Rebirth 08: Rise from copycat phones

Chapter 177 Two-handed plan
Fu Zhengyang continued: "Based on our Zhixin 2.0 core architecture, the dual-core chip we designed has two main frequency versions: 1.2GHZ and 1.5GHZ. There is also a 1.8GHZ version. The tape-out time for this version will be later, estimated to be the end of next year."

“GPU性能上，1.2GHZ版本支持720P视频播放，1.5GHZ以及1.8GHZ版本支持1080P视频播放。”

"All three versions integrate our three self-developed communication basebands!"

"If the performance of the initial 1.2 GHz chip reaches our design expectations after tape-out, then our S200 series chip will be able to compete with Qualcomm's 8X60 series and Texas Instruments' OMAP44 series."

"At the same time, we have also integrated some of our exclusive chip modules on this chip, including the smart shooting core, security core, coprocessor core, etc., which can better meet the needs of our Zhiyun mobile phone."

"If our chip is used, it can better enhance some unique features of our Zhiyun mobile phone, such as smart photography and fingerprint recognition modules!"

"Finally, in terms of communication baseband, we are also working on dual-network and triple-network versions, supporting both WCDMA and CDMA2000 or the three major 3G network standards at the same time."

"The latter is expected to be mainly used in our domestic market, while the former is used in markets with different network standards such as the Americas!"

"If all goes well, we hope to integrate dual-network and triple-network communication basebands on the next generation of dual-core chips!"

Xu Shenxue said: "If the first tape-out of 1.2GHZ is successful, then small-scale production will be possible after April, and then large-scale mass production will be ready in May or June? Is this correct?"

Fu Zhengyang said: "There is no problem with this understanding. We will be able to supply the 1.2GHZ version to the group next summer, the 1.5GHZ version in autumn, and the 1.8GHZ version may be available in winter next year."

“The premise is that the 1.2GHZ version can be successfully taped out on the first try!”

“However, it is still very difficult to succeed in the first tape-out of this new architecture, and there is a lot of uncertainty!”

Xu Shenxue frowned slightly after hearing this, and then said: "If the first tape-out is not successful, how long will it take you to improve the chip and do a second tape-out?"

Fu Zhengyang listened to this layman's question, but still gave an answer: "It depends on how serious the problem is. If the problem is not serious, it may be possible to do a second tape-out within one to two months after some revisions. The overall delay will be about three months."

"If the problem is serious, we may even have to start over. It may take three months or even longer to tape out the second time, and the extension time may be more than half a year!"

As he spoke, Fu Zhengyang said cautiously: "The uncertainty is quite large. I'm afraid I can't give you an accurate timetable!"

After listening to Fu Zhengyang's words, Xu Shenxue knew that next year's new mobile phone cannot rely on self-developed chips!

There are too many uncertainties and the risks are too great!
Once the self-developed chip fails, even if the first tape-out fails, it will seriously affect the release and listing of new mobile phones.

It is impossible for Zhiyun Mobile to sit idly by and watch Apple release a new flagship after June and then monopolize the market for several months...that would be a loss of tens of billions.

Xu Shenxue thought for a while and then said, "How about our single-hang communication baseband? If we use the Texas Instruments chip and our self-developed external baseband, will it be reliable to use it in a flagship phone?"

Fu Zhengyang said: "There are no major problems with our three single-hang communication basebands. The performance of WCDMA and CDMA2000 may be slightly different from Qualcomm's, but it is not very big. In actual use, it will not be noticeable."

"As for TD-SCDMA, the performance of our newly developed TD baseband is unique, at least much better than several other similar chips in China!"

“So using the Texas Instruments chip plus our external communication baseband is no problem.”

After hearing the answer from Zhiyun Semiconductor, Xu Shenxue returned to Zhiyun Technology to hold a high-level meeting. The theme of the meeting was the selection of next year's S series and C series chips and communication basebands!

At the beginning of the meeting, Xu Shenxue made it clear: "Qualcomm is too ambitious. They not only want the market of our big customer, but also want to cultivate a second big customer. The most important thing is that many of their chips are sold to mid- and low-end mobile phones, which has caused great damage to our mobile phone brand!"

"So next year, we will have two options for choosing new mobile phone chips: one is to develop our own chips, and the other is to continue to use Qualcomm and Texas Instruments chips!"

At this time, Gu Zhiming from the supply chain said: "Compared with Qualcomm, the negotiations with Texas Instruments were smoother. Their situation is not very good, and they are more dependent on us."

"They said they could give us priority, and even provide us with exclusive rights for the upcoming 1.5GHZ high-end 4460 version, but they also asked us to increase the purchase quantity. They not only wanted orders for the China Mobile version, but also orders for the China Telecom and China Unicom versions!"

As soon as Xu Shenxue heard it, he rejected it directly: "Impossible, we can't give all chip orders to one manufacturer unless this manufacturer is our own!"

Supply chain security must be guaranteed, and the 80/20 principle must be adhered to... Even after using self-developed chips in the future, Zhiyun Technology will still not be able to give all SOC chip orders to a single chip project before it is absolutely sure, but will selectively use chips from multiple projects.

Avoid the situation where a problem in one project causes the entire product line to fail.

