with the operating system on their phones. For example, Meizu has its own operating system called FlyMe. And based on this, the company makes an operating system for Polestar cars.

The smartphone that Polestar will launch is likely to have a similar operating system that will make the integration seamless. In addition, it is not enough to just bring a powerfully designed and performance vehicle to China. The Chinese market demands very precise and comprehensive software features.