Polestar is trying to create an experience where you can be using an app on your mobile phone and then continue with the app in your car.
Polestar, a subsidiary of the Chinese automaker Geely, is preparing to begin production of its Polestar 4 electric cars this year, with a particular focus on the Chinese market. This shows the strategic move by the manufacturer to enter the Chinese market and its priority for technology and innovation. The Chinese market appears to be appealing due to their strong desire to have the most recent features and advancements in their vehicles. Leveraging its partnership with Xingji Meizu, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer also controlled by Geely founder Eric Li, Polestar also has plans to venture into the mobile phone market, which is also expected to launch by December.
While Meizu does not currently hold a significant position in the competitive Chinese smartphone landscape, which is dominated by well-known brands like Apple and Oppo, the collaboration with Polestar is not intended to compete directly with these established smartphone manufacturers. Instead, the goal is to redefine automobiles as devices resembling mobile phones on wheels.
Polestar Will Integrate Mobile Phones and Cars
Automobile manufacturers are actively working to pioneer new technologies, particularly in markets such as China, where consumers place a high value on cutting-edge features in their vehicles.
A “mobile phone on wheels” concept envisions a car that functions similarly to a mobile phone, with features such as internet connectivity, seamless smartphone integration for hands-free calling, smartphone mirroring, software updates to improve vehicle performance, and easy connectivity with other devices. These features are intended to improve the overall user experience within vehicles.
Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath, commenting on the integration of phones and cars, said:
“Where you have an opportunity to link these two worlds, without any border…then you can really have a seamless transition.”
Polestar is trying to create an experience where you can use an app on your mobile phone and continue with the app in your car. This will also help Meizu get more recognition for producing sophisticated devices that depart from its normal method of production.
To facilitate this vision, Polestar aims to develop its own customized operating system (OS) that will facilitate effortless connectivity between phones and cars. Having a unified OS for both vehicles and smartphones will enable tailored functionality to meet specific needs and preferences. When both phones and cars operate with similar OS, communication between them becomes more effective, allowing for some features like controlling car functions from the mobile phone and vice versa, easy mirroring, etc.
Although Polestar is trying to strategically position itself as a producer of luxurious cars and is also seeking to attract customers with the production of high-end tech phones and cars, it still has a lot of competition in China, especially with brands like Tesla, Xpeng, and Nio.
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