Electric vehicle (EV) company Polestar has revealed its long-awaited smartphone product designed to integrate with its cars.
The Polestar Phone will arrive exclusively for the Chinese market, promising a seamless connection with Polestar EVs.
The Polestar ecosystem
Among the highlights of the Polestar Phone is its compatibility with the Polestar 4’s infotainment system, both of which operate on the Android-based Flyme system developed by the Chinese tech company Meizu.
Meizu, like Polestar (and Volvo), is under the umbrella of carmaker Geely, facilitating a close collaboration between the two.
This ambitious integration somewhat resembles the strategy employed by Xiaomi, except in that case, it was a consumer tech company expanding into the car business instead of the inverse, as with Polestar.
Xiaomi's advantage over Polestar lies in software expertise, in which the former has a massive leg up as one of the top global smartphone companies over the past decade.
Xiaomi boasts a more mature software ecosystem encapsulated by HyperOS, a next-gen Android operating system that seamlessly connects compatible smartphones and tablets with Internet of Things (IoT) devices, including Xiaomi's first-ever vehicle, the SU7 all-electric sports sedan.
Meanwhile, Polestar and Meizu may lack the same level of tech and scale as Xiaomi, especially since Meizu announced last year it was leaving the smartphone market in favour of the booming generative AI business.
Still, both companies appear confident in the Polestar Phone and its success in China.
Design and aesthetics
In terms of appearance and construction, the Polestar Phone seems to borrow heavily from Meizu's past design library, albeit incorporating a distinctive Polestar flair.
The phone rocks a minimalist aesthetic, featuring a sleek white back with the Polestar emblem prominently displayed.
It's bordered by a brushed metal edge and boasts a vertical three-camera array with wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto sensors. A gold LED ring flash rounds out the rear design.
Although the phone’s full specifications remain undisclosed, early images suggest a display ratio of 21:9, likely indicating a generous 6.5-inch screen with crisp 2K resolution. Anything short of an OLED display would be a disappointment.
No word on the processor either, but a capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen series chipset has been rumoured. The phone may also come equipped with AI-powered features to enhance the user experience.
Is it a gimmick or a game-changer?
Despite the partnership with Meizu, Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar, insists that the Polestar Phone is an original creation, not merely a rebranding of an existing product.
He highlighted the importance of this initiative as an effort to merge the tech and car domains. "We aim to link these two worlds without any border,” stated Ingenlath.
This approach could solve common connectivity issues encountered with other vehicle systems, where simple tasks like syncing notifications or displaying messages can be problematic.
Polestar has announced plans to reveal comprehensive details about the phone’s specifications next week, which is expected to provide deeper insights into how this device will enhance the driving experience for Polestar owners - at least in China.
