"From late March to early April, after the Orange S1 was supplied externally, its total sales by the end of December reached 17.23 million units. In comparison, the iPhone 4 sold only 6.14 million units in its first half-year on the market. This data includes sales from the online store, self-operated retail stores, channel partners, and contract-exclusive devices."
At the year-end summary meeting, Lin Bin, as the representative, spoke:
"Our Orange Pad S1 and FreeBuds S1 Bluetooth earphones sold 4.87 million and 2.91 million units, respectively."
This was a calendar year summary meeting, not a fiscal year report, so Orange Technology could not yet compile its profit and loss statement.
Chen Pingjiang was quite satisfied with this data.
"Excellent performance; we've suppressed the sales of the iPhone 4."
Everyone present was very excited.
"Mainly, Chairman Chen's pricing strategy was excellent. The iPhone 4's lowest price in China was 4999, making us much more cost-effective in comparison."
Chen Pingjiang asked:
"How is the development of the Orange S2 progressing?"
"Everything is going smoothly; the prototype has already been unveiled."
Zhou Guangping said with a smile:
"For hardware, we are using a larger 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen with VGA (480*800) resolution. The display effect is incredibly stunning, and it doesn't fall behind even when compared to the iPhone 4, which features a Retina display. The CPU uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8260 dual-core processor, clocked at 1.5 GHz."
"Regarding phone thickness, it surpasses all competitors at just 8.9 millimeters, and its weight is only 115 grams. It features a 2-megapixel front camera and an 8-megapixel rear camera, supporting 1080P video recording and playback, and the battery capacity reaches 2100 mAh."
After introducing the hardware, Lin Bin took over to continue introducing the software:
"Our Orange UI 2.0 version has also been completed, with hundreds of optimizations and improvements tailored to the usage habits of domestic users, offering a better user experience, smoother software operation, and a more stable operating foundation. It provides nearly ten thousand desktop themes for download, and its versatile lock screen prevents smartphones from looking 'a thousand devices alike'."
"Additionally, we have incorporated Free Desktop, breaking away from the traditional desktop's conventional icon arrangement and introducing the concept of 'scenes' to the phone screen. By swiping down with two fingers, users can switch between the traditional desktop and Free Desktop.
This scene could be a real study, where all the furnishings in the room and on the desk are apps; or it could be the Angry Birds game interface, where each bird is a specific app. Within this, the icon placement completely adheres to the scene's settings and can be customized by the user according to their preferences."
"Besides the upgraded beauty camera function, the main selling point of this Orange S2 is HiFi. It is the industry's first to incorporate the CS8422 chip, which solves SRC issues, and the CS4398 DAC decoding chip into a mobile phone. Additionally, a dedicated OPA2604 motion/amplifier chip has been added, making the phone's audio quality surpass that of the iPhone."
In fact, many people cannot distinguish between Hi-Fi and Dolby Surround.
Hi-Fi pursues high fidelity, while home theaters focus on overwhelming audio-visual effects.
Using sound effects tools to drastically alter the pitch, frequency, amplitude, and other parameters of sound is very different from the "accuracy" that Hi-Fi seeks.
Mobile Hi-Fi refers to a phone's ability to provide high-fidelity audio playback, meaning the phone's built-in or external audio equipment can offer a high-quality audio experience approaching lossless sound.
After listening to the introduction, Chen Pingjiang nodded:
"Then proceed with producing engineering prototypes as soon as possible, and stock up extensively afterward. We will discuss the specific pricing once we reach mass production."
At this point, Chen Pingjiang added:
"Didn't I make relevant suggestions when the leaders inspected Orange Technology before? The current response is that it's already in the demonstration and discussion stage. As for some industry experts in chip design and manufacturing, we need to communicate with them ourselves.
Next year will be a critical year; I will focus most of my energy on the wafer fab project. At that time, policy support will include not only tax reductions and financial subsidies but also interest-free bank loans."
Zhou Guangping was somewhat surprised:
"Chairman Chen, is the support so strong? What about the other supporting industrial chains?"
"The industrial chain certainly won't be built overnight. It's not enough to have national-level support; it also requires cooperation from universities and research institutes, and even more, cultivation from local governments. The wafer fab definitely cannot wait for them; it must start production first."
Unfortunately, it was only 2010, and companies like Yangtze Memory and Moore Threads were still a long way off.
"We not only need to make phone chips, but also design memory chips, flash memory chips, inference chips, computing power chips, display chips, communication chips, microwave chips, and even PC chips. Some might not be used, but we cannot be without them,"
Chen Pingjiang added.
Zhou Guangping swallowed repeatedly, suspecting he had misheard.
"Chairman Chen, there isn't a second company in the world that designs so many types of chips on its own."
Chen Pingjiang could only offer a bitter smile:
"I really hope we won't need them in the future, but let's keep them as a backup. Old Zhou, you might think I'm alarmist now, but have you ever envisioned such a situation?"
"Please tell me."
"If the Americans put extreme pressure on us, cutting off all technology and supply licenses, could we independently design and manufacture a chip?"
Almost without hesitation, Zhou Guangping shook his head repeatedly.
"Impossible, absolutely impossible."
Zhou Guangping counted on his fingers:
"First, we'd face the N7-N7+ EDA tools. Without EDA, it's like going to an exam without a pen. All upstream and downstream semiconductor processes related to simulation, tape-out, verification, and fab would need to be completed. We also wouldn't have lithography machines, etching machines, photomasks, photoresists, electronic gases, wet electronic chemicals, or CMP polishing materials."
"Exactly, that's what I told the leaders. And can you say there's no possibility of the Americans putting extreme pressure on us?"
Chen Pingjiang tapped the table:
"Don't forget how the Japanese automobile and chip industries were suppressed in the 80s. If that day comes, and we are completely unprepared, the consequences are unimaginable."
