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MEIZU is one of the landmark brands in China's consumer electronics field, founded by founder Jack Wong in Zhuhai, Guangdong in 2003. Early in the brand's history, it was famous for MP3 players, later in 2009 transformed into the smartphone field, launched the first domestic large-screen smartphone M8, opening the era of Chinese smartphones. Its independently developed Flyme operating system is known for minimalist interaction and smooth experience, formed a highly recognizable design language in the Android ecosystem, once became the benchmark for domestic custom UI, and accumulated over 100 million users.
The core turning point of the Meizu brand began in July 2022. At that time, Xingji Times Technology Co., Ltd. (a company under Geely Holding Group Chairman Li Shufu) acquired 79.09% equity of Meizu Technology, becoming its controlling shareholder. In March 2023, Xingji Times and Meizu Technology formally merged, establishing Xingji Meizu Group, headquartered in Wuhan, with business focusing on three main lines: "Smartphones + XR + Smart Cars". After the acquisition, Meizu's strategic positioning changed from an independent consumer electronics brand to a key software force promoting the "Human-Car-Home Full Ecosystem" layout within the Geely system, its core mission also shifted from smartphone hardware manufacturing to providing Flyme Auto smart cockpit operating systems for smart cars.
Meizu's development history of over twenty years is a complete evolution history of moving from an MP3 manufacturer to a pioneer of domestic smartphones, experiencing market screening, and finally transforming into an intelligent mobility ecosystem service provider.
MP3 Era and Smartphone Startup (2003–2013): In 2003, Meizu started with MP3 players. Relying on an obsessive pursuit of product quality, it quickly ranked as the "No. 1 Domestic MP3 Brand", with annual sales exceeding 1 billion RMB in 2006. In February 2009, Meizu launched China's first large-screen smartphone M8, with sales exceeding 500 million RMB within five months of launch, becoming one of the pioneering events of the Chinese smartphone industry. Thereafter, Meizu successively launched products such as M9 and MX series. In 2012, Flyme 1.0 system was officially launched, forming a differentiated advantage in the Android ecosystem with innovative functions such as mBack interaction and window mode.
Market Competition and Transformation Pain (2014–2021): With the formation of the "Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo " landscape, Meizu struggled to survive in the cracks of the market. In 2015, Meizu fell out with Qualcomm, forced to switch to MediaTek chips. Product experience disconnected from premium pricing, core user trust was gradually consumed. The sub-brand "BlueCharm" launched in 2014, although it once achieved ten million-level sales, failed to reverse the overall downturn. In 2020, Flyme cumulative users exceeded 100 million, but market share continued to shrink.
Geely Acquisition and Strategic Transformation (2022–2025): In July 2022, Xingji Times strategically invested in Meizu Technology, obtaining 79.09% controlling equity. In March 2023, Xingji Meizu Group was officially established. That year, Meizu released full-ecosystem products including Flyme Auto car machine system, Meizu 20 series smartphones, MYVU AR smart glasses, etc.. Thereafter, Meizu established a joint venture with Polestar Automotive, deeply bound with brands such as Geely Galaxy and Lynk & Co, and Flyme Auto gradually became the core software foundation of Geely Group's "One Cockpit" strategy.
Smartphone Business Exit and Comprehensive Transformation (2026): On February 27, 2026, Meizu Technology released a strategic transformation announcement, announcing the suspension of Chinese new smartphone self-developed hardware projects, shifting from a hardware-led direction to an AI-driven software product-led development direction. At the same time, Flyme Auto business was operated independently and merged into EGALAX Technology as a whole, the Meizu brand was retained within the Geely ecosystem, becoming a core software asset of the smart cockpit.
Meizu's current product system takes the smart cockpit operating system as the absolute core, supplemented by overseas smartphone business, AI smart glasses, and PANDAER tech trend brand.
