From knock-off old-man's electric vehicles to industrial giant

Chapter 217 Polaris Batteries: A Hot Topic in the Mobile Phone Industry? (Part 2) (7k)

"Today, I have an exciting announcement to make."

"The vivo X20 Plus not only features the world's first under-display fingerprint sensor, but also offers two other exciting features for those looking to upgrade."

On the stage.

Han Boxiao's tone became impassioned.

We've already discussed the processor, camera, and screen—these are the usual three components.

Even without a press conference, the prior exposure and media speculation were already quite extensive.

On the contrary, features that other phones don't have are what differentiate them from other companies' positioning.

The audience and the consumers who were observing suddenly perked up.

"As we all know, full-screen flagship phones and large-screen flagship phones consume a lot of power."

Because we used the largest screen currently available in full-screen phones—6.43 inches, with a resolution of 2160*1080, reaching 2K level, and it uses an AMOLED screen.

However, our thickness is only 7.4mm.

This means that while large-screen phones offer a great viewing experience for watching videos and playing games, their battery life often cannot surpass that of smaller flagship phones.

Like a muscular man, he may have impressive physical attributes, but his inner qualities are not sustainable.

I played a game, but before I finished, I had to recharge...

It's still hot to the touch.

Han Boxiao changed his style and started telling short stories.

This is a common problem with large-screen phones these days. They want high resolution, a large screen, a high frame rate, and they also want to be thin and light. How can you have such a good deal?
With brightness and resolution at maximum, battery life is truly a major concern when playing games.

However, in previous press conferences, competitors often avoided discussing this topic.

The audience burst into laughter.

"And today, the X20 Plus will be the first to be equipped with the industry's first 4300mAh ultra-high density Polestar battery, and comes standard with 30W flash charging, truly achieving one hour of charging for a whole day of battery life!"

Say goodbye to the sluggish, weak experience!!

The digital screen displayed the X20 Plus's specifications and a battery life presentation!

The entire audience was stunned into staring.

Take less?

"Huh? 4300mAh..."

"Wow, that's a huge battery. How did you manage that?"

"Is it that surprising? Last year's flagship phones from Xiaomi and Huawei also had large screens and 4000mAh batteries, didn't they?"

"Dude, do you want to check the thickness? This Vivo model is only 7.4mm thick, probably the thinnest full-screen phone this year. Last year, the Mate 9 was 9.0mm thick, and the Xiaomi MIX was 7.9mm thick. I bet none of them are as thin as the Vivo this year."

"Wait, Polaris batteries??"

……

Many viewers and media outlets in the gaming industry were visibly stunned!
in fact.

When the thickness of the phone was announced, most people could guess that the battery life of this model would most likely not exceed 4000mAh.

After all, this is almost the thinnest full-screen device in its class.

With so many people taking photos, there really isn't much space left inside.

But I didn't expect vivo to be so ruthless this time!
They were completely taken aback.

Previously, the 4100mAh battery cell design from Xingchen was based on the standard model size. However, after being adapted to Vivo's large-screen flagship phone, the battery cell specifications for the mass-produced version have naturally increased, with the capacity growing to 4300mAh.

After some back and forth, the capacity is now 400mAh higher than vivo's original design of 3900mAh.

The Snapdragon 660 is a low-power mid-range processor, and the overall battery life improvement is nearly an hour longer than before.

of course.

The most crucial element is the phrase "Polarstar Battery".

Its appearance immediately caused many people's heads to buzz.

"You may have heard of this name. It comes from a well-known manufacturer in the car industry. While boasting ultra-high energy density, it also brings you ultimate safety. Please enjoy the battery nail penetration test!"

The scene on the screen changed again.

The test stand, the steel needle, the full voltage capacity, pierced the battery pack.

Many more people stared wide-eyed.

Needle-puncture soft-pack lithium battery?
This was the first time they had ever seen such a scene.

To know.

