A new Polestar is launching next week – but it's not what you'd expect

I had to do a calendar double-take this morning just to check it wasn't 1 April. But, nope, it's 19 April as I type this, so I feel somewhat more assured that Polestar's next launch is legitimate. Except, hang on, it's not a new Polestar car.

Nope! Polestar's next launch isn't one of the best EVs, it's actually... a mobile phone. Yes, you read that correctly: a phone! The auto-maker is due to dabble in the telephony market, with a rather suave-looking Polestar phone that's due to launch in China next week, on 23 April.

That regionality is a bit of an issue for any Western wannabe buyers, however, as you'll not be able to buy said Polestar phone on these shores. Indeed, if you're especially eagle-eyed and into mobile phones as much as you are cars, then you'll see this device is likely a rebranded version of an existing model anyway.

In late February, Chinese brand Meizu launched the Meizu 21 Pro. Polestar and Meizu are having a collaboration with the Polestar phone – no big surprise, seeing as parent company Geely owns both – so while no specification has been released about the upcoming launch, the visual similarities and, presumably, the internal specifications, will be nigh-on the same.

Image 1 of 7

If I sound sour about it then, well, it's because I own a Polestar 2 and, you know what? I'd actually really like to own a Polestar phone too. Not that there's any reason, as my take on this phone is that it's to solve "the China problem".

I don't mean that politically: Polestar makes cars in China, complete with Google's operating system as its main hub, then imports them to other countries. Except, now Polestar is selling in China, that whole Google OS is useless – because it's blocked there. This is where the tie-in with Meizu makes sense, especially as Geely owns both companies, as Flyme OS can instead be used. So I think the Polestar phone is essentially a stepping stone 'fix' to make for a better user experience in China.

It doesn't hurt that it also looks really cool. The default pain for Polestar's cars is called Magnesium (a grey-white) and, if I'm not mistaken, the phone appears to reflect this colour. Extra impressive, in my humble opinion, is the flash of yellow-gold around the cameras on the rear, as per Polestar's Performance Pack enhancements (you get brake calipers and seatbelts this colour). 

As you can see from the embedded gallery above, which has been scraped from Chinese social site Weibo, the two companies look to have done a stellar job in making a phone that looks so good I want one. Even though I'll never be able to buy one. And, even if I could, using Meizu's OS in the UK would be nigh-on impossible anyway. So let's just stare and admire this phone for what it is: an unexpected oddity with great visual flare.