Meizu는 전통적인 휴대폰 시장에 작별을 고하고 '휴대폰' 여정의 5가지 주요 전환점을 검토합니다.

On the first day after returning to work after the Spring Festival holiday, that is, February 18, Meizu couldn’t wait to launch its big move. Meizu’s official Weibo announced that it will stop the development of new projects for traditional smartphones (Meizu 21 PRO, Meizu 22, and Meizu 23). It will follow up with All in AI and focus on the exploration of new AI devices.

Since its birth in 2003, Meizu has made a mark in the consumer electronics market such as smartphones with its unique design concept and innovative spirit. From the success of Meizu M9, to the launch of cost-effective mid-range phones, to the expansion of overseas markets, Meizu has been working hard to seek breakthroughs and growth. However, as market competition intensifies, Meizu’s position in the smartphone field is gradually being challenged.

Now, Meizu has announced that it will stop the development of new traditional smartphone projects and fully invest in the field of AI. This marks that Meizu is about to embark on a new journey. In this article, CNMO will take everyone to review the development process of Meizu and the turning points it has encountered.

Meizu launched its first smartphone in 2007: Meizu M8

In that era of rapid technological development, Apple completely changed the landscape of the entire mobile phone industry with a product called iPhone. The iPhone is more than just a phone, it's an engineering marvel, a revolutionary product whose innovative design and features eclipse its competitors. At that time, the transition from feature phones to touchscreen devices was just beginning, and the iPhone was undoubtedly the leader of this change.

As a domestic technology company at the time, Meizu keenly captured this huge market opportunity. In order to quickly capture market share, they launched the Meizu M8, a phone that is very similar to the iPhone in design. Meizu M8 uses a customized operating system based on Windows CE. It is worth noting that the Android system had not yet appeared at that time, and Meizu M8 was undoubtedly at the forefront of the times.

With the rising demand in the touch screen smartphone market, Meizu M8 has performed well in the consumer market. Compared with the expensive iPhone, the Meizu M8 is more affordable, a full 30% cheaper. Moreover, since the Meizu M8 is very similar to the iPhone in appearance design, many consumers regard it as an affordable iPhone alternative, further boosting its popularity in the market.

With its advantages in performance, appearance, etc., the sales of Meizu M8 are very good. In just 2 months, sales reached 100,000 units, and 5 months later, sales exceeded 500 million. You know, the penetration rate of smartphones was not very high back then, and Meizu’s physical stores already had queues. Since this phone was using a Microsoft system at the time, it was permanently collected by Microsoft.

Meizu’s Android Journey

After being “bitten” by Apple, Meizu was not discouraged. Instead, it saw an opportunity for transformation. In 2011, they launched the first smartphone based on Android operating system, Meizu M9. The phone quickly became a popular product for the company with its high-resolution screen and all the features the market expected from a smartphone at the time. The success of Meizu M9 not only won Meizu market recognition, but also established its position in the smartphone field.

With the success of Meizu M9, Meizu began to expand its product line and launched mid-range phones such as Meizu M1 Note and Meizu M2. These phones provide rich features and a good user experience while maintaining high cost performance. In order to further expand the market, Meizu has also set its sights on overseas markets. Devices such as Meizu M3 Note and Meizu M5 have successfully entered the Indian market, attracting the attention of many consumers.

Based on continuous accumulation of experience and technology, Meizu launched its first flagship smartphone - Meizu PRO 5 in 2015. This phone has reached new heights in terms of hardware configuration, system optimization and user experience, further consolidating Meizu's position in the smartphone market.

However, Meizu is not satisfied with the status quo, they always maintain an optimistic attitude towards the future. In 2019, Meizu showed off a concept smartphone called Meizu ZERO. The design of this phone subverts the tradition, with no buttons and ports, and completely uses wireless charging technology to replace the traditional USB charging method. In addition, Meizu ZERO is also equipped with an under-screen fingerprint scanner, providing users with a more convenient and secure unlocking experience. Although this phone did not eventually enter the consumer market, it demonstrated Meizu's exploration and pursuit of future technology.

Meizu’s decline in competition

Meizu once made a splash in the smartphone market, but has gradually lost its luster in the increasingly fierce competition. While other brands such as Xiaomi, OPPO and vivo are emerging, Meizu has failed to establish its own unique market positioning. Xiaomi has attracted a large number of consumers with its excellent price/performance ratio, while OPPO and vivo have won the favor of photo-centric user groups with their powerful camera functions.

In the fiercely competitive market environment, every brand is striving to find a unique competitive advantage. However, Meizu seems to have lost its way in this trend. Despite their success in the market, Meizu failed to successfully highlight its unique selling points in competition with other brands. Despite its diverse product lines, it lacks a flagship product that can lead the market trend, which makes Meizu unable to compete.

Subsequently, Meizu’s sales continued to decline, causing the company to close many stores. Meizu is facing huge operating pressure, and many senior executives within the company have also resigned. These problems make it extremely difficult for Meizu to maintain business operations.

What makes Meizu even more troublesome is that their customers started complaining on online forums. Customers have said that Meizu's after-sales service is very inadequate, which prevents them from getting timely solutions when they encounter problems. The spread of this negative word-of-mouth has further weakened Meizu's image in the minds of consumers.

At this critical moment, Meizu urgently needs a helping hand to help them get out of trouble. Fortunately, in 2022, Geely Group extended a helping hand to Meizu. The addition of Geely has brought new funds and resources to Meizu.