Whether it's domestic experts, mobile phone manufacturers, or third-party accessory manufacturers, they have all repeatedly emphasized that it is strictly forbidden to squeeze or puncture the mobile phone battery cell.

The work they did today was truly beyond their expectations.

Han Boxiao: "Last year, there were some unsafe incidents in the industry, all caused by battery short circuits. We have to admit that in today's rapidly advancing technology, the safety of mobile phone charging and batteries has once again been brought to the forefront."

To ensure your peace of mind and satisfaction, we have partnered with Star Technology to launch this ultra-safe, high-density, cutting-edge battery cell for the first time.

...

"666, they're using Samsung as a backdrop!"

Some viewers were surprised that vivo was so outspoken.

Daring to benchmark against others immediately generates buzz.

"Wow, these battery cells are amazing!"

"What company is Xingchen Technology? What's its background? I've never heard of this mobile phone supplier before."

"They're a company that makes new energy vehicles, but they also developed the first power battery pack in China that supports the nail penetration test. I never expected them to cross over into making mobile phone battery cells. This is simply... simply..."

This news is quite shocking.

This marks the first time an automaker has partnered with a domestic mobile phone manufacturer.

Media outlets at the scene have already begun to perk up and record this "special moment".

……

Next.

Han Boxiao then introduced the battery's ultra-long cycle life of 800 cycles, as well as 30W wired flash charging and 15W wireless fast charging capabilities.

"Our phones also feature wireless charging, wired flash charging, wireless fast charging... multiple modes for users to choose from."

Furthermore, we have a deep partnership with Star Technology, offering not only official wireless magnetic fast charging devices, but also magnetic power banks with wireless charging capabilities from Star Technology.

The name of Xingchen Technology was mentioned for the second time at the press conference.

At the same time, it brought the concept of wireless magnetic fast charging to the public eye.

A super-thin, minimalist card-style magnetic power bank appeared before everyone thanks to the buzz generated by the launch event.

It attracted countless surprised and shocked glances.

……

That evening, the related discussions were very heated.

Only one hour had passed since the press conference ended.

Keywords such as vivoxplus, Polestar battery, and needle penetration test have repeatedly topped the trending searches.

"Mr. Xu, the order volume has slightly exceeded expectations, and we need to expedite the production of battery cells."

That evening, Shen Wei sent a joyful message.

During the second half of the press conference, starting with the introduction of the battery, the level of attention and the overall atmosphere clearly increased, confirming that vivo's investment had paid off well.

Despite the price increase of 100 yuan compared to the planned launch price, the order data is still quite strong.

Xu Yi replied with "ok".

The message was then relayed to Zhengzhou Railway.

online.

This sparked a heated discussion in the tech community.

This era is slowly fading away with the trend of "small and beautiful".

Buying a mobile phone is like buying a car.

Big is good, good is big.

Large-screen smartphones with full-screen displays are attracting much attention in the second half of the year.

"Can any experts tell me, is this needle penetration test reliable? Is this so-called Polaris battery really as amazing as they claimed at the press conference?"

"It should be very reliable. First of all, the energy density is impressive. In addition, Xingchen is a car manufacturer, and they previously worked on automotive-grade battery cells. According to universal standards, the highest is military-grade, followed by automotive-grade, and then consumer-grade. Judging from the information from the current press conference, even if there is some misrepresentation, it is probably still much better than other top-tier battery cells!"

"Fast charging, large battery, high-end configuration, large screen... Time to go!!"

"Damn, I'm a Starlight car owner! I never expected to see Starlight cars at the Blue Factory launch event. I'm really going to place an order this time. The car uses a Polestar battery, and so does my phone, hahaha."

The topic has sparked heated discussions online.

This year's thinnest full-screen phone has truly surprised many people.

It excels in every aspect, including camera, screen, charging, and battery life.

But the tech community has never lacked critical individuals.

A digital blogger named "A Liang" posted a Weibo post.

