[Mobile China] There will be a good show in the mobile phone circle in 2024! The "satellite communication" function brought by Huawei will be fully arranged for the new flagship of the top 5 domestic brands this year. Whether it is "manufacturers blindly following the trend" or really "saving lives at critical moments", as long as the volume is increased without increasing the price, it is a good function for consumers.
Huawei is not only leading satellite communications, but also "far ahead" in the field of folding screens. According to the latest data, Huawei's folding market share accounts for more than 50%, steadily "grasping" the high-end market. At present, folding screen mobile phones have become a differentiating factor in the high-end market, and Xiaomi, which has not yet formed a complete product line, has to refuel.
When it comes to the competition between Xiaomi and Huawei, 2024 has extended from the mobile phone circle to the car circle. Xiaomi's first electric car will be officially launched, and Huawei will continue to expand its "circle of friends" and strive to achieve the rumored annual target of 600,000 units. Xiaomi and Huawei, the two "catfish" entering the game, what kind of waves will they set off in the automotive circle?
2024 could also be the year of the demise of gaming phones. In fact, as early as 2022, Lu Weibing predicted: E-sports mobile phones are doomed to die. In 2023, we have witnessed farces such as "Lenovo Rescuer mobile phone business cut across the board" and "Black Shark employees begging for salary", in 2024, can game phones continue to survive?
In addition, ChatGPT will be popular in 2023, and major Internet technology giants have announced their embrace of AI, and the current mobile phone manufacturers have used AI in voice assistants and other functions, what kind of sparks can mobile phone manufacturers collide with AI in 2024?
With these questions in mind, CNMO has launched a series of special topics on "Top 5 Mobile Phone Trends in 2024", and this article focuses on "the popularization of satellite communications".
More than a year ago, Huawei and Apple took the lead in "breaking the sky", but other manufacturers are not in a hurry to follow suit. When it came to the Huawei mate60 series, the satellite ** was on fire, and many people were saved, and friends said that they would have this technology sooner or later. After updating the two generations of flagships, friends finally no longer let Huawei "far ahead".
The Honor Magic6 series, which is scheduled to be released on January 11, will use self-developed Hongyan satellite communication technology. Although the Oppo Find X7 series was released first, the satellite communication version will not be available until March. In addition, Xiaomi and vivo's super-large cup models are also expected to "break the sky", but it is not difficult to say that it is not standard, and it may be the same as OPPO's approach, making a special version.
A flagship without satellite communications is not a true flagship?
People who don't have ideals don't feel sad, and a flagship without satellite communications in 2024 is not a true flagship.
Someone said with a joking attitude, I also know that this function is difficult to use, but you can't do without it, after all, it can save lives at critical moments. After the epidemic, the outdoor economy has a certain heat, and there are not many people climbing, hiking, cross-country, and camping, so the satellite communication function is a more tangible highlight. In short, in the consumer price segment of high-end mobile phone products, this kind of high-end communication technology can indeed attract people with consumer purchasing power.
Having no one is an advantage. Over the past few years, Huawei has been using this to win over its own users. Take the mate60 Pro as an example, it has a better satellite** function, you can play satellites without a terrestrial network**, and you can also freely edit satellite messages, which is eye-catching.
These technological innovations and differentiations have given the market more confidence. The well-known whistleblower Ming-Chi Kuo once ** that Huawei's mobile phone shipments are expected to reach 60 million units in 2024. What is this concept? You must know that vivo, which will be the first in domestic shipments in 2022, will only have 52.2 million units, and it seems that Huawei has the momentum to return to the first place this year.
In the future, satellite communications will set a higher standard for high-end flagships, while mid-range machines may wait until the second half of 2024 to decentralize technology. As a result, the market competition for satellite communication mobile phones will become more and more fierce.
To be clear, though, not everyone is willing to pay for satellite communications. So it probably won't be standard for the flagship, but will turn into a special edition, which Oppo has already made with the Find X7 Ultra.
