Reinventing the Millennium

On January 9, Apple will hold a Macworld conference at the Masconi Convention Center in San Francisco at 7 p.m.

Everyone paying attention knows that Apple is about to launch its first product into the mobile phone market.

On this day, as a competitor that may pay more attention to Apple than anyone else, Fang Zhuo held an ordinary meeting for a long time and listened to the communication between Qualcomm Vice President Anderson and V Business.

Then, after a simple working meal, he and Mr. Yu Hong waited for the true face of the competing product in Lushan.

The R\u0026D center has gone to get off work, so acquaintances such as Corden did not stay with them.

The first is to give them time to digest it themselves, and then discuss it officially tomorrow.

Second, Fang Zhuo didn't want his bad... ah, no, whimsical thoughts to come out during the press conference to be known to others.

The press conference was not live broadcast, but many media were invited and the video will be released on the official website.

In addition, because Schmidt, Apple's foreign director and Google CEO, was invited as a guest, I am afraid he will also know many real details.

"Mr. Fang, I found that you have done a lot with Bloomberg. Isn't this VIP membership fee worth it?" Yu Hong simply made two cups of coffee, handed one to Mr. Fang and said that she could deliver information immediately. media.

"It's always worth it. A little protection fee can settle the administrative issues. There's nothing more worth it than this." Fang Zhuo took a sip of coffee and replied with a smile.

In front of him were a notebook, a Bloomberg news terminal, two Yike prototypes, and several documents.

Yu Hong took a prototype and said with appreciation: "I often try out our prototypes, but I'm not used to Nokia's small screen."

Fang Zhuo actually couldn't understand this feeling at all.

From beginning to end, his evaluation seemed to change - rough toy → slightly less rough toy.

But for the present, brand-new human-computer interaction + large-size screen + highly scalable intelligent system, all this is so fresh!

Fang Zhuo has always been careful to separate his personal feelings from the evaluation that Yike mobile phone should receive at this time. Otherwise, Yike mobile phone may never be released.

In the same way, the same is true for his judgment on the Android system.

Just like HTC, which is equipped with the early Android system, it still sells the second highest sales volume in the world in the smartphone market.

At this moment, consumers are all focused on a new gadget like the touch screen, rather than on Fang Zhuo’s high requirements for the system.

Of course, a more complete system, a richer ecosystem, and a smoother experience will all become increasingly important competitiveness.

"Mr. Fang, Schmidt went to attend the Apple press conference. Well, he is a person who vigorously develops the Android system." Yu Hong opened her notebook and smiled, "To me, it is ridiculous for him to attend the press conference. The next best thing is for you to attend!”

Fang Zhuo said disapprovingly: "What's ridiculous about this? The last time I met Steve Jobs, we were discussing the acquisition in a friendly manner."

Yu Hong thought about the past, well, she was very friendly. Did she shake hands before leaving? Seems like I got it.

Ding!

An email from a Bloomberg reporter popped up on Fang Zhuo's laptop.

However, it was still ten minutes before seven o'clock.

"It actually started early. Come on, come and take a look."

Fang Zhuo greeted Yu Hong.

He clicked on the alternative live broadcast from Bloomberg, and the email was full of pictures and texts.

——Jobs’ first words on stage: “I have been looking forward to this day for two years and six months.”

——Encouraging applause erupted from the scene.

There are two on-site photos, one is the entire press conference before it starts, and the other is Steve Jobs with the Apple logo behind him.

Fang Zhuo and Yu Hong looked at each other. The reporter's description... What is encouragement?

"Maybe it's because everyone hasn't seen the phone yet, so it's an encouragement to him during this period of time." Fang Zhuo could only guess this, and then suggested, "Otherwise, we should wait until the press conference is over before watching. , I found this to be too time-consuming.”

Yu Hong refused with her eyes. How could she miss the competitor's immediate information? She also wanted to see if Mr. Fang had any bad water coming out.

Soon, after a few minutes of the two of them playing with their phones in silence, the reporter came with new information.

——Jobs said he would release three revolutionary products, a touch-controlled widescreen iPod, a revolutionary mobile phone, and a breakthrough interconnect communication tool.

——Obviously, he is saying that the mobile phone he is going to release combines these three products.

——The scene was filled with much warmer applause and whistles than before.

——He named it iPhone, listed the mobile phones on the market, and thought that Nokia and Motorola’s smartphones were only a little smarter than ordinary mobile phones, and then began to comment on their keyboards.

The photos this time are of the physical keyboards of four mainstream mobile phones on the market with large screens.

"Canceling the keyboard is indeed worth talking about. Mr. Fang, what do you think?" Yu Hong looked at Mr. Fang.

Fang Zhuo was thinking about Yike's future press conference at this moment, and said cautiously: "Launch conference, friends, get√."

Yu Hong frowned and glanced at Mr. Fang. Before she could speak, a new email came quickly.

——I saw the iPhone.

——Wow, it’s better than I thought... I don’t know how to describe it.