-

"Blue Factory really showed a lot of sincerity this time, but there are some parts that I don't understand."

A full-screen phone with a Snapdragon 660 processor—not a flagship chip—is priced at a whopping 3599 yuan, surpassing the price of the Snapdragon 835. Is it trying to fly to the sky?
And that wireless charging function... I really have to criticize it. It's purely for the sake of showing off technology, a feature that was just added on to sell wireless chargers.

It would be good if one out of ten thousand users used wireless charging.

If we could save on this cost, it would be great to lower the selling price by a hundred yuan.

They probably still want to fleece users with their wireless chargers.

...

And that co-branded Polestar power bank, it actually sells for 299 yuan.

Look at that power bank, it only has a 3300mAh capacity.

Besides being lighter and thinner, and supporting wireless magnetic charging, what other uses does it have?

Most mobile phones don't need this wireless charging function.

Even power banks with a capacity of 20,000 kilowatts aren't that expensive in the industry.

I'll say something about how ridiculously stupid it is, is that okay?

Similarly, when car manufacturers collaborate with mobile phone manufacturers, last year Huawei partnered with Porsche to launch the Mate 9 Porsche Design, which received positive market feedback.

This year, LanChang probably wanted to imitate Bofeng and also approached this leading domestic new energy vehicle company.

But what many people probably don't know is that Xingchen Motors started out copying Porsche, which is not a very honorable thing.

It's even more despicable that someone so new to the tech industry would do something like this to fleece people.

-

Others were discussing products and new batteries emerging in the industry.

Ah Liang, on the other hand, is much more capable.

It's unclear whether this is just venting or something more sinister or malicious.

This dragged all four manufacturers down with it.

This immediately attracted the attention of fans from all sides.

"Indeed, isn't this collaboration between Blue Factory and Starry Sky a bit of a poor imitation?"

"Forget about the imitation, I didn't even notice this power bank until you pointed it out. 3300mAh... selling for 300 yuan? What's wrong with this world? A car manufacturer is being so greedy."

"Wait a minute, don't just criticize it randomly. Their power bank also supports the needle penetration test and uses Polestar battery cells, which are said to have a very long lifespan. There have been reviews of them. Plus, the design and slimness all come at a cost. I think it's worth the price."

Some people expressed different opinions.

"To be frank, this wireless charging bank is really redundant. Besides Samsung and Vivo, are there any other brands that would make it useful for home use?"

"This power bank is actually quite nice-looking, but the price is too outrageous, it's really tempting to buy it."

"That's right, if it were over a hundred, I'd just have to hold my nose and buy it."

……

Is a 3000mAh power bank worth 300 yuan?

Is wireless charging necessary?

The topic became a trending topic.

More criticisms have emerged online.

Most of the comments revolve around the high price and the claim that car manufacturers are trying to profit from the digital industry.

The argument that wireless charging is useless, along with the opinions expressed by many bloggers, has sparked heated discussions.

But things took a turn for the better on the morning of September 13th.

Apple held its annual product launch event and released three new iPhone models: the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.

The entire press conference was quite a sensation!
In addition to the new full-screen design and the debut of Face ID, there are several breakthroughs in processors and other aspects.

An unexpected feature has appeared.

That is, all iPhones in this generation are equipped with wireless charging.

Netizens who were discussing "wireless charging" the night before were stunned.

Ah Liang was among the first bloggers to publish the "wireless charging is useless" theory.

He was immediately speechless.

Watching this year's Apple launch event, I was astonished to see that all the new models featured wireless charging!
……

"The iPhone is really impressive this time. It has so many cutting-edge technologies. The full-screen display is much better than the Android camp. It also has Face ID and wireless charging. This is a phone that truly represents the future of technological innovation."

"I haven't tried facial recognition and wireless charging yet, but I'll buy one to give it a try."

"Wow, I want it! I'm ordering it now!!"

"We really have to fight for the starting position now!"

The dominance of fruit remains unquestionable.

