Motivation? By who? Huawei? Are you online? China
65438+February 2 1, this is a very memorable day. Probably for this reason, Guangzhou Automobile Group and Iflytek made a "big news" on this day. They are going to set up a joint venture company. The name of the new company is ......
No one will notice this except me, right?
Because on the same day, Economic Daily, a media in Taiwan Province Province, China, released a big news. According to the executives of supply chain manufacturers, Apple is likely to launch their electric vehicle products two years ahead of schedule, that is, in the third quarter of 20021year.
Will there be an iPhone at the autumn conference next September? 13, no, is it possible to release Apple? Cars!
Akio Toyoda shelled electric cars? He is full of enthusiasm in Xiao Peng? Jia Yueting's FF raised his hand again to show that he is still there? Evergrande ......
All the news in these car circles was eclipsed by Apple's cross-border attacks.
Yes, it's coming!
Apple's Wolf
As early as 20 15, when Mr. Jia was writing PPT for PPT, the industry "rumored" that Apple started the car-making project, and at that time Apple did dig a lot of people from Tesla.
On 20 16, Musk beat Apple's car-making project codenamed "Titan" with ulterior motives.
In 20 17, Apple probably realized that making a car is not as simple as making a mobile phone, and began to change the Titan project from producing a complete vehicle to "developing an autonomous driving system".
After that, Apple changed the head of Titan project several times and laid off more than 400 people.
Just when everyone thought that Apple would become a legend forever, it came again!
The news this time seems to be more credible, because on the one hand, the OEM of Apple in Taiwan Province Province has confirmed that it is stepping up the production of electric vehicle parts, and on the other hand, Apple has applied for nearly 100 patents in the past five years, which basically outlines Apple? What a car looks like.
There is also news that John, senior vice president of Apple and in charge of artificial intelligence projects? Giannandrea has become the new leader of the company's automobile manufacturing project. If it is true, it also proves that they will launch production models soon.
iPhone？ The big screen of 99
Today, let's take a look at the technology media and try to get a glimpse of this mysterious apple from its patents. Cars.
One of Apple's patents is the AR (augmented reality) front windshield.
This is easy to understand, that is, many models are equipped with high, high and high-end versions of HUD head-up display system.
Mercedes-Benz's newly launched S-Class this year has the most advanced and gorgeous UHD, which can adjust the picture according to the driver's eye position and make the basic ar effect in a small range.
But in Apple's plan, they want to use the entire front windshield, including the co-pilot position.
As you can imagine, in front of the driver, there is an augmented reality picture covering almost the whole field of vision, not only the navigation route, but also the speed and potential danger of all vehicles ahead, the information of roads and buildings, the weather and direction, and all the information you need is displayed in front of you. On the passenger side, you can play drama on iQiyi, video chat with friends, and even take photos, go to work and go shopping.
It sounds like the screen of the mobile phone is projected on the front windshield, but how to control it?
Apple said that vehicles will interact with people and vehicles according to a series of sensors, including visible light cameras, infrared cameras, ultrasonic sensors, depth cameras and lidar. Moreover, these sensors have been playing very smoothly on the iPhone, and engineers can completely realize gesture control that is much more complicated and accurate than the current BMW models from a distance. Imagine Tom Cruise's Minority Report, yes! That's the smell!
However, there is also a very brain-boring patent, smart seat belts.
All kinds of sensors and even flexible screens are integrated into seat belts ..... Isn't this Gaga Gaga version of Apple? Watch? Passengers can interact with the system through the seat belt, and the seat belt can also obtain various physical information such as the passenger's heartbeat and blood pressure.
But it seems that it is difficult for me to click, slide and multi-touch accurately on the safety belt. Is it more convenient to operate in the co-pilot's seat belt?
Ahem!
Anyway, one of the highlights of Apple's car is that it will turn the front windshield into a huge iPhone.
Autopilot? Probably not.
Although Apple began to apply for 24 patents related to autonomous driving in 20 18, I don't think they will integrate fully autonomous driving in the first generation products.
Friends who are familiar with iPhone know that Apple doesn't like to put the most advanced functions into mobile phones, so many Android phones can find a breakthrough in marketing.
But it's not that Apple can't do it, but that they feel that if they do it hard, it will destroy the user experience.
The same is true for autonomous driving, although Apple is on the iPhone? A 1 1 of x? Bionic chips have begun to show strong AI computing power, and they also have a number of patents for neural network control of self-driving vehicles. However, at present, the biggest constraint of autonomous driving is the sensor, not the CPU, which Apple cannot overcome at present.
In addition, California publishes road test reports of all self-driving cars every year. Apple's number of self-driving test vehicles is not only less than that of other self-driving companies, but also decreases year by year, which also confirms that Apple is not very keen on fully automatic driving.
Although there will be no automatic driving, Apple may bring great driving assistance to users. For example, combining the AR windshield and sensor mentioned above, we may point out which parking space, and the Apple car will automatically stop. Or conversely, the driver's inattention can be accurately identified by combining the data of the intelligent seat belt and the sensor outside the vehicle, and prompt or compulsory intervention can be made.
After all, the most attractive thing about Apple products has always been the user experience. Not an intracranial orgasm.
The essential difference between Apple and Huawei in making cars.