Everyone in the conference room gasped collectively.
Lin Bin also nodded:
"This possibility is not non-existent; we really should plan ahead."
Before venturing into the chip-related industry, Chen Pingjiang didn't truly understand its difficulty.
Only by doing it did he realize Huawei's struggles and hardships.
To break through layers of blockades and design the Kirin 9000S, Chen Pingjiang could only say it was incredibly impressive.
One company encompassed the entire world's work, and it only took a short three years.
Even more surprising was that Elder Ren wasn't a time-traveler; he actually started planning so many years in advance.
However, an executive with experience studying in the US subtly analyzed:
"Chairman Chen, our Daqin chips also need to be profitable; we can't keep relying on the group for transfusions indefinitely, can we? With so many additional R&D tasks, and 4G LTE chips to develop, the financial report will look quite bad. And... and our current relationship with the US is still good; it shouldn't come to such extreme suppression as you described, right? Isn't that a bit..."
Chen Pingjiang looked at the executive and smiled:
"Are you suggesting I'm being a bit alarmist? No, I prefer to describe it as planning ahead for a rainy day."
......
Chen Pingjiang made a detour to DJI.
In the half-year since moving to Dongjiang, DJI has developed at a very rapid pace.
With funds and resources, and backed by Dongjiang, a city of science and education, there was a continuous flow of talent.
In just half a year, DJI's total number of employees surged to 400.
When Chen Pingjiang arrived, he found a group of people testing drones on the open space in front of the building.
"So fast, have you already made it?"
Seeing Chen Pingjiang, Wang Tao quickly greeted him before turning to introduce:
"This is just a test machine, primarily used to verify the drone flight control system we just developed, which we internally named WooKong-M, pronounced like Wukong in English. Whether for professional or amateur multi-rotor aircraft, WKM can provide GPS autonomous balancing and hovering functions. From four-propeller to eight-propeller, WKM is applicable to all."
Chen Pingjiang nodded, then pointed to the connecting arm beneath the drone:
"Is that a gimbal?"
"Exactly, the Zenmuse gimbal and GoPro camera. Our previous gimbals were too slow to respond, and the images were shaky. Zenmuse uses a direct-drive brushless motor to control the gimbal, which is more effective.
I plan to complete the debugging based on camera and lens models; you just need to install the camera and mount it on the aircraft. There's no need to manually adjust the gimbal, change its mechanical structure, or add other peripherals to the camera."
After a series of tests, Wang Tao was still somewhat dissatisfied.
He clapped the dust off his hands, sent the other employees back, and accompanied Chen Pingjiang on a walk.
"Currently, we still need some time. The flight control system performs well, but the gimbal still requires fine-tuning. Once everything is perfected, I plan to create a cost-effective drone product that players can fly anytime without needing to assemble it themselves."
Chen Pingjiang, a tech novice, couldn't understand the jargon that occasionally came from Wang Tao's mouth.
The only thing he could offer Wang Tao guidance on was the future trends of drones.
After they chatted for ten minutes, Chen Pingjiang patted Wang Tao's shoulder:
"Keep going; don't hesitate to tell me if you encounter any difficulties."
For a tech enthusiast whose mind was filled with data and work, Wang Tao spent the entire ten minutes describing the bottlenecks encountered during R&D.
Awkwardly, Chen Pingjiang couldn't get a word in.
He tried hard to steer the conversation towards daily life, but after a couple of sentences, Wang Tao steered it back again.
"Perhaps this is also why Wang Tao can succeed,"
Chen Pingjiang thought to himself.
After seeing Wang Tao off, Chen Pingjiang strolled alone within the Qingshan Lake Base.
Dongjiang in early winter was already somewhat cold.
He walked around with his hands in his pockets, his mind entirely occupied with next year, 2011.
What would happen next year?
The most memorable thing, of course, was the mobile payment license.
With that, food delivery could be promoted nationwide, and the group-buying market could expand two or three-fold.
Next up were electric vehicles.
Tesla across the ocean was already publicly listed.
"Perhaps Musk is currently developing the Model S? The Roadster has been on the market for two years."
As he thought, his mind drifted to Boston Dynamics and SpaceX.
Robots and launch vehicles also needed to be started earlier, or they would be left far behind by competitors.
"Not enough time, absolutely not enough."
"Chairman Chen?"
Just as Chen Pingjiang was lost in thought, a voice called from behind him.
"Hmm?"
Chen Pingjiang turned around to see Lin Bin standing beside him, he didn't know since when.
"What's up, Old Lin?"
"I was just about to go to the cafeteria for dinner when I saw you walking alone here, so I came to invite you to eat together."
Chen Pingjiang smiled and nodded:
"I was so engrossed in my thoughts. Let's go; I've never eaten at the general cafeteria before. We won't go to the executive cafeteria today."
"Chairman Chen, I didn't mean to eavesdrop just now. But I heard you mentioning Tesla and SpaceX?"
"Yes, have you also heard of these two companies?"
"Haha, how could I not have heard of them? You aren't planning to get into those fields too, are you?"
Chen Pingjiang nodded:
"I do have that idea, but it requires time and opportunity. The main issue is too many projects are being launched at once, and I don't have enough energy."
"I'm relieved to hear you say that; otherwise, I would have thought you were an iron man! For an ordinary entrepreneur, building one great company is already remarkable. How can someone like you, at such a young age, own several well-known enterprises? Don't put too much pressure on yourself; you're still young."
The two walked towards the cafeteria.
As they walked, Chen Pingjiang said:
"It is precisely because I am young that I should strive. When I get older, I might not have this leisure or motivation; that would be the age to retire and travel the world."
(End of Chapter)