Many people were stunned by this.

"Dude, didn't everyone say wireless charging was useless yesterday? Why are you admitting it's useful today?"

"Let's keep things separate. Can Android's wireless charging compare to Apple's?"

"Apple said at its launch event that wireless charging can better maintain the battery, so I will buy a wireless charger. I don't know if Android wireless charging will have the same effect."

"6. You guys have been brainwashed overnight, haven't you? Wireless charging all use the Qi protocol, what's the difference??"

...

The online sentiment shifted instantly.

The voices that were previously vehemently criticizing wireless charging suddenly quieted down and even gradually disappeared.

Conversely, the wireless charging function of the latest generation of Apple phones has been the subject of much discussion.

Very weird.

Because that statement suggests that using wireless charging can better maintain the battery.

Overnight, wireless charging became incredibly useful!

Ah Liang and those bloggers even deleted their posts and ran away overnight.

……

"Hello everyone, this is Geek Bay..."

I never expected that the Polestar power bank I reviewed last time would cause such a big discussion.

Its magnetic wireless charging function, in particular, became the starting point of a farce.

Yunfei released a video while the trend was still going strong.

"The trend that vivo's collaboration with Xingchen Auto has created is something I never expected."

And this Polestar power bank, after being reviewed, many people were amazed by its super safety, but still complained that it was too expensive and that the wireless charging function was useless.

But I want to say that the Polestar power bank is simply a revolutionary product ahead of its time!
When it was released, only a handful of phones on the market supported wireless charging, but now, vivo and Apple have joined the ranks.

What's this!
This is completely beyond what we can understand in this version!

Last time I tested the wired charging of this power bank for everyone, and the experience was very good. It can be attached with the magnetic ring, and even if you use a short cable to plug it in, it is equivalent to having an external card battery.

This time, I got a Vivo X20 Plus, which uses a magnetic attachment to hold the power bank.

The entire experience can only be described as silky smooth.

Ultra-thin, ultra-light, and super easy to use!

When the battery is low, simply attach the power bank to the device to instantly eliminate battery anxiety. Most importantly, its thickness perfectly fits the body of the device, and it generates very little heat throughout the process, providing an excellent user experience.

Now that all iPhones support wireless charging, we can imagine...

This power bank could easily become the best power bank for Apple phones next year. It can be seamlessly magnetically attached using a magnetic ring or phone case. With such a convenient design and the support of such a large number of Apple users, the argument that wireless charging is useless has been overturned.

As for the price of this Polestar power bank, I think we can draw a conclusion now.

I wasn't too keen to say it before.

but now.

I think it's a great deal!

It's even incredibly cheap!!

Think about it yourselves, is there any manufacturer on the market that can make a power bank so thin and light, with such an exquisite appearance? To be honest, if the logo were different, I would even think it was an Apple product.

In addition, it boasts exceptional safety, an ultra-long cycle life, and wireless charging capabilities.

Let's make an assumption.

If Apple were to release a power bank like this, how much would it cost?

899 or 998?

So, is the Polestar power bank still expensive at only 298 yuan?

This is truly a gem in the industry!!
Anyone with even a little industry knowledge can see that this power bank is incredibly high-quality, and its positioning is ahead of its time—it's truly amazing!

……

This video was released.

It can be said that they rode the coattails of the popularity of three parties.

This also attracted a huge amount of attention.

See the comments section below.

"You know what, thinking about it that way, it's actually quite worth it!"

"That makes sense. This power bank is a perfect match for the iPhone X. Damn, Apple just released it, where can I find such a compatible power bank?"

"I really have to buy it this time!!"

"In terms of workmanship, safety, and lifespan, this power bank is really cheap and offers excellent value for money!"

"I support it. It's the only power bank on the market that can wirelessly charge right now."

...

Apple users are really excited this time!
The way they looked at the Polaris power bank was incredibly intense.

There was a lot of discussion about it online before.

Many people were also watching.

