Chapter 599: Just a "Half-Stupid Machine"
The advantages of the first generation iPhone are obvious, but its disadvantages are also very obvious.
For example, it only supports the network of communications operator Newgrad Wireless in the United States, and users need to change their SIM cards before purchasing the phone.
Moreover, the number of supported software is very small, and the application store has not yet been opened to third-party companies. There are only a small number of pre-installed applications such as browsers, music players, emails, and stocks. It is equipped with the iPhone OS 1.0 operating system and is not yet called iOS.
The other guests at the scene were amazed by this product, but Fan Wumian was very unhappy, mainly because there was no App Store and it did not support the installation of third-party software, which instantly reduced much of his happiness.
This means that he will have to wait patiently before he can get the smartphone he really wants, which at best can only be considered a "2.0 version" of a semi-point-and-shoot phone.
From some perspectives, it is actually not as good as Nokia's Symbian operating system. At least the Symbian operating system can install software such as QQ and Penguin Weibo.
After reading it patiently, Fan Wumian finally understood why people like to mention iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and other products when talking about Apple's iPhone. Compared with them, the first generation iPhone is like the difference between an unfinished house and a fully furnished house.
The information he had obtained in advance was not comprehensive enough, so Fan Wumian started to re-evaluate his long positions. He felt that it would be best to reduce some of his holdings when the heat of this press conference was about to end. He was worried that the stimulating effect of the first-generation iPhone on Apple’s stock price might not be as great as he had imagined.
Fortunately, although there is no App Store, features like the 3.5-inch large screen and multi-touch are still relatively novel, and young people may buy them.
Therefore, Fan Wumian predicts that when the phone is officially launched in the United States in June, Apple’s stock price should be able to rise again.
He lowered his head to check the stock price on his BlackBerry and found that as of now, Apple's stock price had risen by 3.96%. This figure was lower than Fan Wumian's expectations, but the current book profit still exceeded 6000 million US dollars.
Apple does a great job of keeping secrets.
In addition, Fan Wumian didn’t know much about the first generation iPhone. He had only focused on the hardware part, so he slightly misjudged the charm of this new product and didn’t know in advance that it did not have a corresponding App Store.
If he thought that the first generation iPhone could sell millions of units before, now considering the shortcomings of being bundled with niche operators, inability to install third-party software, too few entertainment functions, and high prices of US$499 and US$599 respectively, Fan Wumian predicts that selling one or two million units would be quite good.
Others may think it is very novel and has many highlights, but to Fan Wumian it seems too tasteless, a bit like being tasteless to eat but a pity to throw away. He smacked his lips to express his pity. He originally thought that the stock price would rise sharply today and he would make a direct profit of one or two hundred million US dollars.
But now, after a paper profit of more than 6000 million US dollars, the number has stopped rising. This figure is still far from his idea of investing heavily in Marvel Entertainment.
Fortunately, the first generation of iPhone had a significant stimulating effect on the stock price. At the very least, it successfully painted a big picture and provided a new idea for the research and development direction of smart phones.
There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with what Steve Jobs said, "Today, Apple will reinvent the phone."
He also mentioned on stage that he is trying to port the App Store on computers to mobile phones as soon as possible, and invites developers from all over the world to join in, trying to build a new mobile application ecosystem as soon as possible.
This scene made Fan Wumian feel familiar. After careful recollection, he realized that the domestically produced Hongmeng operating system also made him feel refreshed. It also built an application ecosystem from scratch.
I was originally thinking of trying to get a sample for testing in advance.
Now that he found out that the first generation iPhone only supported phone cards from the communications operator Newger Wireless, and that it would take a year to be launched in Asia, Fan Wumian decisively gave up the idea of shamelessly participating in the internal testing project.
It’s okay to just speculate in the long term. During the period, you can ignore the ups and downs of the stock price and make a profit by holding on to it. There is no need to worry about how the stock price will perform in the short term.
