Behind the recall: Who is hacking the iPhone 6 Plus?

Ever since Apple released the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, it has entered a "tumultuous period". First, there was the "bend gate" and "hair gate" and other extremely spoof and nonsensical news impact, and now there is the "recall gate" with frequent restarts, which is used to stimulate the increasingly popular market for the iPhone 6 Plus large-screen mobile phone.

South Korean media BusinessKorea recently reported that many users reported that the 128GB version of the iPhone 6 Plus often crashes, especially when a large number of applications are installed. Someone complained on the forum that this phenomenon occurs when 700 applications are installed on the phone, and the phone freezes and restarts and then gets stuck on the restart interface. Later, Taiwan's China Times reported that Apple may announce a large-scale recall for this reason. As for the cause of the problem, BusinessKorea said that the iPhone 6 Plus crash may be due to the TLC NAND memory control IC it uses. Although it has more storage capacity, the read/write speed is relatively slow. The reason why Apple uses TLC is to save costs. Just as public opinion continued to evolve viciously, foreign media such as imore and 9to5mac reported that the "recall" may not exist, and this matter has been magnified by some media, and the "recall" is currently just a rumor. What's more, it is said that a large number of phishing websites imitating Apple's official website have appeared, and they are defrauding under the banner of recalling the iPhone 6 plus.

In addition, some media have counted all the problems of the iPhone 6 series phones after they were put on the market, including nearly 10 problems such as "bend gate", "hair gate", "dye gate", "fragile screen", "touch failure", "black screen of camera", "disconnection of Bluetooth", "fingerprint error", and "mobile phone fire". There is also an article that incites consumers' emotions, saying that the cost of iPhone 6 is only 1,200 yuan, which is circulated on major social media. Faced with such a complicated public opinion crisis, how should Apple resolve it? You know, hardware problems such as "bend gate" and "hair gate" can be resolved with individual phenomena, but now there are problems in Apple's most stable iOS system defense line, which will also affect the normal user experience. Moreover, the problem is on "TLC NAND", a professional problem that ordinary consumers have no recognition at all, which is bound to cause panic in public opinion. Through the fog of doubts about the Apple Gate incident, let's take a look at the problems behind it. Who is going to kill the iPhone 6 Plus?

1. Geek Crisis

The word "geek" originally refers to "people who have a fanatical interest in computers and network technology and spend a lot of time studying them. They are enthusiast fans of mobile phone brand manufacturers, loyal consumers who "stay up late to queue up and buy them as soon as possible", and a consumer group that does not hesitate to change to new products when the products are updated. However, with the emergence of the hardware ceiling of smartphones, many new mobile phones will come out. If they fail to meet the expectations of these geeks, they will use the "geek spirit" to find faults with the products to vent their emotional dissatisfaction. At present, it is typical that brands such as Apple and Xiaomi are facing "geek crises" such as "Apple haters" and "Mi haters".

Take the "recall gate" for example. In the scenario where the problem occurs, 700 applications have to be downloaded. Let's ask ordinary consumers, who will install 700 apps on a newly bought mobile phone? Among the nearly 10 million users of Apple 6 plus, how many users will have the need to install 700 apps? The bending gate is more prominent. Who will try to bend a newly bought mobile phone? This is obviously a low-probability event. Why do Apple geeks want to hack Apple? As we all know, Apple has always been stubborn on whether to expand the screen. Jobs once said that a 3.5-inch screen is the limit for most people to operate a mobile phone with one hand, and said that the size of Apple phones will not be changed. However, with the impact of Samsung's note series of large-screen mobile phones, Apple has wavered in its once-firm insistence and subsequently launched an extended version of the iPhone 5 until the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6+. It is not difficult to see that Apple has always been passive on the issue of whether to promote large-screen mobile phones, and has a sense of being forced to follow the trend. In the eyes of many geeks, the large screen of iPhone 6 is actually the most helpless choice when other innovations are weak, which makes Apple seem quite lacking in personality. Most Apple fans characterize Apple as an innovator who subverts the industry. Now it is following Samsung's footsteps and launching a large-screen mobile phone. It is obviously a follow-up behavior without innovation. On this basis, it is difficult for fans to imagine what kind of updates the next generation of Apple mobile phones will make? Will it just be bigger? The upgrades in hardware such as CPU processing speed, screen size, signal strength, etc. have a certain upper limit of acceptance. Upgrades beyond the scope of use are also useless in the eyes of users.

As the smartphone market matures, faster speeds, larger screens, and higher resolutions seem to have become the "standard" for smartphones. However, the performance of "black technologies" such as flexible screens, transparent materials, holographic projections, and double-sided operations in a series of concept videos has been mediocre. Even if some disruptive mobile phones appear, there are absolute flaws in whether they can be mass-produced. In summary, Apple's crisis is likely to be caused by geeks. Moreover, geeks are easily bought and used by some competing manufacturers. Moreover, when the product is just launched, any quality problems will cause media to follow suit. Some consumers who are not aware of the truth are likely to have "regrets" because of these negative public opinions. However, this gives current mobile phone manufacturers a revelation, that is, they must re-examine the value of enthusiasts to the brand and how to avoid the public opinion crisis created by geeks' repeated coverage of product flaws. There is still a certain gap between the usage standards of geeks and the usage standards of ordinary consumers after the large-scale commercial use of mobile phones. If this kind of individual phenomenon is not guided by public opinion, the trouble it will cause can be imagined.

