Meizu, the Chinese electronics company once known for its Android phones and beloved Flyme OS, has announced that it will stop developing traditional smartphones and shift its focus entirely toward artificial intelligence (AI)-driven products.
What’s Happening?
Meizu revealed in early 2024 that it will no longer pursue new conventional Android smartphone projects, effectively ending its role as a traditional phone maker. The decision marks the end of an era for a company that started selling consumer electronics in the 2000s and later became known globally for its Flyme-skinned Android devices.
According to company leadership, the traditional smartphone market’s increasingly incremental upgrades and fierce competition have made it difficult to innovate meaningfully through hardware alone. Meizu said it will go “All in on AI,” redirecting resources to AI software, new AI hardware devices, and a revamped operating system designed for the AI era.
What Phones Are Affected?
Meizu’s shift means that planned future devices such as the Meizu 21 Pro, Meizu 22, and Meizu 23 series were reportedly canceled, with the recently launched Meizu 21 likely being its last traditional smartphone.
Existing Meizu phones will still receive support and software updates in China, and the company says it intends to honour maintenance and after-sales services for those devices. However, it’s unclear how long support will continue outside mainland China.
Why the Change?
Meizu’s pivot comes amid broader industry challenges, including longer upgrade cycles and intense competition from bigger players like Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo trends that have pushed smaller brands out of the smartphone market globally. Counterpoint Research data suggests dozens of smartphone brands have exited the market over recent years, with Meizu repeatedly listed among them as part of this consolidation trend.
Meizu’s CEO Shen Ziyu cited the slowing pace of meaningful improvements in the smartphone space and the growing importance of AI technologies as key reasons behind the strategic shift.
What’s Next for Meizu?
Instead of phones, Meizu will invest in AI-centric devices and ecosystems, including a new AI-optimized operating system to replace Flyme OS and upcoming AI hardware products slated for release from 2024 onward. The company aims to work with major AI platform providers and embed AI capabilities deeply into its next generation of products.
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