Flyme Auto Smart Cockpit System: This is currently the strategic core and growth engine of the Meizu brand. Flyme Auto is developed based on deep Android customization, aiming to provide a full-stack cockpit solution from underlying system to upper-level applications for smart cars. The first generation system was released in 2023. In August 2025, it upgraded to Flyme Auto 2 version, deeply integrating Geely's full-domain AI technology framework, marking the smart cockpit's move from "Software Defined" to "AI Defined" stage. This system is currently mass-produced in 30 models of three major brands: Geely, Galaxy, and Lynk & Co. Flyme Auto provides three cooperation schemes: Full-Solution Mode (Xingji Meizu participates in design and testing throughout the process), Flyme Auto Inside (provides system framework and optional modules), Flyme Link (lightweight smartphone-car machine interconnection), car enterprises can flexibly choose according to needs.
Overseas Smartphone Business: Meizu has suspended domestic smartphone hardware self-development, but smartphone products in overseas markets still maintain market-oriented operations. During the 2025 MWC, Meizu released MEIZU Mblu series and Note series products targeting markets such as Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, etc..
AI Smart Glasses: The StarV series AR smart glasses under Xingji Meizu have entered the global smart glasses top tier. StarV Air2 reached a market share of 41.5% in the first quarter after launch.
PANDAER Tech Trend Brand: An independent brand positioned for trendy lifestyles and tech peripherals, continuing market-oriented operations.
Meizu's market performance presents a clear polarization trend: traditional smartphone business plummeted, while emerging car machine business grew rapidly.
Smartphone Business — Steep Decline: Meizu smartphones once reached a sales peak in 2015, breaking 20 million units in a year. But since then market share has continuously shrunk. By 2025, Meizu's annual shipment volume in the Chinese smartphone market was only about 980,000 units, market share shrank to about 1.27%, and it has been classified into the "Others" category. Throughout 2025, Meizu smartphone hardware business loss amount reached 1.23 billion RMB, with an average loss of about 1,255 RMB per smartphone sold. Affected by surging memory chip prices, shipment scale too small to amortize costs, etc., Meizu's survival space in the Chinese smartphone market was completely squeezed out. In January 2026, Meizu 22 Air was forced to cancel its launch plan due to cost impacts.
Flyme Auto — Explosive Growth: In sharp contrast to the smartphone business, Flyme Auto has become a Geely Group-level strategic business, growing rapidly. In December 2024, Flyme Auto covered over 410,000 car owner; In July 2025, user scale reached 1.4 million; By the end of 2025, Flyme Auto installation volume broke 2.26 million units, becoming the smart cockpit system with the largest market share in China. As of November 2025, Flyme Auto cooperative vehicle model total sales broke 2 million units, covering over 26 vehicle models, becoming the smart cockpit system with the most installations and widest vehicle coverage. In 2026, the target cooperative installation volume for Flyme Auto and Geely Group is 3 million units.
Overseas Business — Steady Expansion: Since Xingji Meizu fully launched its global strategy in 2024, overseas sales proportion broke 20% within three months, with a long-term goal of 50%. Its full-ecosystem products are already sold in nearly 30 countries and regions such as Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, Middle East, Latin America, etc..
Meizu's technology system is built around two core pillars: Flyme operating system and smart cockpit AI capabilities, especially in the smart cockpit field where a full-stack capability from system underlying to AI application layer has been formed.
Flyme Operating System Gene: Flyme originates from the Mymobile operating system equipped on Meizu's first smartphone M8 in 2009, with naming officially established in 2012. For years, Flyme has been known for deep optimization of Android framework and personalized interaction design, introducing innovative functions such as window mode, mBack interaction scheme, etc., accumulating over 100 million users. This deep operating system development experience became Meizu's technical foundation for entering the car machine field.
Flyme Auto Smart Cockpit System: Flyme Auto is developed based on deep Android customization, migrating phone Flyme's interaction design and interconnection capabilities to the car cockpit. Core functions include: Unnoticeable connection and seamless relay (phone and car automatically connect, realizing content unnoticeable synchronization), phone-assisted OTA, phone-car hardware sharing (such as calling phone camera), window mode and parallel window, and super-finding car function, etc..
