"How is the progress of the R&D center?" Zhou Liwen broke the temporary silence and asked Liao Yuancheng.

Liao Yuancheng said carefully: "The chip can barely meet the requirements, but the main problem at present is the touch screen technology. I communicated with Samsung before I came back. According to them, it may take as soon as 6 months to come out the next generation of products."

"Six months..." Zhou Liwen shook her head, wondering: "Since even Samsung's technology cannot meet this requirement for the time being, how did Apple come up with the product? Bill, can you find a way to inquire?"

Bill thought about it and shook his head slightly: "I'm afraid it's difficult. Apple's confidentiality work has always been good. And based on my understanding of Apple, they do not have patents in this regard. Moreover, since Jobs founded Apple, their business ideas have not had precedents in developing hardware themselves."

Zhou Liwen and Liao Yuancheng looked at each other and nodded silently. Indeed, Bill said it right. As a well-known high-tech company, Apple Computer Company is not a manufacturer in its true sense, but it is just a company integrating creativity, R&D design and brand.

Compared with Chow Liwen's Or company, Apple is very different. Whether it is the original Apple computer, the later INa and the "personal digital assistant", that is, the original pDA products, or the ITce and Ip products that Jobs successfully developed after his return to Apple. Without exception, none of the components of these products are produced by Apple, and Apple is just their designers, creativity, and brand owners.

To give a simple example, if Apple designs a product, such as an Apple computer, it will place an order and purchase and customize it from each part manufacturer in a similar way to compatible machines, and then hand it over to the OEM factory for production according to Apple's design requirements, and finally put it on the mark of Apple for sale.

This is a very popular business model in the United States and in the world. The advantage of this model is that as a high-tech company, it does not need to have its own factory, but only needs to focus on R&D, design, market and sales. Similarly, this model is also popular in other industries. For example, Nike, a sports brand, is mainly designed by brand, and the manufacturing is handed over to OEM factories to produce, thereby reducing costs and obtaining maximum profits.

Zhou Liwen's company is slightly different. He owns shares in Sgopa. In this regard, Zhou Liwen's Or has its own chip manufacturer. If Sha Zihao's foundry and TCL's downstream factories are added, Zhou Liwen's Or company is more like a traditional high-tech company than Apple.

However, Zhou Liwen himself also knew that as the company became bigger and stronger, Apple's model was the most worth learning. Of course, it has many benefits, but there are many disadvantages, especially the dependence of costs and orders, which consumed too much energy and resources of the company. But no matter what, when Zhou Liwen just started to create Or, don't forget that his foundation was in mainland China. The difference between the market and the market, and MediaTek was fierce at the beginning, Zhou Liwen chose to use his own factory as the basis for developing a business strategy.

Now, Zhou Liwen has gradually adjusted his business strategy. This is one of the reasons why he returned to China a few days ago to give Sha Zihao the dominance of the foundry factory. As for Sgopa, Zhou Liwen is also considering separating Sgopa's chip factory from the main body at the appropriate time to adjust the industrial structure, but these are all later stories.

Then the question comes. The news from Bill that Apple's Ipad is about to be completed. Will Jobs tolerate a product that did not meet the design requirements? Or is he eager to do so and is ready to repeat the mistakes of Apple's computer failure that year? Take out the Ipan before the touch screen technology has been solved?

Zhou Liwen thought for a long time but couldn't come up with the result, so he could only ask Bill to find a way to figure out the situation. After the brief meeting, Zhou Liwen accompanied Liao Yuancheng to the R&D center and checked the development progress of Or tablet computers.

It is basically the same as what Liao Yuancheng introduced. From the surface, the design of the tablet computer has been very perfect. Due to the emergence of new polymer lithium-ion batteries in the second half of last year, the plagued battery life has been initially solved. Of course, the cost of this type of battery is still too high, mainly due to the production process and technology. According to the cooperation new energy company, that is, ATL, with the gradual improvement of production processes and technology, the cost of this battery will also decrease accordingly, but it is unlikely in the near future.

