Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 194 Orange 2 Massager

In September in Shenzhen, the lingering heat of late summer still raged, with the sticky heat enveloping everything.

In Room 302 of Dormitory Building 3 of the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Shenzhen University, an old ceiling fan whirred futilely, turning the sweltering air into a chaotic mess.

Well, at least there's a ceiling fan; it's better than nothing!
Li Yang had just played a game of the touch-screen version of "Orange Racing" on his phone, his fingertips still sticky with sweat, when he tossed the white Orange 1 phone into the corner of his desk with a soft "thud".

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Wang Hao on the opposite bed grinning at his phone screen, his fingers digging furiously into it, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"It's stuck again?" Li Yang leaned over, a hint of schadenfreude in his eyes.

Wang Hao nodded vigorously, almost poking a hole through the screen of the silver-gray Fantasy W101.

The screen remained frozen on the QQ chat page, and no matter how he tapped or pressed it, or even long-pressed the power button, there was no response; it was like a cold brick.

"This piece of junk!" he cursed under his breath, skillfully prying open the back cover to reveal the slightly bulging battery inside. He pulled it out, waited what seemed like an eternity of two seconds, and then put it back in.

After pressing the power button, Wang Hao felt as if his bones had been removed, and slumped back onto the headboard, looking utterly hopeless.

"This happens every day lately! I was just trying to call my mom, and I got stuck here while I was just entering her number! Now I have to restart!"

Li Yang picked up his "Orange 1" and lightly weighed it in his hand.

"Haha! This is the 'brand-name quality' you bought for 699 last year? Who was it that confidently claimed it was more reliable than my 499 'cheap knock-off'? And they laughed at me for being greedy and having no taste?"

Wang Hao's face instantly felt hot.

When the two enrolled last year, senior student Chen Mo was invited back by Dean Lin to give a pep talk to the freshmen in the auditorium and personally promote Orange's "Orange Wind Breaking Waves Freshman Plan" activity.

At the time, Li Yang was in the back row, so he deliberately whispered loudly to Wang Hao, wanting to embarrass Chen Mo, his senior.

"Ha! See? I told you. It's the same routine as those successful high school students who come back to give speeches. In the end, they all sell things. Tsk. They used to sell books, courses, and sentimental appeals. Now they're selling cell phones?"

However, that senior student Chen was quite straightforward and directly admitted that he was there to sell things. He then sincerely showed off the 299 direct sales Orange 1, which also came with a full range of accessories, and said that everyone should decide according to their own needs!
Li Yang immediately recognized the Orange phone as one of the phones selected for national subsidies and dragged Wang Hao along to buy it.

Wang Hao hesitated, thinking he should take another look. After all, "Fantasy" had also released a new phone, and it was a leading brand in the Chinese technology industry. "Fantasy Phone" sounded more reliable than the little-known "Orange Phone".

Later, Orange Phone was indeed criticized by the media as a "knock-off company." Wang Hao was quite pleased with himself and laughed at Li Yang, who stubbornly insisted that Orange Phone was good.

The results of it?
Later, during the "Fantasy Enters Campus to Help Students" program, Wang Hao gritted his teeth and spent an extra two hundred yuan to buy the Fantasy W101.

The battery capacity of 1500mAh is large, but it takes 6 hours to charge!

The screen is indeed high-definition, but it became incredibly laggy in less than three months!
This issue really can't be blamed on the high-definition screen; in terms of hardware alone, Fantasy's work is actually quite commendable.

But the software part was ridiculous. They wanted to seamlessly switch from Leji OS to AnDuo, but the software team simply copied the UI/UX of Leji OS onto the AnDuo kernel without any changes.

This is absolutely hilarious!

To give an analogy, it's like omitting an electronic control system from an electric vehicle and forcibly inserting a continuously variable transmission (CVT), claiming "no shift shock and a driving experience closer to that of an electric car."

This is completely superfluous and puts the cart before the horse.

The core parts of the system that needed optimization were left untouched, while unnecessary modifications were made.

Even more outrageous is that this initial reskinned Android system didn't even remove the original UI/UX code from the Leji OS; they just piled it on, creating a "mountain" of crap code. They couldn't delete it later, resulting in a huge memory requirement for the system.

