Geely, a Chinese carmaker, acquired Meizu after rounds of negotiations. The acquisition has been fully concluded earlier this year, and some changes are expected soon. While Geely could benefit from Meizu’s name on the smartphone scene, we also expect Meizu to introduce some interesting software on Geely cars and other vehicles. Now, Polestar and Meizu have announced a joint venture. The goal is to strengthen Polestar’s market position in China. There is still no name for the joint venture company, but Polestar will own 49% of the stake, while Meizu will control the remaining 51%. Meizu will also be responsible for providing future financing beyond the initial capital from Polestar and Meizu.
Meizu and Polestar will work on improving Flyme Auto
The partnership is centered on Meizu’s Flyme Auto software for cars. Polestar needs to offer decent software with custom features for local customers. The two companies will be working together to improve the software and offer deep integration with mobile devices. These include unique apps, entertainment features, streaming services, and more. Polestar will send about 130 of its staff to the new company in China to work with Meizu on Flyme Auto. It will also work on AR, Mobile Devices, and Other Products that are related to the ecosystem. Polestar states that it is still relying on a partnership with Google and will continue using Android Auto for vehicles sold outside of China.
Gizchina News of the week
Worth noting that Meizu is currently owned by Geely chairman Li Shufu. he is also one of Polestar’s largest investors and controls its largest shareholder, Volvo Cars. So, this partnership between Meizu and Polestar does not seem to be a mere coincidence. It has the potential to bring even more revenue to the investors behind the two companies. We are curious to see what will come from the future of Flyme Auto. Hopefully, we will see one additional OS to compete with Android Auto and Carplay offerings. Unfortunately, it’s hard to determine whether this system will leave China or not.
