It's China's mobile phones' turn to define the competition.

Smartphones have brought about a long-awaited spring. Counterpoint industry data indicates that in the first half of this year, the sales volume of Chinese smartphones rose by 4% year-on-year, and the growth momentum will mainly come from the enhancement of product strength.

The situation at the production end is also optimistic. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, from January to August 2024, the output of Chinese smartphones was 751 million units, with a year-on-year increase of 10.4%. The global smartphone market has also achieved positive growth for three consecutive quarters, with the shipment volume reaching 289 million units.

The reason for this is that The influx of the innovation trend has enabled the consumer electronics industry to regain its original rhythm and provide users with a sense of novelty. Mobile imaging, foldable screens, AI large models, self-developed chips... Powerful and diverse have become the new keywords for the industry's upswing. When the market warms up and we look back, we can observe the transformation and reorganization of the industrial ecosystem.

The latest data released by IDC also shows that the top five in the current domestic smartphone market shipment volume have been fully occupied by local manufacturers. This also means that Chinese phones have fully surpassed and become the core role leading the industry's recovery.

The order has been rearranged, and the new round of competition has also evolved into a comprehensive contest of underlying technical strength. In this recovery battle, how can the top players lead and stand out? Clues can be found from the innovation and breakthroughs of the products.

"One Superpower", Not Creating Concepts, But Addressing Pain Points

The focus battles of smartphones are mostly concentrated in the second half of each year. One of the major attractions is who will be the first to confront Apple in the high-end market. This year, vivo has chosen to be the challenger.

On the evening of October 14, 2024, vivo held a new product launch in Beijing's Water Cube, bringing three models, vivo X200, vivo X200 Pro, and vivo X200 Pro mini, to compete with Apple.

Taking the lead undoubtedly requires courage. For a first-release flagship model, the biggest challenges mainly come from two aspects: one is how to "set the tone", and the other is how to "set the price".

Setting the tone is reflected in the performance of products, technology, experience, and innovation. The first-release flagship model must maintain a strong leading edge in technology, highlight its advantages and minimize its disadvantages to ensure that users feel the real innovation and breakthrough.

Pricing is also a difficulty. Taking the lead means lacking market feedback, and the price adjustment space is limited. How to show one's own technological leadership while not setting the price too high to alienate the core consumer group is a precise game.

This is not just a hardware competition, but a comprehensive contest of brand value, user experience, and technological innovation.

And vivo's courage to directly face Apple also reflects the profound changes in market logic and consumer habits. When domestic brands accelerate their ascent to the high-end, the high-end market is no longer "dominated by one". In the eyes of consumers, the brand-only theory is failing, and a high "product-price ratio" is the underlying logic of user choice.

As the first player to make a move, how to attract consumers' attention?

The key to electronic products lies in the "super" function, that is, the function that can significantly improve work efficiency, enhance the use experience, and provide additional value. This year, the demand for the super function in the imaging track remains strong, but the overall competition has shifted from parameters to the "photo output rate".

Tencent once released a set of data. About 780 million people enter Moments every day, and among the 120 million users who post in Moments, 670 million photos are included. In the cyber world constructed by data, the massive demand for imaging can be seen.

To bridge this gap, it is necessary to combine hardware, algorithms, and functions to finally enable ordinary users to "take a great photo with one click".

Vivo's strategy is clear. It not only "self-develops" to build its own moat but also expands its "circle of friends" through "joint research" to make the cake bigger with top imaging manufacturers.

In terms of hardware, the vivo X200 series is the first to launch the blueprint × Sony LYT-818 jointly customized with Sony. It not only ensures that it has the industry's first-tier hardware but also combines its own needs and technical advantages through customization, achieving "1 + 1 > 2".

In the past pain point scenarios such as night scenes, snapshots, and telephoto sections, the vivo X200 series has performed relatively well. The Zeiss 200MP APO super telephoto uses a 1/1.4-inch large bottom sensor, which is 2.2 times higher than the X100 Pro, and the comprehensive light intake is increased by 125%, breaking the industry bottleneck of low clarity and insufficient details of the previous telephoto. The slogan "Even at the top of the concert venue, you are a VIP" shows its strength.

