Meizu’s Bold Festival Twist: The Unexpected Cancellation and a Tiny AI Wonder

At the Meizu Fan Spring Festival 2026, the company made an unexpected announcement: the release of the Meizu 22 Air smartphone is officially canceled. Marketing Director Wang Zhiqiang explained that the reason was a sharp increase in memory module prices, making the business plan for this model unfeasible. Despite the cancellation, the company showcased a prototype of the Meizu 22 Air.

The design resembles the iPhone Air but features a horizontal camera block and a unique pixelated lighting feature. At the bottom of the cover, connectors were provided for connecting external modules: an additional battery, a gaming controller with cooling, or an external camera. The smartphone could also feature interchangeable magnetic covers and a customizable two-step button on the side edge.

As consolation, Meizu announced the Meizu 22 Next AI Cube-a compact 4-inch device. This standalone AI terminal supports 5G and runs on AIOS, an operating system that enhances AI interoperability and smart home voice control. While details, prices, and the release date remain undisclosed, this move comes amid rising AI market trends, positioning Meizu alongside industry players like Apple and Amazon.