The electric car is not enough. Polestar is also focusing on smartphones
An unusual move in the automotive world: Polestar intends to use the joint venture with Xingji Meizu, a Chinese mobile phone manufacturer owned by Geely, to launch smartphones
A debut within the debut for the former Polestar startup on which Volvo has decided to focus for the electrification of the range. Not only is the new brand aiming to conquer the electric car market, but it also aims to colonize the hi-tech accessories market.
THE CHINESE NEED
There is a market to be conquered, the Chinese one, which has become increasingly sophisticated and demanding. Previously, Asians were crazy about Western brands, now they have started buying 'zero kilometre', rewarding those who give them luxury and above all hi-tech accessories.
It is no coincidence that the same idea is also being developed in the laboratories of an indigenous brand, Nio, and something similar will certainly emerge with the arrival of Xiaomi in the sector, which will preside over both areas very soon.
For this reason, the Swedish manufacturer has decided to entice the Chinese audience with a smartphone that will be launched in December, coinciding with the deliveries of the first sports utility vehicle to be released in China (the brand's third in total on that market), according to what it declared the company's CEO at CNBC .
BEHIND EVERYTHING? GEELY
Thomas Ingenlath , CEO of Polestar, announced that the company plans to start production of the Polestar 4 this year for the Chinese market, with deliveries scheduled for the end of 2023. In parallel, the company will launch a portable device with its own brand thanks to a joint venture created in June between Polestar and Xingji Meizu, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer in turn owned by the Chinese automotive giant Geely.
THE POLESTAR SMARTPHONE
Meizu is a residual brand in a market, the Chinese one, dominated by other giants, and aims above all to create mid-range devices. For Polestar, the unprecedented alliance will help the Chinese brand to also push into the high-end device market, said Ingenlath, even if the Polestar smartphone does not have as its main objective that of scaling the sector, but rather a useful partnership to push the automotive brand.
However, it is not known how the device and car will communicate: "When you have the opportunity to connect these two worlds, without any border… then you can truly have a seamless transition," said Ingenlath.
What is certain is that smartphones and Polestar, understood as an electric car, will certainly communicate. Indeed, according to the CEO, in connectivity the company would have virgin prairies to claim and colonize: "I still have problems displaying an SMS", Ingenlath said in this regard, specifying that the device will be a "premium" device.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/smartcity/lauto-elettrica-non-basta-polestar-punta-pure-sugli-smartphone/ on Sat, 09 Sep 2023 07:21:52 +0000.