Smartphones in China

　　中國(guó)的智能手機(jī)市場(chǎng)

　　Taking a bite out of Apple

　　分蘋果一杯羹

　　Xiaomi, often described as Chinas answer to Apple,is actually quite different

　　有中國(guó)的蘋果之稱的小米實(shí)際上跟蘋果很不一樣。

　　IT FEELS more like a rock concert than a press conference as the casually dressed chiefexecutive takes to a darkened stage to unveil his firms sleek new smartphone to an adoringcrowd. Yet this was not the launch of the new iPhone by Apple on September 10th, but of theMi-3 handset by Xiaomi, a Chinese firm, in Beijing on September 5th. With its emphasis onsnazzy design, glitzy launches and the cult-like fervour it inspires in its users, no wonderXiaomi is often compared to its giant American rival, both by admirers and by critics who callit a copycat. Xiaomis boss, Lei Jun , even wears jeans and a black shirt, SteveJobs-style. Is Xiaomi really Chinas answer to Apple?

　　小米的發(fā)布會(huì)比起資訊發(fā)布會(huì)更像是一場(chǎng)搖滾音樂(lè)會(huì)。打扮隨意的首席執(zhí)行官登上深色的舞臺(tái)向粉絲們揭開(kāi)其公司最新的時(shí)尚智能手機(jī)。然而，這不是9月10日蘋果的新iPhone發(fā)布會(huì)，而食中國(guó)公司小米9月5日在北京舉行的小米3發(fā)布會(huì)。憑借其時(shí)尚的設(shè)計(jì)，炫目的發(fā)布會(huì)和用戶被激發(fā)出的瘋狂的熱情，小米難免經(jīng)常被崇拜者和批評(píng)者同美國(guó)的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手蘋果作比較，批評(píng)家稱其產(chǎn)品為山寨貨。小米的老板，雷軍，甚至穿著類似喬布斯風(fēng)格的牛仔褲和黑色短袖。小米真的是中國(guó)的蘋果嗎?

　　Xiaomi sold 7.2m handsets last year, in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, earning revenues of12.6 billion yuan . Apple sold 125m smartphones globally, earning about $80billion of its $157 billion sales. But since it was founded in 2010, Xiaomi has grown fast. Arecent funding round valued it at $10 billion, more than Microsoft just paid for Nokias handsetunit. That made Xiaomi one of the 15 most heavily venture-backed mobile start-ups ever,says Rajeev Chand of Rutberg, an investment bank. In the second quarter of 2023 Xiaomismarket share in China was 5%, says Canalys, a research firmmore than Apples forthe first time.

　　去年小米在中國(guó)大陸，香港和臺(tái)灣一共售出了7200萬(wàn)臺(tái)手機(jī)，收入達(dá)126億人民幣。蘋果在全球賣出了1.25億臺(tái)手機(jī)，銷售額為1570億美元，收入達(dá)到800億美元。但是由于小米始建于2010年，小米的增長(zhǎng)速度極快。最近的一輪融資，小米估值達(dá)100億美元，超過(guò)微軟剛剛買下的諾基亞手機(jī)部門。投資銀行Rutberg的Rajeev Chand表示這使得小米成為全球目前為止最值錢的15個(gè)手機(jī)公司之一。

　　Yet we have never compared ourselves to Applewe are more like Amazon, says Lin Bin,Xiaomis co-founder, who once worked for the Chinese arms of Microsoft and Google. Applesells its iPhone 5 for around $860 in China and has the industrys highest margins. Xiaomioffers its handsets at or near cost: the Mi-3, its new flagship, costs 2,000 yuan . Xiaomisells direct to customers online, rather than via network operators or retail stores, whichalso keeps prices down. Crucially, its business depends on selling services to its users, just asAmazon provides its Kindle readers at low prices and makes its money on the sale of e-books.The idea is to make a profit from customers as they use the handset, rather than from thesale of the hardware, says Mr Lin.