This is not as good as using a pure Android system, at least it can save a lot of RAM!

"Who would have thought that such a big company would be so unreliable!"

Wang Hao snatched the Orange 1 from Li Yang in frustration, swiped his fingers across the screen a few times, and found it to be surprisingly smooth and lag-free.

"Wow! You've been using it for a year and it's still not lagging?" He clicked on "Internal Jokes," scrolled down and it loaded super fast, then he was about to open Orange Treasure Browser.
Li Yang's expression changed slightly, and he snatched it back: "Hey, hey, hey! Go buy it yourself! Don't click randomly!"

Wang Hao chuckled, giving him a knowing look: "Li Yang, Orange Treasure Browser, hehehe."

"Hey! Hey, you big dummy!" Li Yang blushed. "I just liked its small size so I could use a no-image mode to save data! Don't get any ideas!"

Wang Hao shook his head with a smile and sighed, "Seriously, how do you maintain your phone? My W101 takes forever to even open a browser, let alone play your 'Orange Treasure Racing,' it's so laggy it's like a PowerPoint presentation."

Li Yang proudly waved his phone.

"Aside from the small storage capacity, which doesn't allow for storing many songs or videos, there's really nothing wrong with it."

It charges incredibly fast. A quick morning wash and brush of the teeth and it's fully charged, enough to play all morning. It's fully charged again in the time it takes to pee after waking up at noon. After playing a few games during afternoon breaks, it still has power left when I get back in the evening.

After updating to Orange OS 2.0, although I can now see the battery level, it seems to take up more memory.

I suspect Orange Company did this on purpose, making the system too big to force us to switch to Orange 2!

Wang Hao laughed: "Didn't you complain that the lack of a battery indicator was inconvenient and insist on updating it? Whose fault is it?"

"I was the one who made the update, but it didn't give me a chance to undo it!"

Li Yang pursed his lips, then immediately became serious again.

"But seriously, Orange phones are really good quality. Look at my back cover, no case, just a screen protector, and the paint hasn't chipped off the edges. Your W101, the paint is almost worn off, isn't it?"

The Orange 1 only cost an extra 1.5 yuan per unit to apply the same piano lacquer finish to the engineering plastics, while the Fantasy spent 200 million US dollars to hire North American designers to create an exterior design specifically for engineering plastics.

To put it bluntly, both companies are just "carving flowers on shit," but comparisons are hurtful. The competitor is throwing money away: the Orange 1's treated shell is far more durable than the Fantasy W101's pure engineering plastic shell.

Wang Hao glanced down at the mottled marks on the side of his phone and scratched his head awkwardly.

"Don't even mention that salesperson who used to hype up the 'North American high-speed processor,' but now he can't even log into a QQ chat client."

The batteries are even worse. Last year they could last a day and a half, but now if I don't carry a spare one when I go out, they'll definitely be dead by the afternoon!
"Look, this original battery is bulging. It's not as good as the one I bought myself. I'm afraid it'll explode one day!"

Li Yang patted him on the shoulder: "I told you not to just look at the brand, it has to be actually useful."

"Oranges are just as popular online as wheat, because they use gaseous lithium batteries! And the system is smooth too."

All I did this year was apply a screen protector, and nothing happened.

You're just wasting your money on this so-called 'luxury brand fantasy,' a complete waste of your time and energy!

"I'm so regretful!" Wang Hao tossed the W101 aside with a sigh, "I should have bought the Orange 1 from you!"

"Let whoever wants this crappy phone use it. You're coming with me to Huabei Qiang later, I'm getting a new phone! I'm never trusting any of those 'big manufacturers' again!"

Li Yang pulled two bottles of iced cola from under the table and tossed one to Wang Hao: "We should have done this a long time ago! Let's go straight to Huabei Qiang, they sell oranges there. Online shopping is so slow and they don't even deliver accessories!"

Wang Hao took the Coke; the cool touch slightly calmed the heat in his heart.

He glanced at the still-sturdy Orange 1 in Li Yang's hand and made a silent decision: This time, when I get a new phone, I have to be practical! I'll go check out the Orange 2! ...