Just kidding, they wouldn't even bother to glance at the Android camp.

It's crazy.

You think a power bank that costs 300 yuan is too expensive?

In comparison, replacing an iPhone battery costs five or six hundred dollars!

Buying a magnetic power bank to use as a battery clip only costs 300 yuan, isn't that a good deal?
This is an absolute steal!

These people flocked to the Xingchen official website and app store.

soon.

The sales volume of Polestar power banks went from 500+ to 999+, then to 2000+, and then jumped to 3000+...

In the end, it just turned gray!
Sold out.

Apple users who were shopping were stunned.

"What the heck? It's gone!"

"These power banks were all snapped up in just a short while!!"

"Haha, I got one! Now I just have to wait for my iPhone X to arrive!"

"Get the goods in! Why aren't you getting the goods in yet?!"

"Dude, who's willing to sell me their power bank? I'll add a hundred to the price."

"You're kidding me. I paid an extra 1,500 yuan to snag an iPhone X offline during its launch, and you're offering an extra 100 yuan for this power bank? Who are you trying to fool!"

……

A group of Apple users with extremely high spending power have gone crazy!

Well known.

Apple users are the most concerned about battery health in the industry.

Apple users also have the largest number of customers who buy power banks.

Almost everyone has one.

no way.

Replacing the battery with an official replacement is really expensive.

It charges very slowly most of the time. If you want to play games or go out, it's better to just use a power bank and keep it plugged in.

It's easy to tell which is more important, a power bank or a new battery.

Now that we finally have a product with such a perfect form factor and function that fits the new device, it's impossible not to buy it.

A group of people went to leave comments under Xingchen Auto's official account.

They're spamming the comments section, demanding "stock up"!
……

"Boss! Our power banks are selling like hotcakes!"

Car Mall Department.

Operations manager Hu Chao was stunned as he stared at the rapidly fluctuating order data in the backend!

They've had power banks on the shelves for over a month.

Sales have remained lukewarm.

But just half an hour later, it suddenly went crazy and was sold out.

Upon receiving the message, Zheng Guozhao quickly walked to the computer.

His face was full of confusion and bewilderment.

"What's going on? Is vivo's product launch event really that popular? But this is already the third day..."

He knew about the collaboration between vivo and their Polestar power bank brand.

After the press conference that day, Polestar power banks only saw a sales increase of a little over 300 units.

While Polestar power banks had previously engaged in a wave of commercial promotions, to be honest, they received critical acclaim but failed to achieve significant sales success.

Few people care.

But I didn't expect it.

What mechanism was triggered that caused today's stock to sell out so quickly?
"No, it's that all the orders are from iPhone users. It seems like our power banks are now being used as the dedicated wireless power banks for the iPhone X!" Hu Chao explained the new features of the newly released iPhone.

Zheng Guozhao suddenly realized!

I rely on.

This works?!
These iPhone users are all people who don't lack budgets.

At least in the digital field, regardless of whether people use installment plans, they are all willing to spend money.

"Sold out?!"

"Ah. The previous batch only had five thousand battery cells, and that's how many were produced."

"No, we need to speed up production and get another batch of battery cells out. At this rate, we'll probably sell tens of thousands of units!"

Zheng Guozhao pondered.

Once this batch is sold, the initial design and development costs will be covered.

The profit margin for power banks can be quite high in the future.

It even surpasses many other accessories in the car mall.

If we could sell tens of thousands more units, wouldn't that be fantastic? Sales would skyrocket!

His heart burned with passion.

On second thought, I admired Mr. Xu's brilliant decision once again!

What does it mean to have a forward-looking vision?

A batch of R&D cells that were about to be scrapped has now been transformed into a blockbuster product simply because of a few words from President Xu!
He was utterly impressed!
……

……

"Mr. Xu, your suggestion to add wireless charging functionality is simply a brilliant move!!"

On the vivo side...

Shen Wei called.

