(Yicai) Dec. 1 -- Xingji Meizu Group, the smartphone maker backed by Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, announced it would foray into the car manufacturing industry.

Xingji Meizu will allow the public to submit suggestions on various features of its first model, the Meizu DreamCar MX, from the first quarter of next year, the Wuhan-based company announced at an event yesterday. Xingji Meizu will also enable buyers to customize their cars, including painting, interior color, and theme of in-car operating system Flyme Auto, according to their needs.

Xingji Meizu was established from the merger of smart terminal technologies developer Hubei Xingji Shidai Technology, founded by Geely's founder Li Shufu, and smartphone maker Meizu Technology, after the former acquired a controlling stake in the latter.

At yesterday's event, Xinji Miezu also unveiled Wujie Zhixing, a smart open platform similar to that of Huawei Technologies, which provides automakers with operating systems and services for marketing strategy, sales strategy, and others.

Polestar OS, a vehicle-mounted system based on Flyme Auto developed for Polestar Automotive, an electric vehicle maker owned by Geely, will be the first OS to connect to Wujie Zhixing, Xinji Meizu's Chairman and Chief Executive Shen Ziyu said at the event yesterday.

In June, Xinji Meizu and Polestar announced they would set up a joint venture to develop Polestar OS. The pair also noted that the JV would be the only authorized sales and services agent for Polestar's EV models in the Chinese mainland.

Xingji Meizu is not the only Chinese smartphone maker to enter the carmaking industry. Xiaomi set up Xiaomi Auto in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area in March 2021. The company said back then that it planned to invest CNY10 billion (USD1.5 billion) in the first phase of the carmaking business.

Editors: Liao Shumin, Futura Costaglione