MediaTek was the chip hegemon for feature phones!
Texas Instruments was the chip hegemon in the 2G era!
It wasn't until the 3G era that Qualcomm, relying on its CDMA patents and baseband advantages, replaced them and gradually became the absolute hegemon!
Then in the 4G/5G era, Qualcomm surged ahead, beginning its path of dominance and monopoly!
However, Qualcomm's S3 processor, the 8x60 series, released in 2011, a dual-core processor like NVIDIA's Tegra 2, was a failure.
Qualcomm's initial 1.2 GHz version was heavily criticized.
It only became usable after being upgraded to 1.5 GHz.
By 2012, Qualcomm released a 1.7 GHz high-frequency version, which was used in the Xiaomi 1S.
However, by this time, NVIDIA and Samsung had already launched quad-core processors!
The HTC One X, equipped with the world's first quad-core processor, NVIDIA Tegra 3, had already officially launched in March or April and was a global bestseller!
Qualcomm's quad-core processor, however, was not first launched by Xiaomi 2 until August and officially hit the market in October!
Even though Qualcomm's quad-core adopted a more advanced 28nm process, offering better performance, lower power consumption, and stronger baseband, it was still a full six months behind NVIDIA and Samsung!
Within six months, HTC and Samsung had already made a fortune.
For example, Samsung's S3 quad-core flagship sold 20 million units within 100 days of its launch!
If Xingyi phones were to use Qualcomm's quad-core processor, they would have to wait half a year, which would have too great an impact.
As for using Qualcomm's dual-core to compete with competitors' quad-core phones, that's unrealistic...
The Xiaomi 1, using a Qualcomm dual-core processor and an ultra-low price of 1999, focused on cost-effectiveness and sold well at the beginning of the year.
But once quad-core became popular, it had to drop its price to 1899-1799-1299!
Moreover, Xingyi phones are priced at 3000+ and target the high-end market!
Once Samsung and HTC both go quad-core, if Xingyi phones continue to use Qualcomm dual-core and still sell for three thousand, it's over!
They would probably fall completely behind, be unable to sell, and only be able to resort to massive price reductions!
If that happened, the high-end brand positioning they worked so hard to build would be ruined...
This won't do!
Therefore, Wang Yi had to launch the quad-core version of the Xingyi Phone 1 Pro in the first half of 2012!
It would have to use the NVIDIA Tegra 3 or Samsung Exynos 4412 quad-core processor!
Otherwise, it wouldn't be able to compete with quad-core flagship phones from Samsung, HTC, and others.
Although Samsung's quad-core processor is sold externally, it can create bottlenecks and is unreliable.
Thus, whether it's to be the first to launch a quad-core processor or to counterbalance Qualcomm, Wang Yi had to cooperate with NVIDIA!
Of course, Wang Yi would not blindly follow NVIDIA but adopt a multi-processor strategy!
For example, the second-generation Xingyi phone, set to be released in the second half of next year, would have to incorporate Qualcomm's quad-core APQ8064 processor to attract iPhone 5 users!
After all, the iPhone 5 didn't have its domestic premiere in China and wouldn't launch until December.
In fact, the multi-processor strategy is also a strategic choice for many brands.
For instance, in 2013, Lei Bus adopted a dual-processor strategy for the Xiaomi 3 to reduce dependence on Qualcomm.
The Unicom/Telecom versions of Xiaomi 3 still used the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor.
The Mobile version of Xiaomi 3, however, introduced the NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor.
For this, Old Huang personally took the stage and repeatedly praised Xiaomi!
But unfortunately, although the Tegra 4 scored higher than the Qualcomm 800 in benchmarks, it suffered from severe overheating and ultimately failed!
As for the reason, it can only be said that Old Huang's approach was imprecise; he was too aggressive with the CPU, which should have been more restrained.
The Tegra 4 CPU adopted a 4+1 core A15 architecture, with a main frequency as high as 1.8 GHz!
That's right, the small cores were also A15!
Even running small applications required the A15 cores, so how could it not overheat?
