5: Pinduoduo already has it?

Speaking of the system, Chen Chen also had a headache.

If you say it's hard to use, it's usable.

If you say it's easy to use, it's usable.

It's basically stock android, with no local adaptation at all.

"Alright, I'll go call him."

After saying that, Lu Weibing went out.

Chen Chen turned to Dr. Lu and said:

"Dr. Lu, tell me the truth, can our chip reach the international mainstream level?"

Dr. Lu thought for a moment and said:

"In simulation tests, the performance is no lower than Qualcomm's snapdragon s2, but for specific performance data, we need to wait for the tape-out to return for testing."

Chen Chen nodded. As long as the design capability didn't fall behind, it would be fine. According to the normal trajectory, mobile processor chip technology would definitely become more and more difficult in the future. Even if China couldn't manufacture domestic chips now, at least within these ten years, it wouldn't be subject to sanctions from the USA.

As for ten years later?

Maybe Red Star would have developed its own lithography machine and manufactured its own chips.

Soon, Lu Weibing brought a young man under 30 to Chen Chen's office.

"Xiao Chen, this is Zhao Zhijie, who is in charge of our system maintenance."

Zhao Zhijie had a buzz cut and looked very shy, standing there awkwardly as he greeted Chen Chen.

"Hello, President Chen."

"Don't be nervous, please sit down."

Dr. Zhou, Dr. Lu, and the others, seeing that Chen Chen had something to discuss with this Xiao Zhao, also got up to take their leave.

"Did President Chen have something to discuss with me?"

"It's like this: I plan to deeply customize a UI belonging to Red Star, just like Dami Company. I feel that the stock android used in our current phones is really hard to use, with bugs popping up all the time."

Speaking of his profession, Zhao Zhijie immediately stopped being nervous and began to count how many times he had reported to the company over the past year, but none had been approved to make a new UI.

"President Chen, I actually had this idea a long time ago, but with the company's instability this past year, it hasn't been fully developed. However, a few of us have already finished the prototype design. As long as we are given enough Engineer resources, we can finish development very quickly."

Saying that, he opened his phone to let Chen Chen see the new UI he designed.

It was all based on flat design and looked much younger.

"Mhm, do it this way. It doesn't need to have that many functions, but it must be stable!"

"As for resources, I'll have Manager Lu coordinate for you and try to launch it along with the new phone."

"Okay, President Chen."

After Zhao Zhijie left the office in surprise, Lu Weibing looked at Chen Chen.

He felt that this kid had really changed his nature now, grasping all the key points.

A phone was just these things: chip, screen, and system.

The chip affects speed, the screen affects visual perception,

and the system affects the experience.

It was now 2011. Lei Jun's nickname actually managed to go back and forth with Feiliao and Penguin, MIUI's system updates weren't that frequent, and there weren't that many users.

I wonder if Lei Jun's nickname will still make phones.

If not, then I, Chen Chen, will go and snatch the internet market.

If Lei Jun's nickname does, then fine, we'll see who's better in the real arena.

Let's see if your Xiaomi Legal Department is more powerful or if my Red Star is superior.

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed.

During this month, Lu Weibing also discovered that Chen Chen really did as he said and came to the company every day.

Under his careful guidance, Chen Chen had basically mastered the company's processes, although Chen Chen wasn't very interested in personnel and administrative management.

He focused solely on the UI department, the pricing and development department, and the R&D department.

Dr. Lu had been in Taiwan for a month, and there was no news of the tape-out yet.

The good news was that the mobile development department had come up with the hundred-yuan phone plan designed by Chen Chen in a month.

The reason was simple: Red Star used to ship through operator channels, and they mostly made hundred-yuan phones.

Many molds only needed slight modifications to be used.

As for the mt6725 chip, due to the good cooperative relationship with MediaTek, they sent several senior Engineers to help Red Star with development and adaptation.

Looking at the engineering prototype produced by the mobile development department, Chen Chen nodded with satisfaction.

Although the deeply customized UI couldn't be used yet, a simplified version running on this phone was no problem.

Moreover, not adding many things could also reduce the burden on the system.

After all, the performance of this mt6725 processor was right there.

"How long until mass production?"

Chen Chen asked while fiddling with the engineering prototype.

"President Chen, if the engineering prototype tests are okay, we're ready for a mass production batch. But as you mentioned cutting off operator channels, our self-built mall isn't finished yet. Where would be appropriate to sell them?"

In his previous life, e-commerce platforms and such were completed by Lei Jun and others. Chen Chen thought it was simple, but he didn't expect Red Star to only have the framework built after a month, with nothing running smoothly.

Give it to other distributors?

That would require leaving enough profit for them, which didn't align with Chen Chen's original intention of selling close to cost.

Sell it on Cat or Dog?

While Chen Chen was considering, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

"Xiao Chen, I heard the engineering prototype is off the assembly line?"

Chen Chen looked up and saw it was Lu Weibing, then handed the engineering prototype to him.

Lu Weibing flipped it over, turned it on to try it out, and found it quite smooth.

"By the way, what's our mass production cost for this unit?"

"Because of the 1G RAM and this relatively new processor, the mass production cost is around 800 yuan. I suggest we price it at 999; it should achieve good sales."

"999 is too expensive. 899 or 799 would be more appropriate."

"This..."

Lu Weibing was so choked by Chen Chen's words that he almost couldn't catch his breath.

The cost is 800, and you're selling it for 799? Is that even okay?

"Uncle Lu, go contact the media later. We'll hold an online launch event to build some hype for the new phone. It's just that our self-built platform isn't finished yet, so we can only sell it on the Tmall and JD."

"By the way, President Chen, today a platform called Pinduoduo came to our company, hoping we could join their platform."

"Pinduoduo? It exists this early? How big is it?"

"Uh, according to them, it's an e-commerce platform that was just established not long ago, focusing on being cheap."

"Mhm, I have an idea. Did they also mention something about subsidies?"

Lu Weibing looked at Chen Chen with a face full of surprise, wondering how this kid knew Pinduoduo had subsidies.

Chen Chen: Just ask who doesn't know about Pinduoduo's 10 Billion Subsidy.

"Uncle Lu, give me the contact information for the person in charge of Pinduoduo. I'll make an appointment to talk to him."

"You guys get ready for mass production here. The new phone will be called Shine Mobile 1st Generation."

"Uncle Lu, you contact the media and hold an online launch event. I'll decide on the time later."