Chapter 150: Saebok
The preparations for the construction of the data center, as well as the development and mass production of semiconductors, were proceeding more smoothly than expected.
Thanks to the long preparations made since the regression, it seemed to be going well.
But.
‘The problem is… the cost.’
Despite earning money like crazy,
there was always a shortage of money because there was so much to do.
On top of that, what I’m doing now is semiconductor development, which wouldn’t be strange to call a money-eating monster.
“It’s too much of a burden to bring in funds from DJ Capital right now…”
Besides, proceeding with an IPO for Dojin Soft felt like selling stocks at a bargain, so I wasn’t too keen on it.
Of course, there was some leeway in funds at the moment.
But at this rate, it was clear that semiconductor development would soon be stalled.
‘…Should I sell it?’
Dojin Industries’ research lab spans from the 4th to the 7th basement floors.
I moved to the 7th basement floor, where no one but me had ever set foot.
As the entrance opened,
Whoooong—!
The noisy mechanical sounds from hundreds of devices pierced my ears.
Thanks to the well-equipped cooling facilities, even though it was running 24/7,
I felt more coolness than heat.
After walking around the interior space and checking the equipment for any abnormalities, I soon returned to my office.
‘It’s too early to organize yet.’
And what was being mined here had a separate place to be used in the future.
After much deliberation, I concluded that the best way to solve the semiconductor development costs right now was just one.
“We need to bring forward the launch of Quantum 2.”
In fact, even though we had sold over 50 million units since the launch of Quantum,
we hadn’t earned as much money as we were satisfied with.
We had focused more on increasing market share than making money.
So, we decided to bring forward the launch of Quantum 2, which had improved profitability, to cover the shortage of semiconductor development costs.
I immediately summoned the key figures of Dojin Tech to the conference room.
In the large conference room.
“Most of the preparations for the mass production of Quantum 2 are complete.”
As Chilbong flipped through the organized briefing materials, everyone’s attention was focused.
“As you can see, Quantum 2-S has improved over the existing Quantum 1-S in all aspects: performance, heat, battery life, and durability.”
Chilbong’s voice was concise yet firm.
“First, the display has been upgraded from the existing LCD to a 5.7-inch FHD AMOLED. Color, contrast, and response speed have all improved, and the thinner bezel provides excellent screen immersion.”
Hong Chung-ki asked,
“What AP model has been applied?”
“We’ve adopted Ahsung’s A-Core X3, with 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 64GB of storage.”
Jang Hee-soo continued,
“Unlike Quantum 1-S, the design has adjusted the overall curvature to emphasize the grip feel more. The edges are made with a metal-glass hybrid frame, and the back features an anti-fingerprint nano texture.”
Team Leader Lee Seojin, sitting next to Chilbong, nodded and said,
“I actually touched the mockup, and the grip feel wasn’t bad. Personally, I think the design is much better than the previous version.”
As Team Leader Lee Seojin spoke, a real photo of Quantum 2-S appeared on the screen.
“Wow.”
“It looks really good?”
“Once it’s released, we can easily surpass the sales of Quantum 1-S.”
Praise poured in from all sides.
Even I, who had already checked the photos and the real thing several times, felt a new sense of emotion seeing it in an official setting.
“So, when can we launch it?”
The official launch date was three months later,
but I had already instructed them to come up with a way to bring forward the launch when I called the meeting.
Chilbong answered with a somewhat serious expression,
“There’s… one problem.”
The conference room fell silent for a moment.
“Originally, Quantum 2-S was planned to be equipped with a UFS 2.0-based storage device to enhance high-speed processing and multitasking performance. But…”
Chilbong paused for a moment and displayed another piece of information on the screen.
“As you can see, there’s an issue with the supply of the UFS 2.0 controller.”
UFS 2.0 is a mobile-exclusive storage device that boasts much faster read and write speeds than the existing eMMC 5.1-based controller.
“Explain it in more detail.”
“It’s not exact, but it seems that Ahsung is pressuring the storage controller manufacturer, NexPower, to delay the development of our product.”
“Pressure?”
“They’re threatening NexPower with patent lawsuits and termination of technology partnerships, causing our product development to be completely halted.”
I couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh.
“Did you say the launch of Ahsung Electronics’ Titan 3 is around the same time as Quantum 2?”
“Yes. There’s a rumor that Chairman Cheon Ho-tae is directly leading the development after the consecutive failures of Titan 1 and 2.”
Titan 1 failed due to compatibility issues with KTalk and Ani-pung after applying the in-house OS, Taebaeksan.
Titan 2, a low-cost model released at near cost, sold only 8 million units, losing out to Quantum 1-A.
