Li Yan envisions four key features of the product itself.
For future generations, it is just a very, very low-level method, but at this time, it can be regarded as a dimensionality reduction attack.
1. The "Aurora" coating process is something that has been negotiated with the mold factory and outsourcing factory.
The total cost of this part has reached 70,000 yuan.
2. Research and development of "King Kong" external amplifier system:
Dual speaker structure design, sound cavity design, and audio drive algorithm modification.
Li Yan has spent 8,000 yuan on this part and outsourced it to a software engineer who specializes in this.
3. Pre-installed TF card:
Use a computer and an all-in-one TF card reader to batch copy dozens of downloaded JAVA games (.jar files) to the root directory or specific folder of each TF card.
Hundreds of the latest and most popular MP3 songs have been downloaded at the same time.
The cost of this part is not high, after all, it is the wholesale price.
4. "Starlight" breathing lamp design:
Added LED light strip, drive circuit design, and mold modification.
The procurement of raw materials for this part, including the cost, came to 10,000 yuan.
Time: November 18, 2007.
Li Yan was already talking to purchasing and finance at this time, and was calculating the cost with the quotation in the office.
Everyone has done a pretty good job in the early stage.
As for MTK motherboards, we have already negotiated with an agent and agreed to provide a 30-day account period at a unit price of 140/piece.
Li Yan approved a deposit of 10,000 yuan.
Screen found a domestic screen supplier, the price is 27/piece, and can provide a 15-day account period.
Battery 15/piece, 1800mAh, settled in cash.
Other accessories, including cameras, housing materials, keyboards/side keys, speakers, etc., have found suppliers with the best cost performance, and some have secured short payment terms.
Then the current cost has almost been calculated.
Li Yan looked at the paper in his hand.
When we originally unified our thinking, a rough calculation estimated the cost to be around 280 yuan per unit.
Now, due to some differentiated designs and materials, after getting the quotation, the detailed real cost has reached 328 yuan per unit.
However, this increase is completely within the acceptable range.
Li Yan did not challenge the most expensive core components, such as motherboards and screens, but focused on the "extremely cost-effective" experience aspects of appearance, acoustics, software and accessories.
The original planned wholesale price was 588 yuan, and the profit margin was already very high.
The cost has now increased to 328 yuan. If the wholesale price of 588 yuan is maintained, the profit per unit will still reach 260 yuan.
ˆWith these differentiated selling points, Li Yan can set the wholesale price higher.
Even if he raises the wholesale price to 658 yuan, dealers will still rush for goods compared to public models such as Tianyu and Gionee whose wholesale prices are around 500 yuan, because the retail price can be sold for more than 800 yuan and demand exceeds supply.
But!
Li Yan does not intend to set the wholesale price too high for the time being, because his biggest goal now is to open up the sinking market and accumulate funds as soon as possible to pave the way for real smart phones in the future!
Li Yan does not look down on these small profits, but feels that for the time being, price and profit must be exchanged for sales and market opening.
Li Yan has temporarily set the wholesale price at 478 yuan, while the retail price is set at 638 yuan per unit!
This still leaves enough profit margins for wholesalers, and depending on the size of the wholesaler or agent, the wholesale price will also drop all the way.
You must know that in addition to international brands such as Nokia or Motorola, the price of domestic brand mobile phones on the market today is probably more than 800 yuan!
This price was carefully designed by Li Yan.
What Li Yan is seizing is the market that now accounts for the vast majority of copycat phones in rural and lower-tier markets!
Use regular mobile phone methods, use advanced marketing methods, and use large-scale GG investment to seize the sinking market!
…
Time: November 28, 2007.
In the Xingchen Electronics Factory, an atmosphere of tension and excitement about an impending war filled the air.
All the materials prepared in advance have arrived and are stacked in the designated "mobile phone material area".
The "Aurora" mold designed by Li Yan has officially entered the injection molding workshop after fine-tuning in T1 (the first mold trial).
At this time, the injection molding workshop no longer produces the ABS material for cheap phone casings, but instead uses a higher-grade PC+ABS hybrid material, which is stronger and tougher, and can better reflect the high-end texture.
Li Yan personally inspected the material bag and confirmed that it was correct.
Sanshu and Li Yanshou were in front of the largest 200T injection molding machine.
Attention is focused as never before.
Temperature, pressure, injection speed - every parameter is crucial.
An ordinary shell is almost enough, but this kind of shell that needs to be coated must not have any defects such as shrinkage, air marks, welding marks, etc. Otherwise, these defects will be amplified after coating and become a waste product.
After more than half a day of debugging, constantly adjusting parameters and checking trial samples, the first model of "Obsidian Black" casing was finally released successfully.
