There’s no denying the seamless integration between smartphone and car technologies is well and truly here, and there are no signs of slowing down.
Though it’s hard to believe smartphone giants are now venturing into the automotive industry, historically speaking, former tech titans like Motorola and Samsung have tried to make the transition, only to come up short.
While it wasn’t too long ago that you needed separate electronic devices for your phone and music, in 2025, some smartphone companies have successfully bridged the gap between tech and automotive, while others have dropped out altogether.
But which smartphone companies are making cars? Here’s what you need to know.
Drive would be remiss not to mention Xiaomi, arguably one of the most successful smartphone companies that has made the successful transition into automotive.
The Chinese tech firm launched its first electric model, the battery-powered SU7 sedan, in 2024 with massive success, accruing 100,000 sales in just eight months in its native China.
Despite losing close to $14,000 per SU7 it delivered, Xiaomi said it’s happy to lose profit in the interim as it looks to gain capital once it begins deliveries of the YU7 SUV – which takes styling cues from the Ferrari Purosangue – in late 2025.
According to Eunice Yoon, the Beijing Chief Bureau for CNBC, a US-based media outlet, Xiaomi has the luxury of relying on other electronic products as it builds its automotive portfolio.
“Xiaomi is one of the few Chinese companies in the EV space that has another way to make money, so that they could continue to pursue their EV and not necessarily rely on the EV as their sole product,” Yoon said.
“The idea behind Xiaomi is to have a connected lifestyle. So, in that way, you see Xiaomi’s name on rice cookers, on power strips, on your cell phone, and on a whole bunch of other stuff. It’s quite different from a lot of other tech companies,” she said in the CNBC report.
Despite only selling in its native Chinese market, the Xiaomi SU7 proved to be so popular that Ford CEO Jim Farley famously said it’s his favourite daily driver.
“I don’t like talking about the competition so much, but I drive the Xiaomi – we flew one from Shanghai to Chicago, and I’ve been driving it for six months now, and I don’t want to give it up,” Farley told the Electric Everything Show podcast in October 2024.
In response to the Xiaomi SU7’s success, William Lu, the Chinese tech firm’s CEO, said the brand is looking to expand globally.
“I cannot share too many details, but I am so excited to tell our global users that Xiaomi will be releasing EVs [electric vehicles] for sale in global markets within the next few years,” Lu told CNBC in 2024.
Whether Xiaomi will come to Australia remains to be seen, but Lu said the brand has plans to build 10,000 Xiaomi stores outside of China by 2029.
While Xiaomi is looking to build its own automotive supply chain, Japanese electronics giant Sony has teamed up with Honda on a range of new electric vehicles.
The Sony-Honda Mobility joint venture has spawned the ‘Afeela’ electric car brand, and its first model, the battery-powered Afeela 1 sedan, will be introduced in the US sometime in 2026.
As previously reported by Drive, Sony-Honda has confirmed US deliveries are due to start in mid-2026, with plans to expand the Afeela brand to the right-hand-drive Japanese market to follow late next year.
However, a Honda Australia spokesperson told Drive while it's working on launching its first EV domestically, it confirmed “that it will not be the Afeela brand at this stage”.
“Our plans to introduce EV models into the Australian market are currently in progress, but timings and models are yet to be confirmed.
“There are a lot of exciting products that sit under the Honda brand. We are continuously exploring opportunities to introduce new offerings to the market,” they added.
The Afeela 1 electric sedan will be initially offered in one dual-motor flagship variant dubbed the ‘Signature’.
Priced from $US102,900 ($AUD165,000), the Afeela 1 Signature is $9100 more expensive than the similar-sized BMW i5 M Sport sedan, which retails for $155,900 before on-road costs in Australia.
The Afeela 1 electric sedan is powered by two electric motors – located at the front and rear axle – and a 92kWh lithium-ion battery, with the car maker claiming a maximum combined output of 360kW. Sony-Honda mobility claims an estimated maximum range of 483km under US EPA testing.
It’s worth noting that the Japanese marques are also planning to introduce a second model dubbed the ‘Origin’ sometime in 2027, with prices starting from $US89,900 ($AUD141,000).
While it's not technically a smartphone company, Thai technology firm Foxconn – best known for manufacturing the Apple iPhone – is dipping its toes in the automotive industry.
Mitsubishi has tapped Foxtron – Foxconn's automotive division – as a manufacturing partner on its new electric vehicle, which is due for an Australian launch in the second half of 2026.
As previously reported by Drive, despite the Japanese marque remaining silent on the official model, it's expected to be a rebranded version of Foxtron's Model B small SUV that wears Mitsubishi branding and styling cues.
The Foxtron Model B has similar dimensions to the Kia EV3 and is powered by a 60kWh battery, with the Thai manufacturer claiming a maximum driving range of 500km.
The small electric SUV is expected to compete with the likes of the BYD Atto 3, and the MG ZS when it arrives in Australian showrooms sometime in 2026.
It's worth noting the Foxtron Model B would be Mitsubishi's first new EV since the short-lived i-MiEV hatch, which went on sale locally between 2010 and 2012 before the brand axed it from its line-up.