If the small A15 cores had been replaced with low-power A7 cores, the overheating wouldn't have been so severe!
But for the GPU, which should have been aggressive, Old Huang started to "squeeze the toothpaste" again!
Instead of using the advanced Kepler architecture, he chose to "squeeze the toothpaste" by using outdated deferred rendering and not supporting OpenGL ES 3.0.
This directly led to the Tegra 4's GPU being quite poor, completely lagging behind the Qualcomm 800!
Furthermore, NVIDIA had acquired a baseband company and had its own baseband, but it wasn't integrated until the Tegra 4i.
The Tegra 4, however, still used an external baseband, which led to even more severe overheating.
In contrast, the Qualcomm 800 of the same period had already integrated the baseband chip, resulting in lower power consumption and better signal!
Wang Yi was speechless about this.
If NVIDIA were MediaTek, its limited capabilities would be understandable.
The problem is that NVIDIA is powerful and clearly capable of making top-tier chips, yet it played a good hand poorly!
The CPU, which should have been restrained, showed no moderation.
The GPU, which should have unleashed performance, started "squeeze the toothpaste" again!
So, after the success of Tegra 3, Tegra 4 suffered a complete defeat across the board.
Ultimately, it had to exit the mobile processor market, specializing in tablet and in-car processors.
However, next year, Wang Yi will be among the first to use NVIDIA's initial quad-core processor, the Tegra 3, becoming a major client for NVIDIA.
This will give him a certain say in the design of the Tegra 4!
Then, he can get Old Huang to change the Tegra 4's CPU small cores from A15 to A7.
And upgrade the GPU to the Kepler architecture of the Tegra K1!
Then integrate the baseband!
With that, the Tegra 4 would be completely revitalized, its heating and power consumption would be significantly reduced, and its GPU performance would be greatly improved, preventing its failure.
On the contrary, it would become an excellent processor for its generation, with even the hope of surpassing Qualcomm!
Of course, NVIDIA's processors are much cheaper than Qualcomm's and don't require paying the "Qualcomm tax," which is also good for Wang Yi.
With the competition between the two companies and NVIDIA as a check, Qualcomm would not be able to monopolize and would not continuously raise prices, nor would the "Qualcomm tax" be as high as in his previous life!
Wang Yi planned to adopt a multi-processor strategy, making Qualcomm and NVIDIA compete, using whichever processor offered better cost-effectiveness!
Whoever failed, would be abandoned!
For example, in 2015, Wang Yi could completely abandon the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (Huolong 810) and choose an NVIDIA processor instead.
But without NVIDIA, Wang Yi would have had no choice but to bite the bullet and use the Qualcomm 810, just like brands such as Xiaomi, and then see years of built-up reputation ruined...
Xiaomi always had a high-end dream, launching the Xiaomi Note and pushing hard for the high-end market, but it was suffocated by the Qualcomm 810!
The high-end dream was shattered!
Lei Bus was so scared that he didn't release a digital flagship phone for an entire year, until the 820 was launched...
Of course, Wang Yi's multi-chip strategy wouldn't just target Qualcomm and NVIDIA; MediaTek would also be used for mid-to-low-end devices!
Even Huawei's HiSilicon Semiconductor was a target for cooperation.
However, HiSilicon's first-generation processor, the K3v2, was very poor, and Huawei users were all complaining, so Wang Yi didn't want to use it either.
It wasn't until 2014, with the release of the HiSilicon Kirin 910, that it began its comeback.
The 920, released mid-year, even started catching up with Qualcomm and Samsung.
By the Kirin 950 in 2015, it could even contend with Qualcomm and Samsung!
However, these chips were released too late; Wang Yi couldn't wait that long!
The current multi-chip strategy was merely a transition; once Wang Yi gained significant strength, he would still need to research and design his own chips!
As for directly acquiring foreign chip R&D departments, that wouldn't be easy.
If Wang Yi tried to acquire such chip R&D departments, the Empire's official authorities would likely not agree and would certainly obstruct it in every way!