Short-term speculation is different. It requires more accurate judgment of the situation. A small mistake may lead to a very different final result.
For example, this time, Fan Wumian has already sensed that the big picture drawn by Steve Jobs would most likely not have as strong of an effect on Apple's stock price as expected in the short term.
But he is not sure when to close his position and cash out. He can only take it one step at a time and see how the market reacts to the launch of the first iPhone. But he certainly can't cash out today.
Few people pay attention to Apple's press conference. It will take until the news spreads thoroughly to attract new investors to join, which should drive Apple's stock price up further.
Anyway, Apple has painted a big rosy picture for the public and has huge good news to support it. There is no need to worry about a sharp drop in Apple’s stock price in the short term, so Fan Wumian is not panicking at all and is ready to let the bullet fly for a while.
His mind was racing as he kept thinking about various possibilities. After Fan Wumian decided to wait and see for a few days, he finally had the time to focus on Jobs himself.
This technology tycoon has not yet ascended to the altar. He is just an ordinary person. When he was first diagnosed with cancer in his early years, he even hoped to use "spiritual power" to fight the physical disease. He refused to undergo surgery for cancer, but instead learned from the Hindus to eat cow dung capsules.
Yes, these capsules are really made of cow dung.
I was badly cheated by those cheaters. If the disease had been discovered and treated earlier, the situation might not have been so serious. I would not have relapsed after the operation and died soon after.
When it comes to developing new technologies, this paranoid Jobs is indeed amazing and has accurately found the right development path.
However, from the perspective of investors, only by handing Apple over to a management team that understands marketing better can there be a chance to maximize profits.
Fan Wumian respected the fate of others. He could do nothing about things like cancer. He occasionally made eye contact with Steve Jobs and smiled as a greeting.
The press conference was completely over, and Fan Wumian, together with several wealthy American businessmen he had just met, were invited to the booth to personally experience the first generation iPhone.
The process of sliding his fingers across the screen made him happy physically and mentally, and he regained the long-lost feeling. However, whether it was the obvious lag or the pitifully simple number of applications, it once again brought him back to the reality that he still had to be patient and endure before he could truly own a smartphone.
Even Steve Jobs had to bow to the big financial backers.
Right after the press conference, he came to the exhibition hall and personally introduced himself to important shareholders and representatives of BlackRock and State Street, continuing to paint a rosy picture in the hope of gaining their support.
As for Fan Wumian, he could only be considered an incidental guest.
Because Fan Wumian was heavily invested in Apple stocks, Steve Jobs was quite polite. When shaking hands with him, he smiled and asked him:
"Hello, big star from Hong Kong City, are you satisfied with our new products today?"
Fan Wumian said politely:
“It’s great, but it would be even better if the app store was developed earlier. Several of my products could be included in it, which would be very helpful in increasing user activity and expanding the market size.”
Steve Jobs nodded repeatedly and continued:
"This is exactly the next focus of our company. The next research and development direction is how to make mobile phones more intelligent and more interesting, so that people can use them to play games, work or socialize, just like computers. This phone only supports 2G, and the laboratory is already developing the next generation of 3G products."
As a speculator, Fan Wumian's only purpose was to make money to ease cash flow pressure, and he had no interest in growing with Apple.
Seeing that Apple would have to wait at least another year before it could actually launch the phone he wanted, Fan Wumian naturally turned his attention to Android, a competitor of Apple's operating system, and prepared to investigate the situation in advance.
I have the impression, I don't know where I saw it, that the first mobile phone brand equipped with the Android operating system is HTC. When the time comes, Android's parent company Google and its partners, the stock price will probably rise sharply in a short period of time.
In the process of technological change, countless investment opportunities will emerge, which makes Fan Wumian full of expectations.
I casually checked Apple's latest stock price and found that today's increase has reached 5.1%. Based on $15 billion, it is equivalent to earning two basic Gulfstream G550s in just one morning... (End of this chapter)