Geely is slated to buy Meizu as renders for the smartphone OEM's 2022 flagships emerge

Geely may be best known as a company that makes cars that then sell under marques such as Polestar. However, it now seems that it wants to start making other devices, namely smartphones. According to the media outlet 36Krypton, it might need some help designing these products, which is where a merger with Meizu allegedly comes in.

The auto manufacturer has reportedly already invested around 10 billion yuan (~US$1.6 billion) on its prospective move into Meizu's industry, and may spend even more on this possible acquisition. Then again, the OEM in question has yet to respond publicly to these new rumors.

The brand has had a record of launching flagships with unique looks and attractive prices compared to their rivals; however, this has not exactly led to meteoric success for the OEM in its native China, not to speak of the international market, to date.

On the other hand, Meizu has gotten more conventional in recent years, as illustrated by its most recent 18 and 18s series of flagship smartphones. Nevertheless, the company's CEO, Huang Quban, has asserted that it will continue to partner with Qualcomm to offer "high-quality and distinctive products" in 2022.

This announcement has become the basis of a new render showing prospective "19-series" devices that not only have elements of possibly Samsung- and OnePlus-inspired design, but also exhibit giant Pentax logos in their camera humps. However much of a genuine new collaboration this detail proves evidence of remains to be seen.

Meizu also makes TWS earbuds that are available on Amazon.