Chapter 151: The Most Powerful Performance
Ahsung Electronics Executive Meeting.
Quaang—!
Chairman Cheon Ho-tae’s rough hand slammed down on the table.
A tense silence enveloped the conference room.
“How can we afford another failure after the consecutive setbacks with Titan 1 and Titan 2, which we were so confident about?”
His voice was low,
but it carried a deep fury.
“Just a few years ago, our domestic mobile market share was over 60%. Now, it’s barely above 30%. Not only are our smartphone sales crumbling, but our feature phone market share is rapidly declining as well. Do you even have a grasp on the situation?”
The executives in the room struggled to breathe, their eyes cast downward.
“Mobile Division Director!”
“Yes, Chairman.”
As Cheon Ho-tae’s sharp gaze fell on Senior Vice President Moon Yong-wook,
his cautious voice broke the silence.
“Is Titan 3 truly ready?”
“It’s on track without any issues. With the A-Core X3 processor, 4GB LPDDR4 memory, and the latest UFS 2.0 storage, its performance is overwhelming.”
Kim Seong-jae, Head of Strategic Planning, reinforced Moon’s words.
“Unlike us, Dojin’s Quantum 2 won’t be able to incorporate the new UFS 2.0 storage.”
Kim Seong-jae explained in detail how they had pressured NexPower to delay UFS 2.0 development and how the Quantum 2, without UFS 2.0 storage, wouldn’t come close to matching the Titan 3’s performance.
At Kim Seong-jae’s confident tone, Chairman Cheon Ho-tae’s expression softened slightly.
“…Is there a chance Dojin might pull another trick?”
Kim Seong-jae shook his head firmly.
“Impossible. Most companies developing UFS 2.0 are bound by our patents, and even if they somehow avoid them, it would take at least four more months to develop for the Quantum 2.”
Cheon Ho-tae nodded slowly, seeming somewhat reassured.
But his gaze intensified as he scanned the room.
“You all know why I personally took charge of Titan 3’s development. Remember, this is our last chance. We must defeat Quantum and reclaim our mobile market share. Understood?”
The executives bowed their heads in unison.
“Yes, Chairman!”
Cheon Ho-tae glanced at Cheon Jun-young beside him.
“Jun-young, you’ll handle the unpack event this time. You must publicly announce the benchmark comparison results between Quantum 2 and Titan 3.”
“Yes, Father. The Quantum 2, with its eMMC storage, won’t even come close to Titan 3’s benchmark scores.”
“How’s the progress?”
Chilbong quickly approached me as I entered the lab.
“As you instructed, combining the eMMC controller with the SDRAM cache module has increased read speeds to match UFS 2.0. However…”
“However?”
Under the lab lights, worry creased Chilbong’s face.
“While read speeds match UFS 2.0, continuous write speeds are the issue. Especially during large file storage or continuous shooting, the buffer fills quickly, slowing things down.”
Chilbong’s explanation made the situation clear.
“So, the Hyper Image Snap feature isn’t working properly?”
I thought combining the SDRAM cache module would solve it,
but it seems not entirely.
“During continuous shooting, the first few photos save quickly, but then the speed drops sharply. Users will definitely notice, which will be a problem when compared directly to Titan 3.”
Studying the data Chilbong handed me, I pondered solutions for a long time.
“What about increasing the SDRAM cache capacity or optimizing the storage pattern to delay the slowdown?”
“We’ve already maximized the cache capacity. While large file storage issues are resolved, the image snap function problem persists.”
It was a limitation of the eMMC controller’s parallel processing.
Though frustration crept into Chilbong’s voice, I had another card to play.
“If the issue with Quantum 2’s Hyper Image Snap is the initial quick saves followed by slowdowns, changing the continuous shooting method will solve it cleanly.”
“…What method are you suggesting?”
I stepped up to the whiteboard and drew a diagram.
“Currently, all photos are immediately sent to the eMMC. Instead, let’s quickly save them to the SDRAM cache right after shooting, and then gradually store them in the background once the user is done. Users can review their shots instantly, while actual storage happens sequentially behind the scenes.”
Chilbong’s eyes widened.
“This way, the perceived speed will be similar to, or even faster than, UFS 2.0. Plus, visually indicating storage completion on the UI will ensure users feel no inconvenience.”
“That’s a great idea. By delaying photo storage during continuous shooting and processing it afterward, there’ll be no UX issues.”
Life returned to Chilbong’s face.
“I’ll consult the firmware team immediately to see if we can implement this.”
“Right. And by improving the storage algorithm, we can also solve the response time issues with Dojin Pay and fintech apps. The key is ensuring users don’t feel any slowdown. It’s not about benchmark scores.”
Chilbong nodded firmly.
“Exactly. If users are satisfied, they’ll choose our product, even if benchmark scores are lower.”
