Whether mobile phone brand must self-research chip

Mobile phone brands are not a new concept because Apple and Samsung have already done so. Since Huawei this year because of the launch of the 920 in the high-end model of the first-class full use of self-research chip and get a good market response, as if all of a sudden hanging up the appetite of other companies, ZTE has launched its own processor, millet and the core of the formation of joint ventures, mobile phone brand manufacturers really must self-research chip?

In the mainland mobile phone brands have launched or began to study whether to build their own processor development team, Samsung began to rectify, the second half of this year, Samsung LSI division eldest brother substitution, before the head of the Foundry Division to become LSI Division general Manager, the new office of three fire first burned to the United States, Europe and the United States and China's integrated circuit design team, three teams were cut, to say Samsung LSI USA, Europe and America team to do what old Yao unclear, Samsung Hangzhou Semiconductor department has been Galaxy Note, note 2 application processor development team, Such a good team on the mainland any company is expected to be a treasure, but Samsung cut off, why?

It should be said that all handset manufacturers, Apple's processor strategy is the most clear, all the new iphone and even ipad using a processor, Apple annual sales of hundreds of millions of mobile phones, to minimize the cost of application processors, but also ensure that Apple's mobile configuration unique, As your Android phone is configured, Apple is always on its own and unique in its product upgrades.

Mobile phone manufacturers to develop chip benefits in Apple has been fully reflected, although there are rumors that Apple will develop its own baseband chip, but the old Yao think the probability should be small, because the relative application of the processor, the baseband is much more difficult, special communication technology upgrade to 4G, the need to support more and more frequency bands, technology more complex, Apple's need for baseband technology is not high, and with Intel's Lingki technology, Apple is rumored to be introducing Intel as the second baseband supplier outside Qualcomm in 2015, so Apple has no need to invest in baseband technology, rather than putting sensors in areas that bring more features to mobile phones.

Another investment chip to bring a huge return on the brand is Huawei, and Apple into the chip field to the application of processor-based, Huawei HiSilicon is prominent in the baseband or SOC development, 2014 Huawei relies on the unique Kylin 920 processor set off the core of independent intellectual property technology frenzy, in fact, the past few years HiSilicon has been criticized by the industry, HiSilicon into the baseband is a decade to grind a sword, to make a breakthrough last year, baseband technology for Huawei can not only bring the core technology for mobile phones, but also contact the mobile phone and core business network equipment Bridge, so the importance of chip development for Huawei is no less important than the application processor for Apple, This is also the past ten years Ren to HiSilicon money to give money, VIPs give people not to support the key, fortunately HiSilicon, finally in 2014 finally made a breakthrough, and made a good market response, I believe that the future of mobile phone chips for the importance of Huawei will be more and more high, chip design will be more Become one of the core competencies of Huawei Mobile and network equipment.

Looking back at Samsung, although Samsung baseband technology has been not clearance, the past few years in the application of the processor on the investment or Samsung to bring a good profit, until the 4G, it should be said since the development of the application of the Samsung mobile phone has played a big role in promoting the rise, even if no AMOLED panel effect is greater, Because of its own application processor, Samsung high-end models can be in the configuration of the competition, but Samsung does not have the strength of Apple, can let Qualcomm obediently only provide baseband chip, in the past few years even Samsung most beautiful time high-end products are not afraid to abandon Qualcomm chip, and because there is no own OS, Samsung makes With Android also to follow the development strategy of Android, not like Apple can launch 64-bit processor and technology leadership as per their plan, Samsung first launched the Bada operating system, and later launched the Tizen OS, are trying to get rid of the android binding, the strategy is not wrong, Unfortunately, the attempt did not succeed.

It is rumored that Samsung's self-developed five-mode 13-frequency SOC has begun testing in China Mobile, indicating that Chiki belt technology has been gradually catching up, but how to locate the SOC is a problem, if the positioning of high-end note Series or S series products, consumers may not buy, if only the most advanced application processor, Gotongki not necessarily support, Samsung also may not dare to abandon the high-pass SOC like Apple, it is equivalent to push Qualcomm to the competitor, this is Samsung to develop independent chip has to face the dilemma. It is also the reason why the new GM, the Samsung LSI division, will be cutting out three teams in the US, Europe and China.

From the experience of Huawei and Apple, we can see that the brand company mobile phone and chip department to form a benign interaction requires a few conditions: 1, have their own core technology or core competitive advantage, the same development application processor, Samsung did not have Apple effect, because Apple has its own iOS, Samsung has to follow its own android;2, to have a base sales base, Apple is all new development models adopt a processor, Huawei is almost all of the high-end models using the same SOC, sales assurance to maximize the cost of chip development, Otherwise, even if you have your own chip design technology, it may be less expensive to purchase from third parties, and it is not possible to form a benign interaction with the mobile phone.

Samsung in high-end products facing self-research chips and Qualcomm's painful choice, and in the low-end and the choice of MediaTek, Spreadtrum plan of the mainland manufacturers competition, if their own baseband technology is not perfect, the chip department of Pain can be imagined.

The recent establishment of a joint venture between Xiaomi and the core has become a hot spot, many friends think that the core technology and HiSilicon compared to a large gap, in order to infer that the joint venture with the core of Xiaomi's overall strategic impact is limited, it is not true.

and Huawei Sprint in the high-end, 2014 Xiaomi total sales of 60 million, 2015-year target 100 million mobile phones, this is lei June external targets, it is rumored that Xiaomi internal target should be 130 million mobile phones, in order to achieve the above objectives, in fact, product strategy has no secret: to the more low-end expansion, At present, the Red Rice series mobile phone is 599 yuan, the lower end is 499 or 399, this price of the mobile phone strategy is exactly the same as the location before the core, and the Huawei Kirin processor for the high-end, millet certainly hope that with the help of the chip to improve millet in the low-end, especially low-end mobile phone market competitiveness, With the maturity of technology, and then extend to the middle and high end. This price of mobile phone sales at least guaranteed, with the two years of mobile phone performance, should also be able to meet the MIUI system needs, which is in line with the Lei June Internet strategy, so old Yao optimistic about the alliance with the core of millet, of course, the premise is the core team to give strength.

Finally, LG and ZTE, LG in the mobile phone strategy is a bit like the mainland brand, in Europe and the United States market through price war with Samsung to compete, Rob Samsung market share, so the use of self-developed processor is estimated to have a benign reaction to the brand, after all, LG mobile phone sales So far do not lose Huawei, Xiaomi and Lenovo; ZTE Chip technology is good, the main problem is the two years of mobile phone sales have a downward trend, if not a certain number of sales assurance, may have a negative impact on chip development.

Mobile phone brand investment in chip development, not every company can benefit from, so far, Apple, Huawei benefited significantly, Samsung benefited from the previous two years, the next few years to see unclear, millet strategy is correct, whether the energy also depends on the efforts of the core, ZTE, LG is necessary to observe two years. This article is edited by "Www.zrnkyy.com"

Whether mobile phone brand must self-research chip