The cooled shell is carefully packed into a special turnover box and transported by a small truck in the factory to the cooperative coating factory in Bao'an, Shenzhen.
This is the only process that requires outsourcing.
Two days later, the coated casing was sent back.
The moment Li Yan opened the packaging box, everyone around him held their breath.
It is no longer an ordinary black plastic. Under the illumination of a fluorescent lamp, the black seems to contain endless depth. As the angle changes, there is a faint blue and purple glare flowing. It feels as warm as jade, without the cheap feeling of plastic at all.
"This...this shell..." The third uncle picked up one, rubbed it for a long time, and then said, "...it's so damn beautiful!" This rough word is the highest compliment for Li Yan's design.
The arrival of the coated shell means that the final assembly has officially begun.
The first batch of 12 trained female workers in the early stage have taken their places on the renovated production line.
Station 1 (motherboard pre-installation): Technician Xiao Zhang is responsible for this core station. He precisely installs the motherboard, camera, and vibration motor onto the metal middle frame, and checks the cable connections to ensure everything is faultless.
Station 2 (Screen Installation): The female workers carefully connected the screen assembly to the motherboard cable with gentle movements for fear of damaging the fragile cable.
Position 3 (cover closing screw): This is the link that requires the most skill. The workers put the assembled core part into the lower cover, cover it with the exquisite upper cover, and then use a fixed-torque electric screwdriver to precisely lock the screws. The torque must be just right, without the teeth slipping or loosening.
Station 4 (initial inspection and software burning): Connect the power supply. After successfully booting, the phone is connected to the computer to burn Li Yan’s customized version of the firmware.
Station 5 (Comprehensive Functional Test): This is the final level of quality. The tester inserts the card into a special test fixture, dials 112, and tests the call quality and signal; checks whether the speaker volume is loud and without cracks; tests the vibration motor; and checks whether the "Starlight" breathing light works normally.
Station 6 (filming, battery installation, packaging): The qualified mobile phone is affixed with a protective film, the battery is put in, and together with the charger, earphones, and the pre-installed 256MB TF card, it is placed in a packaging box carefully designed by Li Yan and sealed.
Reality is neither a game nor a novel.
Production is by no means smooth sailing.
In the early days, the yield rate was maddeningly low.
· During the screen wiring installation at station 2, more than a dozen screens were scrapped.
Li Yan immediately stopped and personally demonstrated the standard action of "push to the bottom until you hear a slight "click" more than a dozen times. He also increased the workstation to 2 people to check each other.
And even if an electric screwdriver is used, about 5% of the casings still have thread slippage due to screw hole accuracy issues.
Li Yan ordered that all the casings of sliding teeth be scrapped and never flow into the next step. At the same time, he asked Uncle San to record the batch problems with screw holes and provide feedback to the mold factory for long-term solutions.
Occasionally, a few mobile phones cannot be turned on after updating the software, thus becoming bricked.
Xiao Zhang and the technician had to manually re-flash the machine, which was extremely inefficient.
It was later discovered that the data cable had poor contact. After replacing the flash cable and USB interface with more reliable ones, the problem was basically solved.
Under the close follow-up of Li Yan, Sanshu and Xiao Zhang, the production line became smoother at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The female workers' movements have changed from unfamiliar to skillful, and the production efficiency has gradually climbed from an initial average of 20 units per day to 50 and 80 units.
One week later, the first batch of 500 "Star S1" units were produced and ready to go.
Among them, 300 units are "Fire Red" and 200 units are "Obsidian Black".
Li Yan picked up the final product and felt heavy in his hand. The Aurora paint surface shone brightly under the light. When he pressed the side button, the breathing light on the top flickered slowly like a star.
He pressed the volume button hard, and Phoenix Legend's song surged out from the dual speakers. The volume was huge but there was no broken sound, shocking the entire workshop.
“Uncle San, did you hear that?” Li Yan turned off the music, and the workshop instantly became quiet.
"I heard it, it's so exciting!" The third uncle's face showed a long-lost smile from the heart.
"This is not just a sound," Li Yan looked at the mobile phone in his hand, his eyes burning. "This is a stepping stone for our factory to open the door to a new world. Next, it's time to let the market listen to our voice."
The production battle has come to an end for the time being, and a more cruel and critical sales battle is about to begin.
These 500 mobile phones are all the bets Li Yan has put into the market, and also all the hopes for the rebirth of Xingchen Electronics Factory.
The next step is the last hurdle before the mobile phone is officially launched.
Li Yan is in command, technician Xiao Zhang is doing the errands, and the outsourcing agency is assisting.
Start the certification and testing process of mobile phones.