At this time, Xie Jianyong, as a research and development staff, said: "There is still some performance gap between Qualcomm and Texas Instruments chips. Although they are both dual-core chips, according to our previous sample tests, Qualcomm's chips are obviously much stronger than Texas Instruments chips. In addition, Texas Instruments' chips do not have an integrated communication baseband and require an external baseband!"

"If you have to pay such a high price to get exclusive rights, then you might as well continue to negotiate with Qualcomm!" "Of course, if self-developed chips can come out, it will be even better!"

"For self-developed chips, if the paper design data provided by the semiconductor department can be realized, then there will not be too obvious difference from using Qualcomm chips, and even the internal structure design can be used to a great extent!"

Xu Shenxue said: "We should continue to negotiate with Qualcomm. We would rather offer a higher price than try to obtain exclusive rights. If that doesn't work, we should give priority to better conditions, so that we can actually have exclusive rights for a period of time."

"We are also discussing with Texas Instruments. Let's see what the final terms are."

"The strategic department has received accurate information. Now many mobile phone manufacturers are expected to adopt Qualcomm's new chip. This is a very bad signal."

"If we don't have this exclusive right, then when our S11 phone is launched next year, we will be faced with low-end phones that use the same chip but cost only two to three thousand yuan. This is unacceptable!"

"We would rather not use this chip than use the same chip as low-end mobile phones!"

Xu Shenxue couldn't help but frown when he thought about the fact that the S11, which costs five or six thousand yuan, and other mobile phone flagships, which cost more than three thousand or even more than two thousand yuan, use the same chip!

He will not allow his top-level flagship phone to be compared with some mid- and low-end phones!
This will cause great damage to the Zhiyun high-end mobile phone brand that has been built with great difficulty.

"We will talk to them first. No matter which one we choose, we will try our best to obtain exclusive rights to top-level chips for at least half a year."

Xu Shenxue knew very well that even if he was unhappy at this moment, he couldn't just say no, or even not need it...

There are still huge uncertainties in self-developed chips. It is impossible for Zhiyun Technology to directly abandon Qualcomm and Texas Instruments at this stage and turn to self-developed chips.

The risk is too great!
"The above two are backup plans. The most important thing is to promote self-developed chips!"

“I hope that the semiconductor department can continue to carry forward the company’s fine tradition of hard work and active innovation, and fight another major technological breakthrough!”

"We were able to overcome many difficulties and produce the C1 phone ahead of schedule, and then launched it to the market with great success!"

"So this time I also hope that the semiconductor department can repeat the precedent of the C1 mobile phone project and do their best to completely solve the chip problem!"

"Also, this chip issue is a lesson. We must further strengthen our voice in the supply chain and never allow the supply chain to be out of control again!"

In the field of chips, although Zhiyun Technology is already very strong, and at one point it was even able to get Qualcomm and Texas Instruments to propose special customized chips, it is still difficult to fully control it... After all, its scale is also very large.

In addition, it is also related to the particularity of the chip... The R&D cost of a new flagship chip is huge, and they cannot develop two flagship chips at the same time, and then give Zhiyun a customized version and another one to other manufacturers.

Therefore, after they develop a new flagship chip, they will definitely supply it to other mobile phone manufacturers at the same time.

But this is something Zhiyun Technology cannot tolerate!
Previously, Zhiyun Technology was not big enough, and the smartphone market had not yet taken off, so there were not many competitors, so it did not feel much about it.

It is the large number of Android flagship phones that have emerged in the second half of this year that have given a large number of executives at Zhiyun Technology a great sense of crisis!
The problem of homogeneity is too serious!
After the strategic meeting, the supply chain department continued to negotiate with Qualcomm and Texas Instruments under the leadership of Gu Zhiming.

In the negotiations with Qualcomm, they made it clear that they could forget about getting exclusive rights to the MSM8X60 series... This was impossible. They had even signed supply contracts with some mobile phone manufacturers. If they wanted exclusive rights, they would be in breach of contract, and the penalty would be sky-high!

However, they also expressed understanding of Zhiyun Technology's concern that the same chip would become homogenized after being used in other brands of mobile phones, which would in turn damage the Zhiyun mobile phone brand.

The problem now is that Qualcomm wants to continue selling new chips to the outside world, while Zhiyun Technology hopes to avoid homogeneity.

The two sides held talks on this key issue and finally came up with a new solution.

Following the previous dedicated chip solution, Qualcomm made a special version for Zhiyun Technology based on the MSM8X60 chip, slightly overclocked to 1.6GHZ, and then gave it a new model code name, directly breaking away from the existing S3 series naming rules and using the new MSM 9200 as an exclusive code name.

The name sounds like a next-generation new chip, which is what Zhiyun Technology insisted on... I don't care about your specific performance, but the name must appear more advanced and be different from the 8260/8660 used by other manufacturers.

Qualcomm didn't want to break the naming rules, but a big customer specifically requested it, and this was originally a dedicated version... It was just a code name, and there was no specific change involved, so they agreed.
In fact, except for a slight increase in the main frequency of this dedicated chip, everything else remains unchanged... The main reason is that it cannot be changed. If the performance is to be improved on a large scale, major modifications will be required, and the time and cost required are too great, which is unacceptable to both parties.

Now if we come up with a next-generation name and overclock it a little bit, both sides can accept it.

(End of this chapter)