How did you know that the iPhone would have wireless charging this year?

His tone was full of curiosity.

Absolutely!

Absolutely amazing!!
Apple's strict control over supply chain information is such that even domestic manufacturers cannot get a full picture through various inquiries into the supply chain.

At most, it can only predict screen and camera parameters.

This year, some manufacturers knew that Apple was going to introduce Face ID, but they really didn't know that Apple would also implement wireless charging for all devices.

Well known.

On the Android side, they basically copy each other's work every year.

Basically, whatever Apple releases at the end of the year, we'll follow up with updates in the first half and middle of next year.

Full-screen displays, notch displays, and even facial recognition technology are all coming soon.

Make money, don't shiver.

It was because of this battery cell replacement that the extra space was used to install wireless charging functionality, at Xu Yi's suggestion.

There is still some controversy in the few days since its release.

And their wireless chargers sold very poorly.

Users have expressed their opinions on this.

Android manufacturers have never had much influence.

But things are different now. Apple introduced wireless charging, and all the discussions and criticisms turned into buzz overnight, and even into praise!
They praised vivo for its forward-thinking approach, noting that it not only has a full-screen display and in-display fingerprint unlocking, but also wireless charging capabilities comparable to the iPhone.

Excluding Samsung, it is almost unique in the Android camp.

This smells delicious!
of course.

iPhone users naturally wouldn't choose Vivo, but a large number of Android users, drawn by the wireless charging gimmick, gave Vivo a sales boost! The backend data shows a visible increase today!!

"Mr. Shen, what are you saying? I don't quite understand..."

Xu Yi answered the phone and laughed upon hearing this, "This is just a lucky guess. I don't have the ability to predict the configuration details of the Apple phone before the press conference."

You can't admit to that.

It's common for Android manufacturers to leak configuration details, as domestic manufacturers don't have as strict control over their supply chains.

However, when it comes to Apple iPhones, almost no online predictions are accurate.

We only find out about it during the one or two days of the press conference each year.

"Was it just a lucky coincidence?" Shen Wei was surprised.

Does he actually believe that?
Still don't believe it?
It's worth noting that Xingchen had even prepared a wireless charging magnetic power bank in advance.

And then, coincidentally, it sold out on the day the iPhone X was released.

Could this be such a coincidence?

His intuition told him that this was unlikely!

That's impossible to be that accurate.

Say.

If it was just a coincidence, that would be even more terrifying!

Just how impressive is this person's forward-thinking understanding of products in the digital industry?
Wouldn't it be invincible to become a product manager?

For an instant.

He then recalled the casual conversation Xu Yi had with him at the press conference.

A strange sense of "shock" arose in my heart.

Fortunately, they didn't enter the mobile phone industry, otherwise, who knows what kind of storm they would have caused!

"Oh, really? Mr. Shen, please stop testing me!"

Xu Yi felt that the other party still didn't believe him, and said with a wry smile.

"Okay, okay, I understand."

Shen Wei could only agree repeatedly, and then couldn't help but urge, "President Xu, we'll probably have to increase the battery cell production capacity again. The order volume has exceeded expectations again these past two days. We need to keep up with production. I'll synchronize the new orders to your production department later!"

It was almost a pleading tone.

According to their original expectations, the amount of inventory was more than enough.

Who would have thought the press conference would have been so successful? Now that it's coinciding with the iPhone launch in terms of specifications and buzz, it's generated even more discussion!

This is a real blowout!!
"Okay, I know. I'll try my best."

Xu Yi sighed.

Who could have imagined that the mobile phone industry's sales would surge so quickly? It caught him a bit off guard.

……

　Seeing that everyone disliked this part, I simply sped up and finished writing it all in one go.

　　There is a summary of the two main supply chains for power banks and mobile phone battery cells, but the arrangement may be scattered and disjointed, which can make it seem incomplete.

　　In reality, everything is planned; there's no intention to write unnecessary things.

　　So be it!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)