It might have made waves if Apple had launched the iPhone 6 earlier, before the Harmony S2 hit the market.
But the moment Samsung's Galaxy S6 specs dropped, followed closely by CS's Harmony S2, Apple's thunder was stolen.
The iPhone 6 suddenly looked dated. In response, Apple moved fast, rushing out the iPhone 6S to save face.
The iPhone 6 had one thing going for it: price.
It was the cheapest iPhone Apple had launched in years.
And thanks to its updated iOS release, even some initially skeptical users came around.
Still, its specs felt underwhelming.
4.7-inch display
12MP rear camera, 8MP front camera
1810 mAh battery
1GB RAM
Storage options: 16GB / 32GB / 64GB / 128GB
Apple's China pricing:
16GB: ¥3,699 (≈ $509)
32GB: ¥3,999 (≈ $550)
64GB: ¥4,499 (≈ $619)
128GB: ¥4,999 (≈ $688)
The aggressive pricing helped it move units, especially among budget-conscious fans.
Some joked they'd sell a kidney for one.
But the true star of the event wasn't the iPhone 6.
It was the iPhone 6S, loaded with a far stronger chip.
This time, it shipped with the new A9 processor, boasting a 90% performance boost over the A8.
Screen size increased to 5.1 inches. Camera upgraded to 16MP on the back. And RAM doubled to 2GB across all models.
Storage stayed the same as the iPhone 6: 16GB to 128 GB.
Prices jumped accordingly:
16GB: ¥5,299 (≈ $730)
32GB: ¥5,588 (≈ $770)
64GB: ¥6,088 (≈ $840)
128GB: ¥6,888 (≈ $947)
Even with the steep pricing, fans didn't flinch. To them, iOS alone was worth the premium.
Apple leaned into that sentiment.
Their messaging? "Buy the system—get the phone as a bonus."
Haifeng watched the event with interest, but was not worried.
He knew Apple's user base. He understood their loyalty.
But CS hasn't targeted the same audience yet.
His eyes were on Samsung and Qualcomm, not Apple.
Global expansion would follow if CS could beat them in specs and ecosystem.
September was chaotic.
Every component and chipset rushed in from suppliers and funneled into CS's factories. The Harmony X2 was entering final production.
Haifeng didn't have time to dwell on Apple.
He was already looking ahead.
Shortly after Apple's event, Samsung made its move.
They confirmed their product launch for the final day of September.
As CS's top rival, this event would determine the battlefield ahead.
Haifeng and his senior staff gathered in the boardroom, watching Samsung's keynote projected on the wall.
All across China, major phone manufacturers tuned in.
The first product on stage wasn't the S6.
It was the Samsung Note 4.
Specs flashed on screen:
5.7" Super AMOLED display
2560 × 1440 resolution (2K)
515 PPI
20MP front camera
15MP rear camera
Visually, it looked solid, but nothing revolutionary. Then came the chip reveal.
Samsung unveiled its own Orion 810 processor—an 8-core chip built on the 14nm process.
It outperformed Qualcomm's Snapdragon series in raw power and even beat CS's Zhulong chip in synthetic benchmarks.
Haifeng was caught off guard.
"This should've been powered by Snapdragon 805," he thought.
"Why is Samsung switching to its in-house Orion chip?"
It raised questions.
Samsung was trying to reduce dependency and gain complete control over its performance stack.
A smart move.
Haifeng narrowed his eyes and refocused.
Next up: battery tech.
"Equipped with a 3200 mAh battery."
"Supports 20W fast charging—3 to 4 times faster than most competitors."
Haifeng leaned forward.
"Interesting…"
What fast-charging system were they using?
There were two main approaches:
High-voltage charging, where the charger increases voltage to boost speed, is used by most brands—downsides: High heat, hardware strain.
High-current charging, like Oppo's VOOC or Vivo's tech, requires larger current and safer voltage. Requires thick, specialized cables.
Samsung hadn't clarified yet. But clearly, they were moving fast on the innovation front.
While others were trying to catch up to Apple, Samsung was building its lane.
CS would need more than raw power to compete. They'd need a clear identity—and a flawless Harmony X2 launch.
And Haifeng was already one step ahead.