Chapter 586 Fierce Competition
In early February, Apple officially launched its latest mobile phone, IPhone 3G. As the name suggests, this mobile phone began to support 3G networks.
The front of the iPhone 3G uses a 3.5-inch LCD screen, available in black and white, and the back is made of plastic. However, unlike Honor Electronics’ Mate 1S, the iPhone 3G is still only equipped with a 2-megapixel rear camera. camera without adding a front camera.
In fact, in Barron’s previous life, IPhone 3G was only launched in June this year, but before Christmas last year, after Honor Electronics launched the smartphone Mate1S that supports 3G networks, Apple had some I can't sit still - because it supports 3G network and is extremely cost-effective, now, one and a half months after the launch of Mate1S, the sales of this phone have exceeded 2 million units!
You must know that the sales of the entire Mate1 series and IPhone1 have not exceeded 2 million units. This number has been reached by Mate1S in just one and a half months.
This also made Apple realize that Mate1S seems to have captured the needs of many consumers in some aspects.
Therefore, under the personal supervision of Jobs, Apple accelerated its research and development and released the IPhone 3G mobile phone in advance in early February.
Not only Apple’s IPhone phones, but also Samsung, LG, Motorola and other brands have also announced that they will successively release their smartphones equipped with Android systems after April this year.
Obviously, after seeing the great success of Honor Electronics in the smartphone market, these brands are gearing up and preparing to join the competition.
Honor Electronics has not relaxed at all. They are preparing to launch a new mobile phone Mate2 in June to consolidate their current leading position.
At the same time, Honor Electronics announced that they have purchased the remaining shares of TSMC they hold from Philips. This has increased the proportion of TSMC shares held by Honor Electronics from the previous 10% to 18.7%, surpassing the Bay Area Development Fund has become the largest shareholder of TSMC.
In addition, Honor Electronics also announced that it will invest in MediaTek, holding 15% of its shares, becoming the company's second largest shareholder.
Honor Electronics will also cooperate with MediaTek to prepare to launch a smartphone chip integration platform based on the Android system. This platform will first be used in mobile phone products of Dopod, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Honor Electronics.
……
Also in February, on the 12th, in order to avoid more serious social and economic problems caused by mortgage defaults, the U.S. government and six major mortgage lenders proposed a "life-saving plan" Claims Program" to help homeowners who are about to lose their homes because they cannot pay their mortgages.
According to the plan disclosed by U.S. Treasury Secretary Paulson that day, homeowners who are 90 days or more overdue on their mortgage payments can contact their mortgage lenders. If the homeowners meet certain conditions, they will have the opportunity to obtain a 30-day buffer period to purchase their home. Auctions can be temporarily suspended while mortgage lenders work out repayment plans that make it more affordable for homeowners.
The "Lifeline Plan" covers all types of home loans. The six mortgage companies participating in the plan, including Bank of America, Citibank, and JPMorgan Chase, account for almost 50% of the U.S. home loan market.
Prior to this, according to estimates by some industry insiders, more than 1 million homeowners in the United States will be unable to repay their mortgages on time this year, and they are facing the fate of having their homes foreclosed and auctioned.
As for the "Lifeline Plan", a government spokesman said that no single plan can solve all the problems in the housing market. The president believes that this plan can help Americans tide over the current difficulties.
However, some American lawmakers believe that the plan comes too late and is too weak to deal with the current severe mortgage delinquency problem in the United States.
Then, on February 14, Valentine's Day, Bush officially signed a package of economic stimulus bills, providing substantial tax rebates and stimulating consumption in an attempt to revive the American economy.
After all, he also understands that the war on terrorism that made him unprecedentedly famous has now, although the Iraqi side has successfully overthrown Saddam Hussein's regime, their troops are still stuck in the swamp of the Middle East, and it is difficult to escape.
This has caused great opposition to him from the people around the world and the United States. If the American economy is hit hard again...
There is no doubt that this year’s election will have a profound impact on him. For him, it is destined to be a losing battle!
……
On Valentine's Day, Barron naturally returned to his home in Kensington to spend time with his wife and children. But during the day, he had already sent Valentine's Day gifts to Tamaran, Ivanta, Beatrice, Fan Bingbing and others, and made sweet phone calls...
"I want to go to Chatsworth Manor to live for a while..."
Leaning in Barron's arms, Bonnie said suddenly.
“Why do you want to live there?”
In Barron's impression, Chatsworth Manor is the most beautiful after spring. If he went there now, the scenery would inevitably be a bit monotonous.
“Although the scenery at Grace Lavender Manor in Australia was also good before, I didn’t know why at the time. I just missed Chatsworth Manor very much, so...”
Bonnie watched Holding Barron's hand, he said softly:
"And I heard that Mr. Sean's health has not been very good recently, and I also want to visit him."
Sean is the old butler of Chatsworth Manor. He retired due to health reasons. Ramos, who served as Barron's full-time valet, succeeded him as steward of Chatsworth.
It was also because Butler Sean had devoted almost his whole life to the Devonshire family, so after his retirement, Barron still kept him in the manor. He was nominally a consultant of the manor, but in fact it was equivalent to providing for him in his old age.
And Bonnie’s words also reminded Barron that indeed since last winter, since Sean accidentally fell down once, his physical condition has been getting worse and worse...
" Then I’ll stay with you for a while, baby.”
“Yeah.”
……
"Junning, how do you feel about this job now?"
As the motorcade drove through the streets of London, Barron casually asked the assistant Zhang Junning beside him.
After the help of his former personal assistant Wang Wanting, Zhang Junning has now begun to carry out his current work independently.
“It is very fulfilling and very challenging. I will try my best to do my best...”
Of course, what Zhang Junning did not say is that apart from business, there is too much information that needs to be processed. In addition, some of the British Duke’s personal affairs were also an “eye-opener” for Zhang Junning...
For example, on Valentine's Day before, so many gifts for different women had to go through her.
What surprised Zhang Junning the most was that every woman among them had an extraordinary identity - in comparison, Fan Bingbing, who had the biggest impact on her, was already the most "ordinary" among them.
Before this, how could Zhang Junning have thought that Fan Bingbing, the most famous actress in mainland China, was actually the woman of the Duke next to him, and she also gave birth to a pair of children for him...
“Although personal assistants need to serve me, they also need management skills. If you can manage the 'logistics force' well, you will not only improve work efficiency, but also greatly reduce your own workload... ..."
Barron's words interrupted Zhang Junning's "random thoughts". She thought carefully about her boss's words and knew that this was also a reminder to her.
(End of this chapter)