Huawei is the only one that can compete with Apple in the mobile phone industry, and Huawei has also disclosed a series of products and plans in the field of car building, so when Apple cars appear in the spotlight again, we have to talk about Huawei.
As for whether Huawei should build a complete vehicle, we will discuss it later. Now let's compare their differences in technical reserves.
Huawei has generously said at the Beijing Auto Show in September that they have basically done everything that smart cars belong to, but the most basic products of vehicles such as body, chassis and battery are the same.
In addition to the patents related to smart driving just mentioned, Apple has also retained some patents related to the car body.
One is the door opening mode, not the Tesla mode? X's cool gull-wing door is a sliding door, which opens on the car body.
In addition to "sliding", this kind of door is very much like an apple. It is also very convenient for passengers to get on and off in a narrow parking space. This design that pays great attention to the user experience is also Apple-style.
There is also a very interesting patent about bumper, which describes an expandable bumper design, which can "extend" the bumper a little during collision, or change the angle of the bumper through several small airbags.
I very much doubt that this design was conceived by an engineer hired by Apple from Honda, or a fan of Honda, because the ingenious small rocker arm is exactly the same as the core concept of VTEC. Moreover, changing the bumper to this level is not so much to increase the safety of vehicles as to provide extra protection for pedestrians, which is also in line with Honda's philosophy.
In addition, Taiwan Province Province (why is it always Taiwan Province Province? ) It also revealed that Apple has mastered very advanced power battery technology and will use lithium ferrous phosphate to produce large-capacity "electrodeless batteries".
I am very skeptical about the news. This sounds like putting together the technical details of BYD's blade battery and electrodeless ear battery released on Tesla Battery Day this year. Plus, Apple is too lazy to make its own mobile phone battery. How did you get involved in power batteries? Can't I buy it directly from BYD or Contemporary Ampere Technology Co., Ltd.?
Although the fog is heavy, it is certain that Apple is indeed preparing to produce complete vehicles, while Huawei is deliberately avoiding manufacturing complete vehicles.
Should Huawei reconsider the vehicle business?
Let's start with a gossip. In fact, Huawei has been considering building a car for a long time. Because of the success of mobile phones and Huawei's own R&D strength, the young people in the company are enthusiastic and even have built a prototype. However, this vehicle project was later dissolved.
I didn't confirm the above rumors, because Ren has repeatedly said that Huawei will not manufacture complete vehicles. Even in165438+the Resolution on Business Management of Smart Car Parts released at the end of June, it was written in black and white that "whoever puts forward suggestions for building cars in the future and interferes with the company can be transferred from his post."
Not to mention Huawei employees, even outsiders like us feel incredible. Why are we willing to hide behind the scenes when we have such strength?
The reason behind it is actually the path dependence of Apple and Huawei. They're just repeating the safest road they've ever taken.
Apple's success, first of all, is to launch one product after another that subverts the industry. More importantly, a complete ecology has been built behind each product. ITune was the first to establish an online music ecosystem, supporting the iPod series, followed by App? Stroe has made the iPhone brilliant, and now it supports Mac series computers in turn through the entire Apple digital product family.
So when the ecological construction is almost the same, it is logical for Apple to launch a revolutionary electric car.
And Huawei's early success depends on To? B business, which makes Huawei feel more at ease to be the hero behind the new energy automobile industry. These two years have been "stuck in the operating system and chips", which has strengthened the belief that Ren Zheng Fei will not be a star.
Speaking of operating system, I believe Ren also learned the lesson that Microsoft stumbled on the mobile operating system before.
You may have forgotten, Apple's? IOS also has days when it can't hold its head. In 20 13, Android accounted for 80% of the mobile operating system market, followed by iOS, Microsoft's Windows? The phone is close behind. Microsoft didn't pay much attention to Apple at that time, because what they did was an open system, and as long as mobile phone manufacturers were willing, they could install their home system. Microsoft at that time can be regarded as Huawei today, and it is a hero behind the scenes.
However, looking at the gradual rise of the iPhone, Microsoft was not willing to do only supporting work, and finally spent a lot of money to buy the second Nokia in the world in 20 13. Although the window? The telephone system is still open, but other mobile phone brands feel chilly-if we help the window? After the phone call, doesn't that mean helping Nokia commit suicide? IOS can't be used, so you have to get on Android quickly.
As a result, there are still some brands using Window. Telephone systems, such as Samsung, Toshiba, Ericsson, etc. , are left to Microsoft-Nokia to play (by the way, there is a magical HTC).
In fact, Huawei once had a window? Phone probably experienced the process of Microsoft standing in front of the stage and dying at zero distance, and Ren Cai said so firmly that "Huawei does not build cars". As long as Huawei doesn't set foot in the vehicle business, they are friends of the whole China automobile industry. Once they start to build cars, they will become "enemies" that everyone will stay away from.
Last week, Huawei launched a beta version of "HarmonyOS System 2.0" operating system. In fact, before this, HarmonyOS system has been integrated into the products of many home appliance brands. I believe this is the way for Huawei to participate in the new energy automobile industry in the future and transform itself from a brand into an industry.
There may be only two mainstream smart cars in the future:
Designed? By who? Apple? Are you online? California.
Motivation? By who? Huawei? Are you online? China
This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.