——Excuse me, Mr. Fang, what do you think?

The new picture is a shot of an iPhone on the big screen. At this time, Bloomberg reporters not only assumed the role of information transmission, but also reflected their journalistic instincts.

When Yu Hong saw the appearance of the iPhone, she was suddenly stunned.

This appearance... why is it so similar to prototype No. 1?

Of course, we know that Apple is also going to use a screen to replace the mobile phone keyboard, but why are even the physical key positions saved below so similar?

Simply the same origin!

Yu Hong was shocked.

She also wants to know what Mr. Fang thinks at this moment!

She looked at Mr. Fang.

Mr. Fang stood up in shock!

He was stunned for two seconds and spit out a person's name: "Schmidt!"

When Yu Hong heard this name, she also realized that this Apple foreign director, Google CEO, and Android collaborator was one of the few people who had seen the Yike prototype and tried it!

Where is this person from? Or was there some leak?

Or, a simple crash?

After all, the earpiece is placed above the screen and the microphone is placed below. The shapes are similar, and the layout of a few buttons is not without the possibility of being similar.

Yu Hong saw Mr. Fang quickly sit down calmly.

"Does Schmidt have a reason?" Fang Zhuo frowned and looked at Xiao Yu, "Coincidence? Something went wrong in other ways? However, this does not prevent us from asking Schmidt about this matter!"

Yu Hong nodded slightly. Although this person named Fang always had a good psychological quality, didn't he calm down too quickly?

Fang Zhuo picked up the Yike prototype again: "Mr. Yu, do you think this will have an impact on the launch of our mobile phone?"

Yu Hong gave up additional thoughts, thought carefully for a while, and said: "Touch screen mobile phones are undoubtedly a subversion of today's mobile phones. If consumers can really accept it, as latecomers, although we will be questioned, we can also step on it. A market that Apple is warming up to."

She continued: "The mobile phone market is so big that there is not only one Apple or one Yike. When the touch screen challenges the tradition, we can even be said to be in the same camp."

Fang Zhuo nodded and replied an email to a reporter from Bloomberg: "Mr. Fang didn't know what to think and asked Mr. Yu. Mr. Yu said that Yike and Apple are in the same camp."

Yu Hong: "?"

Just as Fang Zhuo was about to close the email, his eyes suddenly fixed on the iPhone photographed by the reporter.

The more he looked at it, the stranger he became. He enlarged the picture suspiciously and touched Yike's prototype. After being stunned for a long time, he asked Yu Hong: "The iPhone is still different from the No. 1 prototype. Look, look. look."

Yu Hong was deeply impressed by prototypes 1, 2, and 3. It was her first contact with a touch-screen mobile phone.

Comparing the iPhone at this time, the similarities and differences are obvious.

The same thing is the screen and the eye-catching physical button.

The difference is that there is a front camera next to the side buttons and the earpiece.

She talked about these similarities and differences one by one.

"This iPhone doesn't have a front camera!!" Fang Zhuo confirmed this.

Is there any in history?

He couldn't remember clearly, but the iPhone released by Steve Jobs does not have a front-facing camera!

"If you don't have one, you don't have one. We do have prototypes," Yu Hong said.

Yes, Yike’s prototypes basically have front-facing cameras.

When Fang Zhuo proposed the design direction with Xu Keden, he naturally mentioned the requirements for the front camera.

Who uses a smartphone without a front-end camera? !

How could a person who is accustomed to taking selfies, videos, and facial recognition not set up a camera in advance when asking for a mobile phone?

In fact, Fang Zhuo didn't regard this as a priority at all. He was always concerned about important parts such as the processor and screen.

Fang Zhuo put down the prototype machine whose screen was inexplicably black again, took two big sips of coffee, and suddenly laughed.

"Why are you laughing?" Yu Hong asked.

If it's just multiple front-facing cameras, it doesn't seem to be much of an advantage. Currently, Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson all have this. For example, the Nokia in my hand has a front-facing 300,000-pixel camera, which is useless.

Fang Zhuo took a picture of the black-screen prototype in front of Xiaoyu and officially informed the world: "From now on, I will be a girl's friend!"

"From now on, I am a friend of beautiful women!"

"From now on, I am a friend of women!"

Yu Hong felt that her boss was stimulated.

"Nokia's front camera has been installed for less than two years. It is used for video calls, right?" Fang Zhuo asked Yu Hong with a smile.

Yu Hong nodded: "If I remember correctly, it was last year, no, it was the year before last. The mobile phone that was launched was equipped with a 300,000-pixel front camera, which was said to be able to make video calls, but the network and pixels were not very good. Okay, everyone doesn’t need to.”

She emphasized again: “It’s not good at pixels, and the 300,000-pixel camera we’re equipped with is not good at taking pictures either.”

Fang Zhuo smiled and said: "Why not increase the pixels?"

Yu Hong thought about the materials she had learned since working on mobile phone projects and the Nokia, Blackberry, Sony Ericsson, and Samsung she had disassembled by herself, and said slowly: "The camera is usually directly connected to the motherboard. In this case, the area where the two sides are in contact is difficult to place. Electronic component."