Meizu was acquired by Geely

In July 2022, Geely officially acquired Meizu. Car companies and mobile phone companies officially announced that they are joining hands. Xingji Times holds 79.09% of the controlling stake in Meizu Technology and has obtained sole control of Meizu Technology.

According to the "Meizu Technology" WeChat account, Li Shufu, chairman of Xingji Times, Huang Zhang, founder of Meizu Technology, etc. attended and witnessed the signing ceremony. Wang Yong, CEO of Xingji Times, and Huang Zhipan, CEO of Meizu Technology, signed the contract on behalf of both parties. . After this strategic investment, Meizu Technology will continue to operate as an independent brand. As a product strategic consultant for Meizu Technology, Huang Zhang will continue to contribute to the development of Meizu Technology, and Meizu Technology’s senior management team will remain stable.

Li Shufu said at the signing ceremony that in the future, the tracks of the two industries of smart cars and smartphones will no longer be monotonous. They will no longer go their own way, but will integrate multiple terminals, full scenarios, and immersive experiences for common users. Fusion relationship. By deploying the mobile phone business, the consumer electronics industry and the automotive industry will be deeply integrated, and a cross-border user ecological chain will be created to achieve super synergy.

Shortly after Geely successfully acquired Meizu, in March 2023, Meizu officially launched the highly anticipated Meizu 20 series of new phones. As Meizu’s first flagship model after the acquisition, the Meizu 20 series has attracted a lot of attention before its release. This is not only because it is a new flagship launched by Meizu in the past two years, but also because the outside world is looking forward to seeing what kind of mobile phone products Meizu, which has more abundant funds, can create. Facts have proved that the Meizu 20 series has received a positive response in the market.

Only half a year later, Meizu released Meizu 21 in November, further consolidating its position in the market. However, just when everyone was expecting Meizu to continue to launch more new phones, on the first working day after the Spring Festival, Meizu suddenly became the focus of the industry. The company announced a shocking decision: to stop traditional "smartphones" project, fully investing in the field of AI.

Meizu stops the development of new traditional smartphone projects

On February 18, Meizu announced today that All in AI will stop new traditional “smartphone” projects and fully invest in “tomorrow’s devices” AI For New Generations.

Meizu officially issued a statement stating that currently, with the global mobile phone market’s extended replacement cycle, limited space for consumer innovation, and intensified vicious competition in the industry, the mobile phone industry is facing unprecedented challenges. At the same time, mobile phone products rely solely on hardware upgrades and parameter competition, which can no longer meet the diversified and comprehensive usage needs and experience of consumers. The industry urgently needs to find new sustainable development directions.

Meizu는 2년간의 팀 구성, 자원 할당, 제품 레이아웃 및 관련 기술에 대한 충분한 사전 연구를 거쳐 이제 Meizu가 AI 분야로 종합적으로 전환할 수 있는 능력을 갖게 되었다고 말했습니다. 종합적으로 개발된 기술 생태계 회사인 Meizu는 완전한 R&D 및 공급망 하드웨어 팀뿐만 아니라 체계적인 개발, 설계 및 대화형 소프트웨어 팀을 보유하고 있어 Meizu All in AI에 대한 견고한 기술 지원 및 서비스 보증을 제공합니다.

계획에 따르면 Meizu의 AI 시대를 위한 새로운 모바일 운영 체제는 2024년에 업데이트되어 AI 시대의 운영 체제 인프라 기능을 구축할 예정입니다. 또한 Meizu의 첫 번째 AI 장치 하드웨어입니다. 제품도 연내 출시 예정이다. 공식 출시돼 세계 최고의 AI 디바이스 제조사들과 정면 경쟁을 펼치고 있다.

마지막에 작성

Meizu가 새로운 전통적인 스마트폰 프로젝트 개발을 중단하겠다고 발표했지만 이것이 휴대폰 시장에서 완전히 철수한다는 의미는 아닙니다. Xingji Meizu 내부자에 따르면, 이 결정은 Meizu가 더 이상 휴대폰 제품을 출시하지 않는다는 의미는 아니지만, 미래의 휴대폰 제품에 AI 기술이 통합되어 기존 스마트폰과 완전히 다른 대화형 경험을 만들 것이라는 의미입니다. 전 세계 휴대전화 시장의 교체 주기가 길어지고 스마트폰 혁신에 병목 현상이 발생하는 상황에서 AI는 휴대전화 제조업체의 일반적인 변혁 방향이 되었습니다. Meizu의 움직임은 바로 이러한 추세에 부응하고 AI를 새로운 성장 포인트로 활용하며 휴대폰 시장의 미래 발전을 모색하는 것입니다.

물론 AI 분야에서 Meizu의 발전은 여전히 ​​많은 도전과 불확실성에 직면해 있습니다. 이 새로운 분야에서 자신의 위치와 발전 방향을 어떻게 찾을 수 있습니까? 자체 기술적 이점과 자원을 최대한 활용하는 방법은 무엇입니까? 점점 더 다양해지는 소비자의 요구를 어떻게 충족시킬 수 있을까요? 이는 Meizu가 생각하고 해결해야 할 문제입니다.

위 내용은 Meizu는 전통적인 휴대폰 시장에 작별을 고하고 '휴대폰' 여정의 5가지 주요 전환점을 검토합니다.의 상세 내용입니다. 자세한 내용은 PHP 중국어 웹사이트의 기타 관련 기사를 참조하세요!