"There's definitely a need for a centralized, customizable way to interact with ubiquitous consumer electronic devices. Putting phones in the driver's seat will play to the strengths of Huawei and other Chinese phone makers as they already have a first-mover advantage worldwide," Yan said.

Such a development is set to lead and even reshuffle the global supply chain, he added.

For a modern smart life, the leading device for most consumers is really the mobile phone, said Marco Hecker, a partner at Deloitte China.

Hecker cited a recent survey by Deloitte that said the Chinese are among the world's most avid fans of connectivity features when they purchase vehicles. "Whether I own the car, go into an autonomous (driving) car or jump into ride-hailing, I want to have my integration. So the only constant (thing) with me is my mobile phone. And the trend is going to continue," he said.