Flyme Auto 2 — AI-Driven Next-Gen Cockpit System: In August 2025, Flyme Auto 2 was officially unveiled at Geely AI Cockpit Technology Launch Conference. This system deeply integrates Geely's full-domain AI technology framework, bringing revitalized upgrades in four dimensions, becoming the industry's first AI cockpit immersive experience benchmark. Flyme Auto 2 possesses intelligent agent proactive service capabilities, can remember user habits, proactively create personalized cockpit spaces, supports connection of over 90% non-Meizu brand phones, and provides multiple connection methods such as wired and wireless casting, significantly expanding the smart cockpit entertainment ecosystem.
Open Cooperation Model: Flyme Auto opens smart cockpit capabilities to third-party car enterprises through the "Boundaryless Smart Travel" open platform, providing three flexible cooperation schemes: Full-Solution, Inside, Link. Currently, cooperation with multiple internationally renowned automotive groups is being promoted.
Meizu's overseas business entered an accelerated expansion period after 2024. Its strategic core is deep synergy with Geely Group's automotive exports. Taking Flyme Auto as a bond, it realizes a global path of "Cars going overseas simultaneously, Ecosystem landing simultaneously".
Car Cockpit Ecosystem Synergistic Overseas Expansion: Vehicle models from brands such as Geely and Lynk & Co equipped with Flyme Auto have been exported to the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, etc., providing cross-terminal smart mobility experience for overseas users. According to official disclosure, Flyme Auto has been exported to multiple overseas markets, forming a tight ecosystem synergy with the expansion of Geely's overseas business.
Overseas Market Coverage Network: Xingji Meizu currently operates in more than 30 countries and regions such as Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, Central Asia, and Europe, adopting a "Global Vision, Local Execution" strategy, customizing products according to consumption habits of different markets. In the Middle East market, Xingji Meizu held a joint launch conference with Geely Automobile in Dubai, announcing the entry into the Middle East with full-ecosystem products. In addition, the brand also made a high-profile appearance at international top exhibitions such as CES, MWC, continuously enhancing global influence.
Overseas Smartphone and Smart Hardware Business: After suspending domestic smartphone hardware self-development, Meizu's overseas smartphone business still maintains independent operations, continuing to launch new products in markets such as Russia, Spain, Malaysia, Vietnam, etc.. AI hardware products such as StarV series smart glasses have also entered overseas markets for sales simultaneously.
Meizu's future development path is very clear: completely giving up the traditional smartphone hardware track, comprehensively transforming into an AI-driven smart car software service provider and cross-terminal operating system provider.
Strategic Focus — From Hardware Manufacturer to AI Software Platform: According to the strategic transformation announcement "23 Years of Passion, Reborn in the Name of Flyme" released on February 27, 2026, Meizu has suspended domestic smartphone self-developed hardware projects, turning strategic focus comprehensively towards an AI-driven software product-led development direction, concentrating resources to build a well-operating enterprise with Flyme open ecosystem as the base. This marks that the Meizu brand no longer participates in market competition as a smartphone manufacturer, but becomes a core software asset empowering smart mobility within the Geely system.
Flyme Auto Independent Operations and System Integration: In April 2026, EGALAX Technology announced officially starting to undertake all core assets and businesses of Flyme OS under Xingji Meizu, covering all intellectual property, ongoing businesses, customer contracts, and R&D teams. This integration is a concrete implementation measure of Geely Group executing the "One Geely" strategy, aiming to reduce conflicts of interest and duplicate investment, improving resource utilization efficiency. Flyme Auto will continue to provide smart cockpit operating systems for multiple brands within the Geely system in the "Powered by Flyme" mode, while expanding more international car enterprise cooperation externally.
Product Matrix Continuation: Except for the smart cockpit, overseas smartphone business, AI smart glasses, and PANDAER tech trend brand will continue to maintain market-oriented operations, providing users with cross-terminal, full-scenario, immersive fusion experience.
Long-term Vision: In the new AI era, relying on Flyme's technical accumulation of 100 million users and Geely Group's full industrial chain resources, Meizu is transforming from a traditional consumer electronics brand to a global smart mobility technology ecosystem service provider.
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