Dreame AI Phone Head Yu Lei Reportedly Resigning After Less Than Six Months
Yu Lei, the head of Dreame's AI mobile phone and hardware business (Eclix) and former Gionee VP, is reportedly planning to resign from the company. Having joined Dreame's MOVA brand in March 2026, his departure comes less than six months into his tenure. This sudden leadership change introduces uncertainty for Dreame's upcoming high-end AI smartphone, which was scheduled for release in September 2026. It highlights the challenges smart home appliance manufacturers face when trying to diversify into the highly competitive AI hardware and smartphone markets. Under Yu's leadership, the Eclix team partnered with leading Chinese large language model developers to design an app-less, AI-controlled phone priced above 5,000 RMB. Although the core R&D is reportedly near completion, Yu's departure could disrupt the final testing and launch timeline.
## BACKGROUND
Dreame is primarily known for its smart home cleaning appliances like robotic vacuums. The company recently expanded into AI hardware and smartphones under its ecosystem brands like MOVA and Eclix. Yu Lei, a veteran in the mobile industry, previously co-founded the smartphone brand FreeYond and served as global VP of Gionee.