2. Fierce Fight between Rivals

In addition to the geek crisis, the iPhone 6 Plus has obvious signs of being attacked by competitors. Unlike in the past, the negative attacks on Apple's updates this year are very strong and it is hard not to suspect that it was done by competitors. So, what kind of troubles did the arrival of the iPhone 6 Plus bring to competitors that made them attack it with such force?

The biggest suspect is undoubtedly Samsung. Because the entry of iPhone 6 plus into the market has caused the greatest damage to Samsung. First, in the high-end smartphone market, Samsung and Apple have always been the two major manufacturers, but in the past two years, the high-end mobile phone market has become saturated, the size of the new user group is not large, and the original high-end users have limited demand for changing their phones. The competition between Apple and Samsung has directly evolved into a war to erode the market share of their rivals. The entry of iPhone 6 and 6+ into the market will inevitably cause the market share of direct competitor Samsung to shrink. According to data, Samsung's performance has been declining sharply for three consecutive quarters, and the latest third quarter has even fallen to a historical low. Second, Samsung was hit hard by Apple. Large-screen mobile phones have always been Samsung's core advantage. In the past one or two years, Samsung mobile phones have won the favor of a large number of female fans with the monopoly of the Note series in the large-screen mobile phone market. People generally associate large-screen mobile phones with words such as fashion and trend. Users who need to use large-screen mobile phones seem to have no other choice except Samsung at the same high-end level. Samsung has absolute voice and price control in the large-screen mobile phone market. However, the emergence of Apple's large-screen mobile phone has made Samsung's only advantage disappear. Under the condition of the same large screen, this war has evolved into a competition between iOS and Android users. Obviously, in terms of system stability, craftsmanship, and user experience, Samsung is no match for Apple. Third, Samsung's own reputation is in crisis. Samsung has always been criticized for problems with large-screen mobile phones, such as poor operation, freezing, and fast power consumption. Before the emergence of Apple's large-screen mobile phone, many users regarded these problems as concessions that must be made for choosing a large-screen mobile phone. The advent of Apple Plus will inevitably be disliked by users. Moreover, Samsung Note 4 and GALAXY S5 have also been criticized for their lack of upgrades. Many users will naturally switch sides after the release of Apple Plus.

All these reasons are unfavorable to Samsung. Samsung's only advantage at present is the maturity of its technology in large-screen mobile phones. Therefore, Samsung can only use public relations to exaggerate the problems that Apple Plus had in the early days of its market entry to increase its presence. Just as Samsung expected, Apple did have various technical immaturity problems in the early days of its large-screen mobile phones entering the market. It is normal for Samsung to fan the flames. However, Samsung ignored the user's judgment and attacked Apple again and again, but it did not seem to save Samsung's loss of power in large-screen mobile phones. Instead, it allowed its competitor Apple 6 series to create a gratifying sales volume of 21 million. If Samsung is really the mastermind behind the scenes, Samsung should learn a lesson and spend more effort on upgrading its own products instead of shaking other people's bottom. From the user's point of view, Apple's entry into large-screen mobile phones has avoided Samsung's oligopoly, which is a good thing.

3. Cross-border assassination

In fact, the market lethality of iPhone 6 plus is still very large, which is reflected in the impact on tablet computers. As mobile phones become larger and larger, and their information capacity, UI, sensory perception, and operation are greatly improved, users increasingly feel that tablet computers have become a kind of useless existence, so there are voices that tablet computers are dead. The biggest impact is on Apple's iPad mini series. According to Taiwanese media citing industry chain news, Apple will stop producing the 7.9-inch iPad mini next year, and instead, Apple will launch a 12.2-inch large-size tablet iPad Pro. The impact of iPhone 6 plus on iPad mini is obvious, but the impact of its own products can be ignored. The launch of iPhone 6 plus has a direct or indirect impact on tablet computers produced by other brands. When other mobile phone manufacturers are still pushing tablet computers to compete with iPad mini, users have a new choice, and Apple can easily launch a price reduction promotion before mini is discontinued to compete with other tablet manufacturers. In this way, the impact on the interests of these suppliers can be imagined.

Although mobile phones and tablets originally did not belong to the same competitive category, the emergence of the iPhone 6 Plus has caused users to have many concerns about the future of tablets, and many users will rethink the value of tablets. In addition, the quality of Apple's iPad series products is strong enough, and users do not have much demand for replacement. Apple's strategies for promoting mobile phone products and tablet products are obviously different. In recent years, with the competition among smartphone manufacturers, the status of Apple mobile phones has been affected, and Apple needs to work harder to maintain it. The iPad market has been stable. In this case, Apple is willing to drive out the iPad mini to dominate the smartphone market. Apple firmly believes in its dominant position in the iPad field. It is not necessary to consolidate the iPad's market position too much for the time being. After all, the better the product, the weaker the user's demand for a new one. As a matter of urgency, Apple needs to shift its strategic focus and focus on the large-screen smartphone market. On the one hand, it can establish an absolute advantage and consolidate its position in the smartphone market. On the other hand, it can make up for the lack of market stamina of iPad products. After understanding Apple's ambitions, how can mobile phone and tablet manufacturers not attack it?

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.