While there have been rumors of an Apple Car for years, now the opposite seems to be happening. A builder of electric cars wants to target the smartphone market. Will this become a threat to the iPhone?
Although Apple is exploring whether it wants to play a role in the electric car market, it doesn’t seem to be coming to it. The iPhone maker was linked to several car companies such as Hyundai two years ago, but now it is silent.
Polestar is going to make an iPhone competitor
Electric car maker Polestar does take the opposite step. It is now developing its own smartphone and is partnering with China’s Xinji Meizu to do so. Not an odd move, since both are owned by Chinese automaker Geely.
If all goes well, Polestar’s first smartphone will hit the market in December. The big question is what to expect, although it doesn’t seem like it will immediately challenge the iPhone.
Still, there does seem to be an idea behind it, as Polestar is a premium brand in terms of electric cars from Geely. The same cannot be said of Xinji Meizu. Its phones are mostly in the mid-range segment. By using Polestar’s name, it can tap into a higher segment and move toward the iPhone.
Currently, Polestar’s cars run a native version of Android. On Xingji Meizu runs Flyme, a kind of software shell based on Android. Geely’s plan is to use Flyme in the Polestars as well. With the arrival of a dedicated smartphone, synchronization between phone and electric car should be even easier.
From electric car to smartphone
The move from a car to a smartphone seems remarkable, but Polestar is certainly not the only brand to do so. Earlier, the also Chinese NIO announced that it plans to release its own smartphone this month, thus competing with the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy phones.
By the way, Polestar is not averse to diving into new markets instead of the electric car. For example, it is currently developing electric mopeds with Sweden’s Cake. In addition, Allebike, also Swedish, is working with the automaker on a mountain bike. So that iPhone competitor isn’t so crazy after all.