Of course, I had no intention of losing to Titan 3 on benchmarks either.
I’d cleared my schedule to personally assemble the product for the unpack event.
I headed straight to Dojin Industries’ underground lab to begin assembling the Quantum 2.
“Starting today, Titan 3 will capture the world’s attention.”
“Haha, indeed. Compared to Quantum 2, our product is overwhelmingly superior.”
Even the disclosed specs alone showed Titan 3 far ahead of Quantum 2.
With both devices running Lunar, Titan 3’s superior hardware stood out even more.
As Cheon Jun-young entered the unpack event, he overheard reporters talking.
“They’re also releasing benchmark comparisons with Quantum 2 today, right?”
“Without UFS 2.0 in Quantum 2, Titan 3 will win the benchmark battle, no question.”
“If benchmark scores lag, the initial sales gap will be significant.”
The corners of Cheon Jun-young’s lips curled up.
“Director Kim, did you hear that? The reporters all seem to think we’ll win.”
“Consumers sensitive to numbers will naturally choose our product.”
But as he stepped inside, a different conversation reached his ears from the crowd of reporters at the Titan 3 booth.
“I think Quantum 2’s design is prettier.”
“Park, you were at the Quantum 2 unpack event, right?”
“Yeah, I couldn’t check the benchmark scores, but the design and grip feel better on Quantum 2.”
“Well, with a case, all designs look similar.”
“True, but… Quantum 2’s UI and UX feel more refined.”
Hearing the reporters, Cheon Jun-young’s expression twisted.
He glared at Senior Vice President Moon Yong-wook.
“What’s the meaning of this?”
“…Quantum 2’s design seems better than expected, but ultimately, consumers will focus on the numbers.”
The logic was that emotional appeal mattered less than hard data—benchmark performance would sway consumer choice.
“With such overwhelming hardware specs, how much can a flashy exterior really sell? Besides, our design isn’t bad either.”
Titan 3 was also a premium model designed by a renowned German designer.
That confidence led them to schedule their unpack event on the same day as Quantum 2.
Cheon Jun-young, overseeing the event, soon took the stage.
Lights blazed, and camera flashes erupted.
“The product before you is Ahsung Electronics’ latest strategic smartphone, Titan 3.”
As Cheon Jun-young spoke, Titan 3’s specs appeared on the large screen.
Titan 2
- AP: A-Core X2
- RAM: 2GB LPDDR3
- Storage: eMMC 5.1
- Display: 720p LCD
- …
Titan 3
- AP: A-Core X3
- RAM: 4GB LPDDR4
- Storage: UFS 2.0
- Display: 5.7-inch FHD AMOLED
- …
“The display has been upgraded to FHD AMOLED, and the battery has been improved to a large-capacity 3,500mAh. Fingerprint recognition speed and security features have also been enhanced.”
As the spec explanation ended, murmurs of awe rippled through the venue.
“This has to be the best specs currently available, right?”
“From UFS to AP, RAM, and display—all self-developed.”
“Ahsung’s technology is just too advanced.”
“But isn’t Dojin even more impressive for consistently competing with Ahsung?”
“Still, this time might be tough for Dojin.”
With the explosive growth of the mobile gaming market due to smartphone proliferation,
benchmark scores had become a crucial factor in smartphone choice.
So, all eyes were on the upcoming benchmark test.
“Now, we’ll proceed with the benchmark test for Titan 3, which many of you have been curious about.”
“Quantum 1-S scored around 2,700, right?”
“Right. Titan 1 was 2,500, and Titan 2 was close to 3,100.”
“I wonder what Titan 3 will score.”
As the venue fell silent,
the benchmark application launched at Cheon Jun-young’s command.
The large screen displayed real-time measurements of CPU, GPU, memory, and storage performance, with dozens of test items updating live.
And soon,
the final score appeared on screen.
Titan 3: 5,830
“Whoa…!”
“This is just… overwhelming.”
“At 5,830, Quantum 2 won’t even be in the same league.”
“Ahsung’s hardware is truly unmatched.”
Cheers and applause erupted throughout the venue.
The score was over 2,000 points higher than Quantum 1-S.
Compared to Titan 2, it was nearly double.
The combination of A-Core X3 and UFS 2.0 in Titan 3 showcased its raw power.
Riding the momentum, Cheon Jun-young took the microphone again.
“As you can see, Titan 3 is the most powerful smartphone available today. Benchmark scores are clear and objective—no embellishments needed, right?”
He didn’t mention Quantum 2 by name,
but everyone knew who he was targeting with those numbers.
“Benchmark scores can’t be manipulated. Compare for yourselves and make an informed choice.”
As Cheon Jun-young delivered his final remarks,
at the Quantum 2 unpack event,
the benchmark results appeared on the large screen.
In that moment,
everyone in attendance held their breath.