Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC and Nio Inc are making their debut in the competitive smartphone market.
Polestar’s Smartphone
Polestar, a well-established player in the electric vehicle (EV) market, is planning to step into the smartphone industry. The company is set to release a smartphone under the Polestar brand in December, coinciding with the launch of their Polestar 4 EV.
Described as a ‘premium’ device, Polestar’s smartphone is the outcome of a joint venture with Xingji Meizu, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer owned by Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. It’s important to note that Geely is also the parent company of Polestar, indicating a strategic alignment in their diversification efforts.
The Polestar 4, a highly anticipated SUV coupe, began taking orders in August and is scheduled for production in November. Initial customer deliveries are slated for China by the end of the year, with global distribution expected in early 2024. Polestar’s pricing strategy for the smartphone positions it above the Polestar 2 but below the Polestar 3, aiming for a market segment closer to the Porsche Macan rather than competing head-on with Tesla’s Model Y.
NIO’s Smartphone
Meanwhile, Nio, a prominent name in the EV industry, has announced its foray into the smartphone market. Which is set to debut this month in September, 2023.
Nio’s CEO, William Li, has clarified that their smartphone venture is not intended to challenge established phone manufacturers. Instead, Nio views the smartphone as a complementary component of their ecosystem.
Li emphasized the similarity in software and logic between Nio’s EVs and their forthcoming smartphone. This synergy aims to provide Nio vehicle users with an enhanced experience, where the smartphone becomes an integral part of the Nio ecosystem.