Shaun Westcott, Mitsubishi Australia's CEO, said the brand's decision to rebadge Foxtron models as its own was due to the car maker's 'Momentum 2030' goals, which would see it introduce eight new and updated models in Australian showrooms by the end of the decade.
“This pure EV model is the latest step in our Momentum 2030 plan, and offers another string to our multi-powertrain bow that will us through to the next decade,” Westcott said in a media statement.
“It will join a refreshed Mitsubishi range that already offers petrol, diesel and PHEV options that fit Australian lifestyles, all with our innovative 10/10 warranty and capped-price servicing plan.
“It is also further evidence of our core market relationship with MMC [Mitsubishi Motors Corporation], with Australia the first Mitsubishi market to receive this vehicle from launch, and signifies our ongoing strength,” he added.
Though Xiaomi and other smartphone rivals have beaten Apple to the automotive race, the tech giant had been developing its own Apple car, a fully self-driving model.
Internally known as ‘Project Titan’, Apple had high hopes for its debut model, with the tech firm aiming for Level 5 autonomy – defined as a car that can drive itself in certain situations without the need for human correction.
While the car maker initially planned to sell the vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals back in 2014, by 2022, it had to scale back its expectations to Level 4 autonomy, which still requires human intervention at certain points.
In a bid to keep the project alive and to reach production, Apple scaled back its expectations in January 2024, with the tech giant stating it would focus on 'Level 2+' autonomous technology for its Apple car.
Level 2 autonomy is a general term that encapsulates driver assistance features like lane keep/assist and adaptive cruise control, with most established car makers utilising some form of Level 2 tech in modern cars.
After nearly a decade and billions of dollars in spending, tech giant Apple closed the chapter on its autonomous electric car in February 2024.
Unnamed company insiders reportedly told media outlet Bloomberg in early 2024, the project was at a “make or break point ... either the company is finally able to deliver this product with reduced expectations, or top executives may seriously reconsider the project's existence”.
If you want to know what the Apple Car would've looked like, head over to Drive's previous coverage here.
Despite falling short of expectations, the success of smartphone software integration – like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – in modern vehicles is a key reason why some tech companies are looking to automotive as their next venture.
Professor Michael Cowling, the Director of the Hub for the Apple Platform at RMIT University, previously told Drive, “It's no surprise that many smartphone makers think they can make a more streamlined software system for automobiles”.
“This has been true for a long time, with systems such as [Apple] CarPlay and Android Auto featured in pretty much every new car.
“But the difference in recent years is that [smartphone] manufacturers have seen an opportunity to deeply integrate into the core functions of what the car does,” Professor Cowling explained.
Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei has tapped a range of Chinese auto manufacturers to collaborate on numerous car brands.
Its joint partnership with Chery has led to the formation of electric brand Luxeed, with Huawei focusing on the vehicle's technology and software.
According to China-based media outlet CNEVPost, Luxeed delivered its 100,000th vehicle in May 2025, with the Chinese car maker offering two battery-powered models in its native market.
Luxeed launched its first all-electric sedan, the ‘S7’, in November 2023 and has expanded its range to include five variants and the choice of a single or dual electric motor.
The S7 range starts from the entry-level single motor Pro variant, which starts from ¥CNY229,800 ($AUD49,411) and extends to the flagship dual-motor S7 Ultra, which carries a starting retail sticker of ¥CNY319,800 ($AUD68,760).
The Luxeed S7 Pro has a claimed CLTC maximum range of 550km, while its range-topping dual-motor S7 Ultra has a claimed maximum range of 855km, thanks to the variant’s 64kW Huawei battery.
The Chinese marque introduced a new electric SUV dubbed the ‘R7’ in September 2024, with the car maker initially offering four electric variants dubbed the Pro, Max, Max+ and Ultra.
The Luxeed R7 electric SUV is available in two battery options (82kWh and 100kWh), with a maximum CLTC range sitting at 667–802km, depending on a customer’s specifications, as per CNEVPost.
The electric SUV's domestic line-up is priced from ¥CNY259,800 for the single motor Pro R7 ($AUD55,832) and extends to the dual motor R7 Ultra, which carries a retail sticker of ¥CNY339,800 ($AUD73,018).
Just three months later, Luxeed introduced a hybrid R7 SUV, with the Chinese marque initially offering two variants at launch in December 2024 – a Pro variant priced from ¥CNY249,800 ($AUD53,223) at launch, and its top-spec Max trim, which carried a ¥CNY289,800 ($AUD61,746) retail sticker.
The Luxeed R7 hybrid is powered by Chery’s fifth-generation EREV (extended range electric vehicle) engine, a 1.5-litre powertrain that’s mated to a single 200kW rear motor.
Both R7 trims are also powered by a 37kWh battery, with Luxeed claiming the hybrid SUV has a maximum CLTC EV-only range of 251km. In petrol-electric form, the Luxeed R7 has a combined maximum range of 1570km.
According to local news outlet China Daily, Yin Tongyue, the chairman of Chery, told the media in April 2025 that the Luxeed brand is targeting younger Chinese customers.
“Luxeed is a brand co-owned by Huawei and Chery to win the hearts of young consumers. We prioritise allocating top-tier research and development talents and engineering resources to Luxeed,” Tongyue said.
Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.
