"It's A Collaboration Beyond Just Aesthetics Of Aston Martin F1 Cars": Chase Xu

The collaboration between Aston Martin and realme, marked by a three-year licensing partnership, has culminated in the unveiling of the GT7 Dream Edition smartphone. This co-engineered device merges Aston Martin's iconic design language with realme's cutting-edge mobile technology, signalling a new era in luxury mobile experiences. During the unveiling, we had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Chase Xu, Vice President and CMO, realme, and pose a few questions. The exchange is detailed below.

What does this collaboration bring to the table for both brands - strategically and creatively?

The collaboration with the Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team has profoundly influenced the GT7 Series, elevating it from a high-performance smartphone to a design icon. This partnership brought a century of British automotive craftsmanship into the realm of mobile technology. The GT7 Dream Edition features the iconic Aston Martin "Silver Wing" emblem, meticulously recreated through a triple-layer engraving process, where each 0.1mm feathered groove symbolizes the brand's legacy of precision. The phone's aerodynamic two-wing design draws inspiration from the high-speed airflow trails of Formula One cars, giving it a sculpted, dynamic form that feels both futuristic and timeless. The signature Aston Martin Green finish, achieved through a five-layer paint process and hundreds of calibrations, adds a tactile richness and visual depth rarely seen in smartphones. This collaboration wasn't just about aesthetics, it was about embedding a philosophy of performance, luxury, and legacy into every detail of the GT7.

Also Read: Aston Martin F1 Team, Realme Ink 3-Year Licensing Partnership, Unveil GT7 Dream Edition Smartphone

When you're designing a product that merges two distinct brand identities, where do you begin?

It all begins by identifying shared values and crafting a unified vision. For GT7, that meant focusing on themes like precision engineering, speed, elegance, and innovation. Once those commonalities are established, the design process becomes a dialogue between aesthetics and functionality. It's not about overpowering one brand's identity but fusing both into a seamless, elevated experience.

Teams from realme and the Aston Martin F1 team worked hand-in-hand, from ideation to prototyping, to ensure every detail reflected both brands' DNA. This collaborative approach allowed the GT7 to feel like a genuine co-creation, rather than a cosmetic rebrand.

Was there a specific car model or design philosophy from the auto brand that inspired the product design?

The design is heavily inspired by Aston Martin's Formula One legacy. The aerodynamic "two-wing" layout of the phone mimics the airflow trails seen on F1 racecars, merging form and function. Every curve and line on the GT7 Dream Edition is designed to evoke speed and movement, giving the user a sense of momentum even before they power on the device.

In terms of philosophy, the emphasis on handcrafted detailing, precision surfaces, and legacy-driven elegance draws from Aston Martin's core values. It's not just about looking good; it's about feeling engineered, purposeful, and elite.

How did you ensure the product doesn't feel like just a sticker job or co-branding gimmick?

Authenticity was non-negotiable. This wasn't about slapping a logo on the back of a phone, it was a deep design integration from the ground up. The materials, the paint, the ergonomics, the UI, all were co-developed with the Aston Martin F1 team to ensure the final result felt like an extension of their design language, not a shortcut.

This commitment to detail, from over 100 paint calibrations to the engraving of the Silver Wing emblem, ensured the device had substance, not just style. When users interact with the GT7 Dream Edition, they'll feel the difference in every touchpoint.

Who is the ideal customer for this product - the tech enthusiast, the car fan, or someone else entirely?

This product is for the aspirational user at the intersection of technology and lifestyle. Yes, it speaks to car enthusiasts who revere Aston Martin's legacy, and yes, it delivers the kind of specs that serious tech users demand. But most importantly, it's built for those who want more than utility, they want status, story, and sophistication.

It's for the young entrepreneur who lives fast and works smart, the content creator who needs power and personality, the gamer who values cooling and battery life, and the design lover who appreciates thoughtful craftsmanship. It's a phone that says as much about who you are as what you do.