But Wang Yi could take an indirect approach, for example, by poaching core leaders!
As long as the core leaders were brought over, and top semiconductor talent was recruited with high salaries, independent chip R&D and design could be fully realized.
If Xingyi phones were to be high-end, they must have their own unique technology!
Even if chip R&D required tens of billions of investment annually, Wang Yi was determined to do it.
As for manufacturing, it would still be outsourced to TSMC and SMIC.
However, chip R&D needed long-term planning and was far from something that could be resolved immediately.
For the next few years, they could only rely on procurement as a transition, then accumulate funds and talent, and secretly conduct R&D!
After some thought, Wang Yi finalized Xingyi Technology's chip strategy: multi-chip procurement in the early stage, followed by independent R&D in the later stage!
The Xingyi 1 Pro quad-core version would snatch the first launch of the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core and be released next April.
The Xingyi 2 would use Qualcomm's initially launched 28nm quad-core processor, hitting the market around next September.
As for the current Xingyi 1, whether it uses the Qualcomm 8x60 or the NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, both are dual-core and require an external baseband chip!
Qualcomm's current strategy is to sell the baseband and bundle the processor.
However, its baseband is super expensive, even more costly than the total price of an NVIDIA processor plus a third-party baseband!
Additionally, the "Qualcomm tax" must be paid!
The "Qualcomm tax" is not charged based on the processor price but on 3%-5% of the entire device's price.
The exact amount depends on the procurement volume and requires negotiation, but it always amounts to a huge sum.
The solution of using an NVIDIA processor + Broadcom/Spreadtrum/Infineon baseband offers higher cost-effectiveness and no "Qualcomm tax," but it doesn't support all network standards.
That's right, China Telecom's 3G still requires a Qualcomm processor.
Therefore, there are two solutions for the Xingyi Phone 1 processor:
Solution one: dual-chip strategy.
The China Mobile/China Unicom versions of the Xingyi Phone 1 would use the NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor + a third-party baseband.
The China Telecom version of the Xingyi Phone would use the Qualcomm 8660 processor + Qualcomm baseband!
Solution two: the entire series uses Qualcomm processors + Qualcomm basebands, paying the "Qualcomm tax."
As for which solution to ultimately choose, it would need to be discussed in detail after arriving at the Empire tomorrow night.
Fortunately, in these two years, domestic mobile phone brands had just started and most did not pay patent fees.
Wang Yi remembered that it wasn't until 2014, when domestic smartphones grew significantly, that Qualcomm settled patent fees with four of the top five best-selling brands.
Meizu had always used Samsung and MediaTek processors, but even without using Qualcomm processors, Qualcomm still demanded patent fees from them.
Meizu initially ignored them, but after being sued by Qualcomm in 2017, they also started using Qualcomm processors and paying the "Qualcomm tax"...
These things were unavoidable.
However, with Texas Instruments, NVIDIA, and MediaTek eyeing the market these two years, Qualcomm processors had not yet achieved a monopoly, and domestic smartphones had just started, so they probably hadn't caught Qualcomm's attention yet.
Currently, Qualcomm's primary focus for the "Qualcomm tax" was still major players like Nokia, Apple, Samsung, and HTC.
Wang Yi had made his calculations, but which specific solution was better could only be discussed one by one after arriving at the Empire.
Arriving near the hospital, Wang Yi said,
"Wu Shuang, pull over for a bit."
"Okay, Boss."
Wang Yi bought a fruit basket, a box of pure milk, and a box of donkey-hide gelatin (ejiao), then got back in the car and headed straight for the hospital.
Yesterday's surgery was successful; Grandpa Feng just needed to continue recuperating.
Inside the ward.
Feng Jianjun looked at the haggard Grandpa Feng, his expression complex:
"Dad, really, for a security guard earning two thousand yuan a month, was it worth rushing in like that? Didn't you see there were several of them! This time it's a fracture, but what if something really bad had happened to you? What would I do?"