But even so, it is equivalent to solving a big problem. However, when Zhou Liwen tried the products of the R&D center, it was found that the current large-screen technology of touch screen is indeed a bit unkind. When smartphones can barely meet the needs, the problems caused by tablets are very obvious. Liao Yuancheng introduced that this is already the best touch screen provided by Samsung, and it is a specially customized product. But Zhou Liwen still shook his head at this. If this kind of product is launched, Or Company will not be successful, and it may not be possible to lose the brand.

"Let Samsung speed up, if not, look for other companies and find out if there are new products. Jobs is not a fool, and if their Ipan is used, do you think he will be full of confidence?"

Zhou Liwen frowned and said, Liao Yuancheng and Bill were also confused. Bill thought about it and asked a question: "Maybe it was Samsung that solved the technical problem, but it did not provide it to us?"

"This is impossible." Liao Yuancheng immediately denied it and decided to track the railway: "Samsung has a research laboratory that cooperates with us, and it is impossible for us to hide the touch screen technology from us. Besides, if they really have a technological breakthrough, why do they do this? You should know that we are Samsung's largest touch screen buyer at present, and the orders of mobile phones alone account for their main production share. Providing the best things to Apple and deliberately concealing the truth from us is not only a deception, but also a violation of the cooperation agreement between the two parties. If we find out, this matter may be enough for them to drink a pot."

Liao Yuancheng is right. Ot is not an ordinary company now, and there is no such problem in commercial cooperation between large international companies like this. The company's lawyers are not vegetarians. Even if they do not consider the company's image and the impact of the incident, just breach of contract, Or's lawyers can ask the US government and the South Korean government to pay a huge price. As Samsung Group, they will definitely not be able to do this. This is simply a detrimental to others and unfavorable to themselves.

"Look carefully. No matter what the situation is, I hope to get the exact news as soon as possible." Zhou Liwen didn't want to make unreasonable suspicions. He needed an accurate answer. No matter how well Apple kept the secret, the secret would eventually be known to the outside world. After all, touch screen technology is not in the hands of Apple. If Jobs wants to set the product and start production, he must place an order through the production factory and then hand it over to the OEM factory for production. Among these links, there are many places where secrets can be leaked, and there has never been a completely confidential event in this world. If you find a way to crack it in the end.

After explaining this matter, Zhou Liwen focused on the development of Or smartphones. The development of the third-generation smartphones has come to an end, and the development of the fourth-generation phones has also been put on the agenda.

Unlike the earliest first-generation smartphones, the second-generation smartphones released last year are also somewhat different. The third-generation smartphones have not only been optimized again from the system, but also increased the proportion of touch screens. Of course, this is based on the promised new products from Samsung in 6 months. In addition, using the latest lithium-ion battery technology that has just emerged, the battery capacity of the mobile phone has also been further increased, so that it can be satisfied with longer standby and use.

In terms of chip technology, the third-generation smartphone has also gone further, faster and more powerful. With further expanded storage, the software application of the upgraded new operating system has also been strengthened, with higher resolution and richer colors in terms of photography and video shooting. In Zhou Liwen's view, if some small regrets that cannot be achieved on hardware temporarily, this third-generation smartphone, which he has great hope, has already had the 3% spoon function of Apple's most successful product in the future - IpcB.

Although the prototype has not yet been officially released, all designs have been completed for 8. According to the design results, Zhou Liwen is extremely looking forward to its real launch. Like the historical IpcB, when it appears on the market, it will usher in the true glory of Or Company, thus laying the foundation for Or's unbreakable dominance in the field of smartphones.

Zhou Liwen is very clear about Apple's secrets. But time determines success or failure. If Apple launches a truly commercial tablet at Or, it will be a huge blow to Zhou Liwen. Therefore, in the next few days, Zhou Liwen has been paying attention to the progress of this matter, but he still didn't get any news until mid-January. Just when he was waiting a little anxious, he received an invitation from Chambers.

“Charity cocktail party?”

"They are all good old friends. On the one hand, they are raising some donations for the party, and everyone gathers together. By the way, Senator Michael will come to participate at that time." Chambers said meaningfully.
Chapter completed!