Is this collaboration a one-off or can we expect more crossovers like this in the future? 

realme has always embraced creative crossovers as a brand strategy, whether with luxury designers, pop culture icons, or now automotive legends. While we can't comment on future launches just yet, the success and buzz around the GT7 Dream Edition certainly opens the door for more partnerships of this caliber.

What's exciting is that these collaborations don't just bring fresh designs, they shape product philosophy, drive innovation, and create emotional relevance. As long as the vision and values align, we'll continue exploring opportunities to co-create with icons across industries.

How much do partnerships like this actually move the needle in terms of capturing customer attention?

Creative partnerships have been a cornerstone of realme's growth strategy, helping the brand evolve into a youth-centric, design-forward, and culturally relevant player in the global smartphone market. These collaborations have allowed realme to tap into diverse communities-from fashion and gaming to luxury and fine arts-creating products that go beyond functionality and speak to lifestyle, identity, and emotion.

Over the years, realme has partnered with some of the most respected names in design. The realme 11 Pro Series 5G featured a premium "master design" created in collaboration with Matteo Menotto, a former Gucci designer, bringing high fashion sensibilities to smartphone aesthetics. The realme 12 Pro Series 5G continued this legacy by teaming up with Ollivier Savéo, a former Rolex co-designer, to deliver a timepiece-inspired design that blended elegance with precision. Most recently, the realme 13 Pro Series 5G showcased a unique artistic vision through a partnership with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, resulting in a Monet-inspired design that brought fine art into the hands of everyday users. The realme 14 Pro Series 5G introduced a unique temperature-sensitive color-changing design co-created by Danish design studio Valeur Designers, known for their long-standing collaboration with Bang & Olufsen. This partnership brought a touch of Nordic craftsmanship to the device, enhancing its premium appeal.

These collaborations have not only elevated the visual appeal of realme's products but also helped the brand build emotional connections with its audience. Limited-edition models like the GT Neo 3 Naruto Edition and the realme 10 Pro Coca-Cola Edition generated massive buzz and brought niche fan communities into the realme ecosystem. Now, with the GT7 Series and the Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team collaboration, realme is entering the world of luxury and motorsport, appealing to aspirational users who value both performance and prestige.

Together, these partnerships have helped realme stay ahead of design trends, experiment with bold new aesthetics, and reinforce its position as a brand that understands and celebrates youth culture. They've also contributed significantly to realme's global growth, especially among Gen Z and millennial consumers who are looking for products that reflect their values, passions, and personal style.

What are some standout features or design elements that make this collaboration truly unique for users?

The realme GT7 Series is packed with innovations that push the boundaries of what users can expect from a flagship smartphone. At its core is the MediaTek Dimensity 9400e chipset, built on TSMC's 4nm process, which delivers top-tier performance and efficiency. This processor enables stable 120fps gaming, making it ideal for titles like PUBG and BGMI. Complementing this is the 7000mAh Titan Battery, the largest in its class, paired with 120W Ultra Charge technology. This combination not only eliminates power anxiety but also achieves TÜV Rheinland 5-Star Battery Certification for safety and longevity. The Smart Bypass charging system further enhances battery health by directing power straight to the motherboard during gaming. On the design front, the IceSense Graphene structure offers industry-first thermal management, while the AI Travel Snap Camera, featuring Sony's IMX906 sensor and Lightning Snap algorithm, delivers ultra-fast, high-quality photography, even underwater in 4K. These advancements are rounded out by the NEXT AI suite, which includes tools like AI Planner, AI Eraser 2.0, and AI Gaming Coach, making the GT7 a truly intelligent companion.

Did the collaboration influence just the visual design, or are there performance or interface changes too?

Definitely. Designing a product that embodies both high-performance engineering and luxury craftsmanship meant our teams had to think beyond conventional smartphone design boundaries. Achieving the Aston Martin Green required over a hundred calibrations. The triple-layer engraved emblem and aerodynamic "two-wing" profile were new territories for a smartphone form factor.

These challenges pushed the design and materials teams to experiment, iterate, and refine every detail to meet the standards of both brands. It wasn't just about delivering a phone, it was about delivering a statement piece.