The North China Electronics Market was bustling with activity, the smells of various electronic components mingling with the shouts of stall owners.

In front of Lao Zhang's stall, a dazzling array of phone cases and data cables are displayed.

"Hey you two handsome guys, looking at your phones?" Old Zhang greeted them with a smile, his eyes sharp enough to spot them as students at a glance.

"Boss, take a look at Orange 2!" Li Yang said.

Old Zhang's eyes lit up, and he immediately took out an Orange 2 display unit with a starry blue color scheme from the counter: "Young man, you have good taste! Look at this color, starry blue! Orange's exclusive patented color scheme, one of a kind on the market!"

Wang Hao took the phone and examined it with Li Yang. The blue color was indeed deep and cool, and it even shimmered with tiny sparkles under different lights.

"The boss knows a lot?" Li Hao was somewhat surprised.

Old Zhang chuckled, quite pleased with himself, and pulled out his Black Orange 2. He quickly pulled up a group photo, showing him with a young man with a scar on his right eyebrow and a hearty smile, their arms around each other.

“See?

Zhao Tiezhu, Marketing Manager at Orange Technology! He's my buddy!
Back when Orange Technology was just a small workshop with only three people, and they were making a big splash in North China with the slogan of "technological equality," I was optimistic about them!

How are things now?
The leading domestic manufacturer of high-quality products! A model of success story from a small workshop in North China!

Old Zhang recounted the "inspirational entrepreneurial history" of Chengzi with great enthusiasm, adding vivid details and embellishments. The two college students listened intently, completely mesmerized.

Their fondness for Orange Company immediately soared, their faces filled with longing for this "fairytale" story of entrepreneurial success.

Old Zhang patted his chest and said, "You've come to the right place! 699! Take your phone, and choose any accessory you like: phone case, stand, screen protector, stickers, or phone hook!"

Wang Hao was so engrossed in the conversation that he almost pulled out his money, but he still retained some rationality and told him to turn on the Orange 2 and test its performance first.

The moment the Orange 2 booted up, the half-orange in the dynamic logo seemed to have more details like orange segments with a breathing effect than the Orange 1's boot screen, but neither of them paid much attention to it.

Upon entering the system, you are immediately greeted with desktop applications; the UI logic is simple and clear.

Having grown accustomed to the anti-human three-layer logic of the desktop-drawer-application interface, Wang Hao was immediately captivated by this simple and efficient UI design.

Open the most popular app on your phone right now – Neihan Duanzi (内涵笑话) – and it loads smoothly and quickly.

"Wang Hao! Orange 2 has motion controls! Quickly try out Orange Treasure Racing! My Orange 1 only has touch controls, I'm so envious!" Li Yang urged.

Wang Hao nodded and entered the game.

The phone can be tilted left and right to control steering, with a precise and responsive feel. When using props, a gentle flick of the wrist is incredibly sensitive.

This is a world of difference from his previous pure touch experience!
The motion control mode of Orange 2 provides an immersive gaming experience!
Li Yang also snatched it over and tried it out, and immediately felt that his Orange 1 wasn't so appealing anymore. He even complained a bit, "Damn it! Why is the Orange 1 so good quality! Now I have no reason to upgrade!"

In the end, it was Old Zhang who interrupted their immersive experience with a smile.

Wang Hao was completely convinced and made the decision on the spot.

"Boss, this is it! The Starry Blue one, 699, right?"

Old Zhang's smile deepened: "Don't be in such a hurry, young man! We're having a promotion right now. Add 100 yuan and you'll get a free set of Orange 2 accessories!"

Wang Hao waved his hand: "No need, no need. I don't need those cases and screen protectors. I like the feel of the phone without a case or screen protector!"

"Hey young man, aren't you a bit naive?"

Old Zhang mysteriously pulled out a peculiar phone case with many small rollers on the back.

"Check this out! The Orange 2 exclusive massage phone case! Paired with the Orange Companion APP, it can massage various body parts using the most comfortable patterns. It's an absolute massage marvel! Ever heard of turning your phone into a massager?"

