Hongqi Phone: A New Attempt at Cross-Industry Mobile Phone Manufacturing with Meizu's Support

Hongqi Phone: A New Attempt at Cross-Industry Mobile Phone Manufacturing with Meizu's SupportNews of the Hongqi Phone first emerged in the first half of this year when Hongqi signed a strategic cooperation agreement with EcarX on intelligent cockpits. At the time, it was widely believed that Hongqi would use FlymeAuto car systems, and Shen Ziyu, chairman and CEO of EcarX Technology, also serves as chairman and CEO of Starry Sky Meizu, so the possibility of Meizu building the Hongqi phone gradually surfaced

Hongqi Phone: A New Attempt at Cross-Industry Mobile Phone Manufacturing with Meizu's Support

As the boundaries between car companies and digital enterprises become increasingly blurred, many car companies have been entering the mobile phone market in recent years. Following the launch of their own mobile phones by NIO and Polestar, Hongqi has also officially announced its entry into the mobile phone market, choosing to cooperate with Meizu in phone development. This product, named "Hongqi Phone", is expected to be customized based on the Meizu 21Pro and will incorporate unique elements of the Hongqi brand.

News of the Hongqi Phone first emerged in the first half of this year when Hongqi signed a strategic cooperation agreement with EcarX on intelligent cockpits. At the time, it was widely believed that Hongqi would use FlymeAuto car systems, and Shen Ziyu, chairman and CEO of EcarX Technology, also serves as chairman and CEO of Starry Sky Meizu, so the possibility of Meizu building the Hongqi phone gradually surfaced.

From the leaked images, the exterior design of the Hongqi phone is very similar to the Meizu 21Pro, making it almost certain that it's a secondary development based on the Meizu 21Pro. The square body design, coupled with the quad rear cameras and the Aicy Dynamic Ring, a key feature of the Meizu 21 series, still stands out in the mobile phone market.

As a custom-made phone for Hongqi, the Hongqi Phone will undoubtedly integrate Hongqi brand elements. The main color is changed to black, the back logo is replaced with the iconic "Hongqi" logo, and the boot animation will also be modified accordingly. In addition, it is speculated that the Hongqi Phone may incorporate the iconic thin red line into its design, creating a unique Hongqi phone style.

In terms of hardware configuration, the Hongqi Phone is expected to be equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and come with a maximum of 16GB+1TB storage combination, a 5050mAh battery capacity, and support for 80W wired and 50W wireless charging. On the imaging side, it is expected to adopt the triple-camera scheme of the Meizu 21Pro, namely a 50MP main camera, a 13MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 10MP 3x telephoto lens, resulting in a fairly balanced overall configuration. However, considering the emphasis on telephoto capabilities in the flagship phone market this year, the telephoto configuration of the Meizu 21Pro is already lagging behind mainstream levels. If the Hongqi Phone wants to maintain its flagship status, it needs to pay more attention to upgrading its imaging system in the future.

For the Hongqi Phone, pure parameter configuration is not the main focus for attracting users, but rather its AI and connectivity features. According to Meizu, the Meizu 21Pro is the first AI-powered mobile terminal born under the "ALLINAI" strategy. As a customized product, the Hongqi Phone is expected to continue this concept, integrating mainstream AI large models, providing AI intelligent voice assistant, AI image tools, AI image search, and AI assisted input functions.

In terms of car-phone connectivity, the Hongqi Phone will utilize the technology of EcarX and Starry Sky Meizu to achieve seamless connection, smooth transition, hardware collaboration, and computing power sharing between the phone and the car, aiming to provide users with a more convenient mobile experience. This will be one of the core competitive advantages of the Hongqi Phone and a key differentiator from other car company phone products.

Hongqi's choice to cooperate with Meizu to jointly develop phone products is not a coincidence. In recent years, mobile phone manufacturers have become increasingly prominent in car-phone connectivity, especially in terms of car system experience, application transition, and other functions. Mobile phone manufacturers are more likely to gain user favor due to their ecosystem advantages. Hongqi, on the other hand, hopes to work with Meizu to create a phone ecosystem that seamlessly connects with its own cars, thus enhancing the user experience and increasing user stickiness.

In fact, the Hongqi Phone is not the only phone product launched by a car company. Previously, NIO's NIOPhone also sparked discussion, but its actual sales were not ideal. Nevertheless, NIO continues to update the NIOPhone and sees it as a crucial tool for enhancing the user experience.

Behind the car companies' launch of mobile phones is the growing importance of car-phone connectivity experiences. The experience of car-phone connectivity depends on the system's adaptability, while adapting to various phones on the market is extremely expensive. Therefore, car companies choosing to develop phones independently or in collaboration with phone manufacturers, creating a phone ecosystem that perfectly matches their own cars, has become a new trend.

The emergence of the Hongqi Phone offers a new perspective for car companies venturing into mobile phone manufacturing. With Meizu's technical support and Hongqi's own brand influence, it remains to be seen whether the Hongqi Phone can find its own place in the fiercely competitive mobile phone market. In the future, as cooperation between car companies and phone manufacturers becomes more extensive, car-phone connectivity experiences will become an indispensable part of the automotive ecosystem, and car companies launching phones may become a norm.

However, whether car companies can truly influence users' decisions to switch phones remains a challenge. After all, mobile phones are indispensable tools in users' daily lives, and the cost and difficulty of switching phones are relatively high. In the future, car companies need to pay more attention to user experience, creating products that truly meet user needs, only then can they persuade users to switch phones and ultimately realize the vision of "car-phone connectivity".

The launch of the Hongqi Phone marks a new attempt at cross-industry mobile phone manufacturing by car companies. In the future, cooperation between car companies and phone manufacturers will become more in-depth, and car-phone connectivity experiences will become a focal point of competition in the automotive industry. The success of the Hongqi Phone will provide valuable experience and reference for other car companies.