So, it’s understandable that they’re desperate for Titan 3’s success,
but I didn’t like that they were using such a petty method.
‘This time, I’ll completely drive Ahsung out of the smartphone market.’
But first, the UFS 2.0 controller issue needed to be resolved.
“What happens if this situation continues?”
Hong Chung-ki asked.
“We won’t be able to confirm the launch schedule for Quantum 2-S. Or… we could downgrade to the existing eMMC method, sacrificing some performance.”
Chilbong displayed a comparison table of eMMC and UFS on the screen.
-
eMMC: Sequential read 250 MB/s, limited parallel processing, low power
-
UFS: Sequential read 600 MB/s or more, parallel processing possible, excellent bandwidth flexibility
“…Does sacrificing some performance mean the ‘Hyper Image Snap’ function?”
“Not only will real-time saving with Hyper Image Snap become impossible, but shooting speed will also decrease, and gallery rendering may be delayed.”
Chilbong paused for a moment and then continued,
“Moreover, there will be some restrictions on Dojin Pay and Fintech functions, which reflect Lunar’s monetization model.”
The atmosphere in the conference room rapidly froze.
The Fintech functions linked with Dojin Pay were one of the key monetization models prepared for Quantum 2.
If the processing speed and responsiveness of payment, transfers, and financial services through smartphones decreased,
not only the user experience but also profitability itself could be shaken.
“What about finding another controller manufacturer?”
Hong Chung-ki asked,
but Chilbong’s expression wasn’t bright.
“NexPower’s controller is the best in terms of performance and compatibility, so we had already signed an exclusive contract with them. Finding an alternative would take at least four months.”
“Four months is too long!”
Han Yu-ju added to my words,
“With the extensive promotion already underway for Dojin Pay and Fintech, a delay in the schedule could significantly damage our external credibility.”
“What if we do this instead?”
Everyone’s attention turned to me.
“Combine an eMMC controller with an SDRAM cache module and optimize the firmware for a read-speed-first structure.”
It meant focusing more on app launch and content browsing speed rather than continuous writing.
“There’s a high chance we’ll fall behind Titan 3 in benchmark scores.”
“We might lose in benchmark scores, but actual users won’t feel the difference. And by not using UFS 2.0, we can also secure price competitiveness.”
“……”
Chilbong was silent for a while.
He seemed to be pondering, but in the current situation, there was no other solution besides what I had proposed.
Then, Seong-hwan joined the conversation,
“But, if the benchmark scores are lower than Titan 3, it could affect initial sales.”
Many users who aren’t familiar with software judge a product’s quality based on hardware performance.
If clear numbers show that one product is better, the probability of choosing Titan 3 over Quantum 2 would increase.
Han Yu-ju replied with a somewhat serious expression,
“Since Ahsung obstructed us first, what if we use a similar approach?”
“Explain in detail.”
“Exclude Dojin Pay and Fintech functions from Lunar, which will be installed on Titan 3.”
“That’s not possible.”
I firmly opposed Han Yu-ju’s opinion.
“If it becomes known that we’re pressuring competitors using Lunar’s market share, other mobile companies will hesitate to adopt Lunar.”
It was hard to make Lunar the standard.
We couldn’t create such an issue before it was fully established.
“So, are you saying we should launch it in its current state?”
Everyone, including Seong-hwan, focused their attention on me.
Looking at them, I asked,
“Among those present, does anyone think Quantum 2 is inferior to Titan 3 in any aspect other than benchmark scores, such as design, user convenience, or applications?”
Everyone simultaneously shook their heads.
They were confident that no matter how Ahsung made Titan 3, it wouldn’t be a match.
“Just the number of smartphone-related patents we hold is unmatched, so there’s no comparison.”
“Looking at UI/UX-related patents alone, multi-gesture switching or smart lock unlocking methods are only possible with us.”
“Front slide gesture functions and one-handed operation optimization algorithms are also only implemented by us.”
Jang Hee-soo added,
“The same goes for design. The curved integrated housing structure and nano-edge frame integrated structure applied to Quantum 2 were all made possible using patents that you, sir, registered in advance.”
From the surroundings, the words “as expected of the representative” were heard.
“To replace our patents, there’s talk that Ahsung is developing Titan 3 by attaching a plastic housing to a metal frame.”
“That way, it might look premium on the outside, but in actual use, there will be issues with gaps and durability.”
I nodded at the accurate point.
“So, except for the benchmark score issue, Quantum 2 is ahead in every aspect.”
Seong-hwan immediately responded,
“However, benchmark scores will have the most significant impact on initial sales.”
“So, all we need to do is solve the benchmark score issue.”
I smiled and raised my hand,
and Seong-hwan, realizing something, blurted out,
“Right, Saebok!”