The difference between mobile phones and DSLRs is also reflected in the gap in optical performance and ISP chips. The hardware space in the mobile terminal is inherently limited, and the part left for the imaging module is at most 20% - 25%. "Competing" in imaging is an art of "containing the world in a grain of rice and incorporating mountains and rivers in a hair".

When the existing solutions can no longer break through, introducing increments is a method. Three years ago, vivo released its first self-developed imaging chip. With the upgrade of the "physical external" chip, the overall improvement of mobile imaging quality, dynamic range, and frame rate is finally achieved.

Based on the latest blueprint imaging chip V3+, the X200 series achieves "better video than photos", realizing functions such as 4K 120fps movie slow motion, 4K backlit portrait video recording, and full focal length 4K 60fps 10bit Log video - integrating the frame rate of sports events, the large aperture and large depth of field of DSLRs, and nearly 1 billion color levels into one mobile phone. At the same time, these three breakthroughs also have absolute dominance in the Android market, throwing a new "king bomb" into the mobile imaging market.

From "A larger sensor crushes others" to "A smaller size is more ingenious", the integration and innovation of technology have changed the logic of imaging. With the efforts of top manufacturers such as vivo, in shooting scenarios such as concerts and travels, more users have put down their "big cameras" and chosen to press the shutter with a lightweight mobile phone.

The reason why mirrorless cameras replace DSLRs is that their image quality is not inferior to that of DSLRs of the same level, their operation and portability are stronger, and they are fully leading in video shooting. Nowadays, mobile devices also show stronger potential in these aspects.

Looking into the more distant future, When imaging becomes the "one superpower" ability of smartphones, it is no longer just a slogan to be comparable to professional imaging equipment, professional photography teams, and professional post-production capabilities.

"Multiple Abilities", Eliminating Weaknesses, Achieving Comprehensive Victory

Beyond "One Superpower", the current mobile phone market also increasingly emphasizes "Multiple Abilities". The mainstream flagship models on the market not only have no weaknesses but also have unique technical features. At this time, the exploration depth of the technology deep water area by enterprises determines the upper limit of the product experience.

Currently, Whether it is the high computing power required for the large model to enter the mobile phone or the 3D trend of mobile games, both are forcing manufacturers to "compete" in hardware. To win in the hardware arms race, both technical reserves and strong alliances are indispensable.

Coinciding with the first year of the 3nm process, seizing new technologies is a consensus. The linkage between top mobile phone manufacturers and new chip factories has also evolved from joint research and development to joint definition, exploring from the "deep water area" of technology to the "no man's land".

The intuitive upgrade is that the vivo X200 series has the "Blue Crystal × Dimensity 9400" global first release, with a跑分 breaking the new high of 3 million. The full-link technical closed loop from definition, design to R & D and calibration realizes the "software and hardware integration" design at the bottom layer, injecting the "vivo soul" into the chip.

Such efficient computing power can support more complex screen display effects and eye-protection algorithms, enabling the vivo X200 series to complete the "customized" and "full-scenario" eye-protection upgrade. Its exclusive 2160Hz full-brightness high-frequency dimming technology significantly reduces screen flicker and reduces eye irritation.

Behind the parameters, the deep cooperation between MTK and vivo also broadens the boundaries of mobile communications and breaks through the "last mile" of no-network communication. The first kilometer-level no-network communication technology jointly released by the two sides supports scenarios such as SOS text broadcasting, one-to-one voice intercom, text communication, and map display.

This point-to-point and end-to-end long-distance communication can not only solve the signal problem in crowded places such as concerts and music festivals but also play a role in "emergency rescue" in extreme situations such as mountainous areas, outdoor hiking, and sudden disasters. Perhaps next year, this new form of communication that is farther, easier, and more energy-efficient will become the standard configuration of flagship models.

