[Chapter 507: The Mobile Technology Dilemma]
"Sir, this is a cell phone produced by the Samsung Group. After a preliminary test, we found serious issues with their signal reception."
William White paid attention. Samsung Group had a unique approach to mobile phone research, even if others doubted his interest.
But what did it mean that the signal was weak? It couldn't be that bad, could it?
"Filson, you don't really think this phone has high-tech, do you? If needed, I could assemble one in my garage."
William White looked puzzled. He could banter with others but didn't want his chief aide to be misled.
"Ahem, sir, we carefully checked. There's no high-tech involved. However, there is a little problem that could easily trip you up if you're not careful."
William White was confused; he wasn't a communications expert.
"Sir, there's an RF engineering module in this phone. This thing is pretty amazing, and it can be considered black technology in electronics. Though Samsung tried to replicate our design, they failed."
After listening to Filson ramble for half an hour, William White finally understood what this RF engineering module was. If it wasn't handled correctly, the phone would struggle in mountainous and hilly areas. Even in flatter regions, it was best not to move around too much.
Mobile phone?
Well, if it didn't move, there wouldn't be a problem. Otherwise, crossing wires would become routine.
"Ahem, this thing looks pretty good. Let's have the design team make some adjustments."
"Sir, how are we supposed to adjust this? In truth, Motorola hasn't handled it that well either."
William White frowned and sighed, saying, "You said it yourself; Samsung is imitating us. If they manage to solve this issue, forget about the American market, we could have a competitor across Asia!"
William White made it clear. They had to complicate this RF engineering module. Not only should they prevent reverse engineering, but they also needed to lead them astray. This wasn't just a Samsung issue; as mobile phone use spread, more competitors would likely join the fray.
Listening to his boss's terrible idea, Filson could do nothing but shake his head with a bitter smile. Now, he truly understood that his boss was digging a pit.
"Got it, sir. Should we focus on patents?"
"This is a lost cause. In Europe and America, even Japan, it might not be a problem. But in rest of Asia? We can't even go legal."
Since legal routes wouldn't solve the problem, obstacles had to be set during production and design. He wondered how these guys would react when they figured it out.
Well, he was looking forward to it.
Once the boss spoke, the lab staff sprung into action. Forget about the simulators; the next generation of digital communication phones would absolutely have imitators pull their hair out.
William White knew all too well that banning fakes was a fantasy; it simply couldn't be done. His only move was to raise the bar for those idiots. Or rather, buy a little more time.
...
Meanwhile, back in Korea, Lee Kun-hee was furious.
"Park Daeyong, can you explain this to me? Can we really hand over such a phone to consumers?"
"Chairman, we can master most of the technology. We have breakthroughs in the wireless RF technology, which is the hardest obstacle. But this thing seems to have some technical blockers."
"Technical blockers? Are you kidding me? Essentially, isn't this just a small walkie-talkie? Even if you don't understand the exact structure, can't you just replicate it?"
Park Daeyong was at his wit's end. He wanted to say that besides the appearance, they were basically copying everything. But this particular thing was just too tough to crack!
Lee Kun-hee didn't know that the curtain was slowly rising on digital mobile communication. All his current efforts were essentially wasted.
Many people in this world simply didn't know how to adapt.
Regarding mobile phones, it wasn't just Motorola anymore. Siemens, Nokia, and Ericsson had power not to be underestimated.
Motorola had such a massive market share in Korea. Since over ninety percent of people liked it, it must be the best.
To imitate, they had to copy the most formidable. The rest of those products wouldn't sell, and only a fool would imitate them.
...
While Lee Kun-hee was berating his team, William White was also complaining.
"Filson, should we disband Motorola's technical department? Ask them to explain to me why Nokia's radiation is lower than ours and, on top of that, why their call quality is better. Dammit, I need a resolution within three months, or I'm disbanding this R&D team."
"Sir, they may have gotten too proud. A little tough love might be necessary."
"Sigh, if I weren't worried about the Koreans poaching our talent, I would've fired them already. A bunch of morons who really think they're invincible."
William White understood very well that Motorola's greatest advantages were its first-mover edge and brand effect. Before long, that advantage would vanish.
When the boss got angry, the staff felt the heat. Their grievances didn't even need stating.
The phones they produced were in such high demand; how could the boss still not be satisfied?
Fortunately, the two questions the boss raised weren't that unreasonable.
Including the phones from Samsung, they had more than enough products on hand. Since the boss mentioned Nokia, they might as well run a test. If they truly were ahead, it would be necessary to examine the inner workings.
Three months' time, and they certainly didn't think the boss was joking.
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.