"Well, in addition to this, the camera also needs a light sensor and a distance sensor. There is already a rear camera, so it still needs one."

"We just use the one at the back to take pictures. Just put the camera on the phone."

How does the camera take pictures? One person stands and the other holds the shot.

It’s very natural to take pictures like this with a mobile phone.

"Very good, your two sentences can be summed up in the same word, space." Fang Zhuo explained, "Nokia has a physical keyboard and the screen is already small. How could it sacrifice the screen size for a better front camera? "

He took a breath: "But we are different. We have canceled the keyboard. We can appropriately sacrifice the screen size, because it is already large enough. This part of the sacrifice is beneficial to the front camera, giving it an effect comparable to that of the rear. From now on, only one person is needed to take photos.”

Fang Zhuo has been thinking about how to compete differentiatedly with Apple.

Now, the iPhone does not have a front-facing camera. Not only should I have one, but I don’t want the useless 300,000-pixel camera, but I want a good camera that can change my shooting habits!

As for why the iPhone at this time did not choose front-facing?

Fang Zhuo guessed that it was also because of internal space issues.

Perhaps it was further optimization and shrinkage of electronic components that allowed subsequent series of iPhones to have front-facing cameras.

However, Yiko is inherently larger than the iPhone. The screen is 3.7 inches instead of 3.5 inches. The extra 0.2 inches is 0.508 centimeters, which means there is a correspondingly larger internal operating space.

There is no hindrance in thinking and operation in space. Is the front camera a difficult problem to overcome?

I don’t want 300,000 pixels, I want 1 million, I want 2 million!

This is enough to bring revolutionary effects!

After all, today’s mainstream rear cameras are only 2 million, 3 million, or 5 million.

Yu Hong lowered her head and played with the prototype, pondered for a while, and said, "It seems reasonable. We are indeed larger and have more space. We will have to let Teacher Xu and Judy verify whether it is feasible and re-optimize the design."

"I'm confident." Fang Zhuo breathed out, "As long as the front-end preparation is done well, and with the 3G network, video calls will also be a highlight."

These are extremely competitive differences and are innovations that have emerged in the global mobile phone industry.

One step first, every step first.

The two of them were discussing the technology of the front-facing camera, and the Bloomberg reporter had already sent several emails without reading them.

Fang Zhuo took a sip of coffee and clicked on these emails. They were nothing more than Jobs introducing the iPhone's concept, design, making calls, multi-touch, browser functions, Google search, GSM standards, and inviting Google CEO Schmidt to speak on stage.

While watching the email live broadcast, he was thinking about the front camera in his mind, and smiled: "Schmitt not only went, but also went on stage to speak. I really don't know..."

hold on!

GSM standard? Isn't this a 2G communication standard?

Fang Zhuo's eyes flickered and then moved back.

Yu Hong also noticed the problem at this time and said in surprise: "Doesn't the iPhone support 3G? Is this a 2G phone?"

She frowned and said: "Even considering the issue of 3G deployment, it should be no problem to support 3G and be compatible with 2G. Why do you choose this?"

Fang Zhuo had mixed thoughts in his mind and was very puzzled for a moment.

However, Yike's recent joint efforts with Qualcomm suddenly come to mind.

He slowly speculated: "What if this is not Apple's choice, but a requirement of the operator AT\u0026T?"

For a mobile phone that has not really proven its sales prospects, even if it is Apple, who is stronger in its cooperation with operators? Who is vulnerable?

Yike has recently experienced first-hand the toughness of his second brother, V Shang.

Not to mention AT\u0026T, which occupies the top spot in the market.

"Good news, really good news." Compared with the previous joy, Fang Zhuo was very calm this time, "Yike mobile phone will be the first true 3G smartphone. This concept is our key publicity strategy."

2G mobile phone Apple, 3G mobile phone Yike.

This is another difference!

Moreover, Yike was originally released later than Apple, and this period of time allowed more investment and deployment of 3G networks.

Email from Bloomberg reporter arrives again.

——After Google Search, Yahoo Search also came on stage to introduce it.

——The release date is June in the United States, the fourth quarter in Europe, and 2008 in Asia.

——The 4G version is $499, the 8G version is $599, and the operator is exclusive to AT\u0026T.

The main information of the press conference basically ends here.

"It actually doesn't ship until June? Get, Get√." Fang Zhuo put down the mouse, "It doesn't ship until June. Doesn't this mean it buys us at least half a year?"

Yu Hong nodded. This is good news. Yike has at least half a year to perfect the mobile phone and Android system.

Fang Zhuo stood up and decided on one thing: "Our mobile phone launch conference will be held in June, just before Apple officially starts sales, we will launch the first 3G smartphone."

Yu Hong looked up at Mr. Fang.

Fang Zhuo lowered his head slightly, looked into Xiao Yu's eyes, and smiled slightly: "I can't even wait."