Not everyone is willing to pay for it
Huawei is different from other manufacturers, in a series of Huawei flagships, except for the standard version, most models support satellite communication. Judging from OPPO's approach, there is still a long way to go for high-end flagships to popularize satellite communications this year. Because this is not everyone's demand, manufacturers are obviously aware of this. More people think that manufacturers are increasing costs, but the cost is on their heads.
However, this wrongs mobile phone manufacturers, they are generally reluctant to do such a thing, because the increase in cost also means that the product will scare away many consumers. Take Huawei Mate mobile phone as an example, Mate40 Pro has no satellite communication function, and the starting price is 6499 yuan; mate60 Pro can play satellite**, the starting price is also 6499 yuan.
Moreover, with the decentralization of satellite communication technology, the cost will gradually decrease, and there is no such thing as increasing the cost at all. At present, Huawei has successively devolved this technology to the nova series, tablet products, watches, etc., and has not heard of these products being rejected by consumers. Obviously, consumers are also willing to pay for satellite communication functions without a significant increase in the cost of purchasing a machine.
What consumers should really care about is the cost of use, that is, the tariff of satellite communications. For the average user, this money may not be easy.
It is understood that China Telecom's satellite communication tariff is 10 yuan per month for a function fee, and the main call is 2 minutes away, and the standard domestic (including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) call is 9 yuan for the main call, and 5 yuan for sending text messages, and the reception is free. In other words, although the direct satellite function of China Telecom is only 10 yuan per month, it only has 2 minutes of main and called voice calls every month. It is equivalent to 5 yuan a minute, and there are only 2 opportunities per month, and the text message is 5 yuan a piece.
For the average user, this experience is obviously too luxurious, and it can be described as "a thousand words".
Redefining smartphones?
Whether it is the use scenario or the cost of use, it may take some time for the satellite communication function to become truly popular. But there is no doubt that it has given a new definition to smartphones.
Many people believe that satellite communication has not been widely used for a long time because it is not very versatile, which underestimates the role of this technology.
You can't deny that there are still communication blind spots in the mountains, grasslands, deserts, and snowfields. Satellite communication technology has greatly enhanced the communication capabilities of smartphones, making our communication methods more reliable and broader. At the same time, it also enhances the positioning capabilities of smartphones, which not only helps with navigation, but also helps to find people for help more quickly in emergency situations. In addition, satellite communication technology has also brought more advanced features to smartphones, such as data transmission via satellite, satellite access to the Internet without wifi, etc.
However, these advantages and experiences are not obvious yet, and the subsequent manufacturers who enter the market are doing the work of optimizing the experience. For the first time, the OPPO Find X7 Ultra satellite communication version realizes "handset" and "hands-free" dual-mode satellite calls, claiming to turn "satellite walkie-talkie" into a real "satellite mobile phone". The self-developed Hongyan satellite communication technology carried by the Honor Magic6 series is said to have overcome the three major technical problems of antenna size, call endurance, and communication experience, and the scope of research is obviously larger.
In conclusion, satellite communication technology is redefining smartphones. Although the cost of use is still relatively high, I believe that over time, it will definitely become an indispensable part of our daily life.
On the Mate60 Pro box, Huawei clearly says "Satellite Mobile Terminal", which is to distinguish it from "Digital Mobile**". Huawei is the first mobile phone manufacturer to miniaturize high-performance antennas in smartphones, and it is very difficult to do so, otherwise satellite mobile terminals would not have become widespread today. It is said that China Telecom has visited a number of mobile phone manufacturers to seek cooperation in satellite calling, but in the end only Huawei took over this difficult job.
What is Smartphone? Apple defines it with a multi-touch screen and a myriad of new ways to play the mobile Internet. Folding screens, satellite communications, and AI are things that have only emerged in recent years, and they are much faster than the outbreak in the past, and there are hidden opportunities in them. Until the definition is given, no one knows how these new technologies will change smartphones and even change our perceptions.