Meizu’s Vanishing Act: A Forward Leap in AI Amidst Memory Crunch

At the Meizu Fan Spring Festival 2026, the company made an unforeseen announcement: the release of the Meizu 22 Air smartphone has been officially canceled. Marketing Director Wang Zhiqiang explained that the reason was a sharp increase in memory module prices, which rendered the business plan for this model unviable.

Despite the cancellation, the company showcased a prototype of the Meizu 22 Air. The design resembles the iPhone Air but with a horizontal camera block and unique pixel lighting. The lower part of the back cover features connectors for attaching external modules: an additional battery, a gaming controller with cooling, or an external camera. The smartphone also had potential for interchangeable magnetic covers and a customizable two-stage button on the side edge.

As a consolation, the company announced the Meizu 22 Next AI Cube – a compact 4-inch device. This standalone AI terminal with 5G support runs on AIOS, offering voice-controlled smart home capabilities. However, all details, prices, and the release date have yet to be disclosed. Recent trends show a burgeoning interest in compact AI technologies, aligning with market shifts towards minimalistic AI hardware, thereby positioning Meizu at the crest of innovation.