Nio’s first smartphone may arrive next year

Development is reportedly nearing the end of Nio’s own smartphone, at least that’s what the CnEVPost. The Chinese electric car manufacturer had already made it official and started developing its own smartphone, but for the time being the company had to focus on other projects, so the mobile phone took a back seat. According to a Chinese automotive journalist, Oujang Chen, the phone will be released at the end of 2023, which, in addition to the reorganization of the company, also contributed to the fact that Nio insisted on the OEM business model, that is, that their contract manufacturer must make it based on the designs and specifications delivered by the customer the device. The OEM method is slower than ODM, where the customer outsources the design and production to the contracting party, but since Nio’s goal is to create perfect harmony between the phone and their cars, it is understandable that they want to handle everything in-house.

The interior of a Nio EV with the Nomi assistant protruding from the dashboard. (source: Tech In Asia) [+]

Currently, the former president of Meitu heads Nio’s phone division. The device will reportedly be equipped with functions that will specifically help interaction with Nio cars, and the mobile phone will also include the virtual assistant Nomi. William Li, the president of Nio, stated that they are experiencing a demand from their customers for a mobile device that works better with cars, so the goal with their phone is not to break into the mobile market, but to create a perfect accessory for their electric cars. That’s why, according to Li, they don’t even plan to have many devices, they would settle for one phone model a year, just like Apple started.