Orange 2 + Massage Phone Case + Orange Companion App = Mini Massager

Wang Hao and Li Yang were dumbfounded: "A mobile phone massager?"

"It's more than just a massager! The Orange 2 is more powerful than you can imagine!"

Old Zhang then magically produced another phone case. With a pull on the back, three stands with miniature liquid level bulbs extended out, and the phone angle could be adjusted 360 degrees horizontally via the hinge!

"And look at this! A level phone case! The gyroscope in the Orange 2 has super high precision, down to 0.001°! With the Orange Level app, short-distance ground flatness testing and leveling for small projects are no problem! Turn your phone into a level, isn't that amazing?"

Orange 2 + Leveling Stand Phone Case + "Orange Leveling Instrument" APP = Simple Leveling Instrument
Old Zhang started his enthusiastic sales pitch: "Buy an Orange 2, add 100 yuan, and it's like getting a free mini massager worth 200 yuan plus a 500 yuan level! Young man, what are you waiting for? Don't miss this opportunity!"

Li Yang and Wang Hao were completely stunned by this bizarre move, internally cursing:
Holy crap! This Orange 2 phone is acting way too weird!
I used to only hear rumors online that the Orange 1 phone was being used as a power bank for the Apple 4. Wow, now the Orange 2 has been turned into a massager and a level?
In a daze, Wang Hao took out another hundred yuan and carried away the Starry Blue Orange 2 phone case, the two "miracle" phone cases, and a bunch of small accessories such as screen protectors and stickers.

Back in their dorm, the two took turns experiencing Orange 2's revolutionary motion-sensing games. No touch controls were required; simply adjusting the phone's angle or pressure was all it took to have a blast.

The two of them didn't remember the massage phone case until their backs ached from playing.

Curious, Wang Hao installed the ball bearing case and opened the "Orange Companion" app, only to find it filled with various "massage diagrams" shared by users.

The developers combined the motor vibration frequency with the gyroscope sensor to create 16 adjustable frequency levels. Users can use these 16 frequency levels to adjust and combine them into various massage modes.

The longest massage they could manage with the diagrams was 30 minutes, probably because the battery couldn't keep up.

It wasn't that the Orange 2's battery couldn't hold up, but rather that the eccentric motor overheated.
Wang Hao quickly plugged in the charger, and it was fully charged in about 30 seconds. The gaseous lithium battery was indeed powerful!
He finally experienced the "instant charging" thrill that Li Yang had mentioned, and no longer had to constantly worry about charging his phone.

After that, Wang Hao selected a highly-rated "Forearm Muscle Massage Atlas" and loaded it.

He placed his phone on his right forearm, and a tingling, perfectly balanced vibration immediately came through the rollerball, making him groan with pleasure.

After trying it, Li Yang was completely captivated.

Finally, Li Yang said to Wang Hao with a serious expression, "I've made up my mind. My Orange 1 seems to be a bit laggy. Tomorrow, you'll come with me to Huabei Qiang. I'm also going to spend an extra hundred yuan to get a massage case!"

In countless places like Dormitory 302, the Orange 2 phone is unexpectedly integrating into and "soothing" the lives of many users, accompanied by a magical massage phone case.

Chen Mo probably never imagined that his decision to offer free design licenses to major distributors in North China would lead Orange Mobile further and further down an "abnormal" path.

The Orange 1 phone, which boasts a super-fast 30-second charging capability, has been transformed into the "Apple Companion" power bank.

The Orange 2 phone, which now boasts revolutionary motion-sensing interaction, has been turned into an "Orange Companion" massager by vendors in North China.

Hmm! If anyone's to blame, it's "Pingguo". Who told them to wait for the vendors to sell Pingguo 4 phone cases for so long, and only sue after they'd raised 100 million yuan to steal the credit?

Then, the free-licensed Orange mobile phone exterior accessories naturally became a hot commodity for these top-tier distributors in North China, who all wanted to get a piece of the action.

The previous Orange 1 was used as a power bank, barely remaining in the electronics field. Now, the Orange 2 has crossed over into massagers and levels.

Isn't this outrageous?!
(End of this chapter)