Extraordinary Genius
Chapter 870 – Different types of handphone flip cover
After passing the documents to Aiwa Electronics, Feng Yu ordered them to start researching on the USB drive. Of course, Feng Yu also set his requirements. The size of the USB drive must be about the size of a plastic lighter and cannot be as big as a portable hard disk.
Feng Yu was mentally prepared for the newly developed USB drive’s storage to be not higher than 128M. From the MP3 player, he estimates the storage size to be 32M and it is enough. This storage size is at least bigger than a floppy disk and the data is not easily corrupted.
Feng Yu could not remember when the USB drive appears in his previous life, but he knew it was after WIN98 was launched.
There is already USB port technology, and Feng Yu must be careful. If he remembered wrongly or history had changed, USB drive might be introduced by another company.
After Aiwa Electronics got the MP3 player’s technology and knew they had to develop this USB drive, they knew their engineers were not enough. They need software engineers, and Feng Yu transferred a few software engineers from Lenovo over to help them.
Liu Chuanzhi and the rest knew the potential of USB drives is high, but it will take a while before it is developed. Once this device is launched and become popular, their technologies will become the most advanced in the world.
Aiwa Electronics’ engineers might be a specialist in wireless technologies, but they can’t develop a PC component without the help of Lenovo.
After settling all these, Feng Yu went to check on the progress of Aiwa Electronic’s latest model of mobile phones. All his suggestions had been implemented, and the phone had bigger screens and 40 polyphonic tones. But the two LCD screens and game functions are not developed yet.
However, Feng Yu was still satisfied with their progress. He gave Aiwa Electronics new suggestions. All mobile phone manufacturers can manufacture flip phones. Have you all ever thought of being creative with the flip covers?
Xu Lihua was stunned. The flip phone already has 2 LCD screens now. Isn’t it creative enough?
To Xu Lihua, increasing the size of the LCD screens in the flip phone and changing from black and white LCD screen to colored screen. Wind and Rain Electronic have these technologies, but the cost is high.
If they are going to have a colored mobile phone, the production cost will double, and how much are they going to sell the phone for? Also, the factories in China do not have the facilities to manufacture these colored LCD screens and they must find overseas partners or Philips for help.
But Xu Lihua did not order the colored LCD screens as all the mobile phones in the market are still using grey screens. Having a blue or orange LCD screen is already very advanced, and colored screen is like taking a giant leap forward. All mobile phone manufacturers will start to use colored LCD screens and mobile phone prices will rise sharply and prevent mobile phones from becoming widespread.
Also, if Wind and Rain Electronic’s colored LCD screen technology is used in the mobile Phone, the flip cover will be very thick. Also, the flip covers got to have two LCD screens, and the thickness of the phone will have to increase by at least 1 cm. The phone will become bulky and… ugly!
Manager Feng had mentioned that the exterior phone designs must be fashionable, beautiful and it must be light and small. The size should fit nicely in the palm.
Feng Yu picked up scissors on Xu Lihua’s desk and start to open and close it a few times, before asking Xu Lihua if he gets it or not.
Xu Lihua had a blank look on his face. You are just playing with the scissors, what should I understand from this action? Use the scissors to cut a part of the phone away and make it into a cube?
Feng Yu got mad as he saw Xu Lihua’s blank look. His power of understanding is really low. Xu Lihua is skilled in technologies and competent in managing, but why is his understanding so poor? How did he make breakthroughs with his level of understanding?
“Look carefully. This part is the LCD screen, and the buttons are here. If you turn it from here, the screen will light up and the screen will be off when you turn it back. This way, you can use one LCD screen to achieve what 2 LCD screens can do.” Feng Yu points to the scissors.
Why are flip phones the mainstream mobile phones instead of candy bar phones? It is not because flip phones are the trend now. It is because the production cost for the flip phone is lower than candy bar phones, and the screens are bigger.
The maximum LCD screen size in the candy bar phone is about 1 inch and the phone is thick and long, like the old fashion handphones.
People are producing smaller phones, and you are going in the opposite direction? Consumers will not want bigger phones. It will also be too ugly if the size of the phone increase, and the LCD screen’s size remains the same!
Feng Yu was showing Xu Lihua the swivel phone, the earliest big-screen mobile phone.
“Manager Feng, the LCD will be exposed on the outside if it is a swivel cover, and it might get damaged easily.” Xu Lihua replied with a frown.
“Don’t you know how to add a protective layer over the screen? The screen will be much bigger, and the user can look at the screen clearer. Also, don’t you think it will be more eye-catching?”
One of the uses of a luxury product is to flaunt.
When everyone is using flip phones, and you are using the latest swivel phone, you will be the center of attraction.
Xu Lihua’s eyes become wider as he remembers someone telling him about people who love to clip their pagers on their waist now. It is not because of convenience, but to show others that he owns a pager!
Also, many people love to speak loudly on their mobile phones in crowded places. They know they are disturbing others, but they want others to see them using mobile phones!
People who own mobile phones love to flaunt and this swivel phone looks more fashionable than flip phones.
Feng Yu knew Xu Lihua is not a creative person and continue to remind him. “Other than flip phones and swivel phones, you still can product sliding phone, where the screen can slide upwards or towards the right, showing the buttons.”
“Manager Feng, it is not a problem to slide the screen upwards. But what’s the purpose of sliding the screen to the side? The user will find it uncomfortable to hold it.”
Feng Yu nodded. He was satisfied with Xu Lihua’s answer, as he had pointed out the shortcoming of this design. But in his previous life, some of the sliding phones had horizontal number pads, keyboards, or game controller.
Feng Yu was thinking of adding Email functions to his phone like Blackberry, and they will undoubtedly take over the Professionals’ segment.
“You can make a keyboard like laptops. This way, it will be easier and faster for the user to type messages. You can also make a gaming mobile phone. If the screen is raised up like this and don’t you think it will look like a video game console? Of course, this is only an idea, and I don’t expect you to develop it now.”
Feng Yu said and gestures with his hands to help Xu Lihua understand what he was talking about. Feng Yu was trying to give some inspiration to him and helping him to break his limits.
After giving Xu Lihua a few other suggestions, someone knocked on the door, telling them that Duan Yongping is here.
Feng Yu was curious about why is Old Duan looking for him. The Little Tyrant is developing their CD-based video game console and he should be at Shenzhen.
Did the Little Tyrant successfully developed their CD-based video game console?
Translator’s notes:
Types of phones