The technological dividends brought by MTK are not limited to this. The Dimensity 9400 is the first chip in the industry to achieve inference and training on the end side. It can not only efficiently run AI algorithms on mobile devices but also train AI models, enabling the device to achieve "growable" intelligence.

With hardware as the cornerstone, the addition of the AI large model has completely changed the rules of the game. Whoever can "stuff" the large model into the mobile phone and find the shortest and most convenient intelligent path can gain the upper hand.

Therefore, vivo has launched a "most AI" operating system. This time, the X200 series has launched intelligent tools that are deeply integrated with daily life and efficient office work, such as the Atomic Island and the XiaoV Circle Search functions, and has also built a complete AI assistant system.

From perceptual intelligence to cognitive intelligence, providing more personalized, humanized, and intelligent services is the broad space that the large model brings to the evolution of mobile phones.

Facing the industry, vivo is also stirring up the situation and providing upward reference answers. In September this year, vivo became the first terminal brand to establish a joint laboratory with Arm. At this X200 series new product launch event, Arm and MediaTek executives appeared, and the three giants of the chip industry chain completed a rare "century co-appearance", marking that the resource integration and technology sharing in the upstream and downstream of the chip industry have entered the "Next Level".

When some top manufacturers are trapped in the shackles of "micro-innovation", vivo is still comprehensively improving in multiple dimensions such as performance, screen, AI intelligence, and battery life. How to continue to grow upward? Rewriting the rules of the game and introducing "technological living water" is the key to its victory.

In 2023, vivo released the technology brand Blue Technology, integrating various subdivided technologies into a unique technology brand, achieving efficient internal resource integration. It not only gives birth to many new technologies but also brings sustainable innovation with a long slope and thick snow. The "One Superpower and Multiple Abilities" of the vivo X200 series is the best example.

"Reaching the Summit", How to Secure the Top Position?

For the vivo brand, the X200 series is definitely a crucial battle to reach the high end. Looking back, this brand has achieved the first domestic domestic mobile phone sales for 15 consecutive quarters. And to some extent, the market response of the latest flagship is one of the factors that determine whether it can continue to win the championship.

After the pre-sale started, the vivo X200 series achieved an initial victory. The sales volume of the entire series increased significantly compared to the previous generation, reaching a remarkable 150%, and the performance of the Pro version was even more outstanding, with sales increasing by 200% compared to the previous generation.

Winning once may be luck, but long-term leadership can only rely on the internal strength of the enterprise. In the midst of the torrent, what vivo shows is the rare humility of a top brand. Before a new function is launched, the internal team always reflects first: What can we change? Can this change bring new significance to users? Is this change achieved in a simple, perfect, and elegant way?

Concentrating on planting the seeds, focusing on user-oriented needs, and technological innovation to form an innovative R & D supported by an industrial thinking is the "user-oriented innovation" that vivo has always adhered to.

Planting the seeds can be seeing the needs of a few people. The "vivo See" function equipped in the vivo X200 series has provided assistance to more than 17 million visually impaired people. The power of technology can allow the visually impaired group to "see" the scenery outside the high-speed rail window, "identify" the toiletries in the hotel, and even feel the beauty of the roses on the roadside.

Planting the seeds can also be bravely climbing the peak of science and technology. In October this year, the vivo X200 series, together with the scientific researchers from the Everest Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, conquered Mount Everest. Facing the extreme environment of thin signals at high altitudes, the "kilometer-level no-network communication technology" significantly improved the communication efficiency of the scientific research team, enabling them to communicate and coordinate actions in real-time in high-altitude areas to ensure the smooth progress of the research tasks.

What makes vivo stand out is not only the "One Superpower and Multiple Abilities" of the product but also the profound insight into the original proposition of the intelligent terminal - how to better serve life through technology. When the annual strongest flagship vivo X200 series is released, we not only see the upward technology but also vivo standing at the crossroads of technology and humanity, striving to make the world a better place.