Grandpa Feng sighed,
"Son, I didn't want to get involved initially, but Boss Wang has been too good to me!"
Feng Jianjun was speechless: "..."
"Before, people from Hallyu Tribe came to the factory to secretly photograph new designs. I did a foolish thing, took money, and let him go. After I confessed, Boss Wang not only didn't fire me but even rewarded my honesty! I've kept such great kindness in my heart, your dad has."
"This time, when Yin Zhixing came to cause trouble, I remembered Boss Wang's kindness, and in a rush of emotion, I charged in! We can't let Boss Wang down again!"
"This... sigh!"
Feng Jianjun didn't know what to say.
He could only be glad that they were lucky and it was just a fracture.
Just then, a knock on the door sounded.
"Chairman Wang, you're here!"
Feng Jianjun quickly opened the door and took the items Wang Yi was carrying.
"I've come to see Grandpa Feng!"
Wang Yi said with a smile as he walked in.
Grandpa Feng looked a bit emotional:
"Boss Wang, I..."
Wang Yi stepped forward:
"Grandpa Feng, it's nothing, you don't have to worry about anything, I've arranged everything for you. During your recuperation, your salary will be paid as usual, your position will be retained, don't worry about medical expenses, and I'll give you a big bonus during the New Year!"
"I... thank you! Thank you!"
Grandpa Feng was full of excitement, his eyes a little red.
He had heard all this from his son and never imagined Wang Yi would be so good to him.
At any other company, he might have been dismissed with a simple "go through workers' compensation and find the perpetrator."
He might even have lost his salary during his recovery and been laid off!
Who would arrange things so thoughtfully, like Wang Yi?
"Grandpa Feng, just rest and recover. When you're well, come back to work at the new factory. Our new factory is bigger, has a better environment, higher wages, and even includes food and accommodation! In the future, you'll be the security captain, with double the benefits and a monthly salary raised to four thousand!"
Wang Yi said with a smile.
An employee who truly steps up when faced with trouble must never be treated unfairly!
This also served as an excellent opportunity to set an example and demonstrate Meiyou Technology's generous attitude towards loyal employees!
"Thank you, thank you!"
Grandpa Feng was overjoyed.
His son's expression was even more complex:
'??? My dad is a captain now, with double the benefits? Four thousand a month? More than me!'
'I'm a young man, a college graduate from the 80s, only earning three thousand a month, and I'm not even as well off as my dad, an uneducated gatekeeper Grandpa?'
Feng Jianjun felt completely unwell, as if all the books he had read over the years had been for nothing!
Wang Yi chatted with Grandpa Feng for a while, telling him to rest and recover, before leaving.
Feng Jianjun walked Wang Yi to the door, filled with emotion:
"Chairman Wang, you're too good to us! I... I..."
Wang Yi waved his hand:
"It's all what I should do. Take good care of Grandpa Feng, and if you need anything, just say so!"
"Okay, Chairman Wang, thank you."
After seeing Wang Yi off, Feng Jianjun returned to the ward, sighing repeatedly.
After a long time, he said, "Dad, with such a good boss, not to mention you, if it were me, I'd charge in too!"
"Hehehe."
Grandpa Feng laughed, in a great mood:
"Security captain, four thousand a month! Tsk tsk tsk! Son, your old man earns more than you now."
Feng Jianjun's mouth twitched: "..."
But seeing Grandpa Feng in such a good mood, he was also very happy.
"Jianjun, Yin Zhixing is shameless; he came here just to cause trouble for Boss Wang! In any case, we cannot settle privately with Yin Zhixing; he must go to jail! Once he gets out, he might still cause trouble for Boss Wang. Boss Wang has treated us very well, we must remember that!"
"Don't worry, Dad, I won't settle privately."
Feng Jianjun nodded.
Wang Yi had not only advanced all the expenses but also gave twenty thousand yuan yesterday, and today there were purchases, a salary increase, a promotion, and a year-end bonus...
For all these reasons, there could be no private settlement; Yin Zhixing had to go to jail!
(End of chapter)