　　然而，曾在微軟和谷歌工作過(guò)的小米聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人林斌表示，我們從沒(méi)有跟蘋果對(duì)比，我們更像是亞馬遜。蘋果的iPhone5在中國(guó)的售價(jià)約為860美元，是行業(yè)中利潤(rùn)率最高的手機(jī)。小米提供的手機(jī)接近成本，新旗艦米3售價(jià)為2000元。小米通過(guò)線上商店直接賣給消費(fèi)者，而不是通過(guò)網(wǎng)絡(luò)運(yùn)營(yíng)商或零售商店，這也壓低了價(jià)格。最重要的是，它的業(yè)務(wù)依賴于將服務(wù)賣給用戶，就像亞馬遜提供低價(jià)的kindle閱讀器，通過(guò)賣電子書賺錢。林先生表示，這個(gè)想法是通過(guò)用戶對(duì)手機(jī)的使用賺取利潤(rùn)，而不是通過(guò)硬件銷售。

　　Xiaomis services revenues were 20m yuan in August, up from 10m yuan in April. It is aclassic internet business model: build an audience then monetise it later, as Google andFacebook did, notes Mr Lin. Selling games, custom wallpapers and virtual gifts may not soundvery lucrative, but Chinas internet giants have found a huge market for virtual goods: thebiggest, Tencent, sold $5 billion-worth of them last year.

　　小米8月份的服務(wù)收入為2000萬(wàn)，從四月的1000萬(wàn)增長(zhǎng)至此。林先生指出，這是一種典型的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)商業(yè)模式：吸引聽(tīng)眾然后套現(xiàn)，谷歌和facebook也是這么做的。售賣游戲，自定義壁紙和虛擬禮品聽(tīng)起來(lái)沒(méi)那么利潤(rùn)豐厚，但是中國(guó)的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)巨頭們找到了虛擬物品的巨大市場(chǎng)：最大的騰訊去年賣出了50億美元的虛擬物品。

　　Another big difference is their openness to user feedback. Apple takes an almost Stalinistapproach to its handsets, limiting user customisation in favour of a we know best designphilosophy. Xiaomi is more guided by its users, releasing a new version of its MIUI software every week in response to their suggestions.In some cases Xiaomi asks users to vote via weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, onwhether particular features should be included or how they should worka form ofdemocracy its American rival would never countenance.

　　另外一個(gè)很大的不同是他們對(duì)待消費(fèi)者反饋的態(tài)度。蘋果對(duì)自己的手機(jī)采取的幾乎是斯大林式的方法，限制用戶定制，用一種我們知道什么是最好的設(shè)計(jì)哲學(xué)。小米更以用戶為導(dǎo)向，每周發(fā)行一個(gè)新版本的MIUI軟件響應(yīng)用戶的建議。有些時(shí)候，小米會(huì)通過(guò)微博投票征求用戶的建議，這是其美國(guó)對(duì)手絕對(duì)不會(huì)贊同的民主工作形式。

　　Apples launch this week of the iPhone 5C, a colourful, slightly cheaper version of the iPhoneaimed at consumers in China and other developing countries, marks a shift in its strategyas it faces competition from Xiaomi and many other Chinese firms. Apples handsets havesold well in developed countries, but those markets are maturing. Global sales ofsmartphones are growing by 50% a year, notes Canalys, but by 108% a year in China, whichnow accounts for over one-third of global sales.

　　這周蘋果發(fā)布了iPhone 5c，一款彩色版稍便宜的iPhone，這款設(shè)備旨在吸引中國(guó)和其他發(fā)展中國(guó)家的消費(fèi)者，標(biāo)志著在諸如小米和其他中國(guó)公司的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)下戰(zhàn)略的轉(zhuǎn)變。蘋果的手機(jī)在發(fā)達(dá)國(guó)家非常暢銷，但是這些市場(chǎng)相對(duì)成熟。Canalys指出，全球智能手機(jī)銷量每年增長(zhǎng)50%，但是在中國(guó)增速為108%，占據(jù)全球三分之一的銷量。

　　For the first time, Apple held an official launch event in Beijing this week, indicating itsgrowing interest in this market. Yet there was widespread surprise at the high price of the5C, which will cost $733 in China, limiting its appeal among less wealthy buyers. A rumoureddeal with China Mobile to distribute the iPhone 5C and subsidise its cost has so far failed tomaterialise.

　　本周蘋果首次在北京舉辦了官方發(fā)布會(huì)，表明其在中國(guó)市場(chǎng)的興趣與日俱增。但是外界對(duì)5c的價(jià)格普遍感到驚訝，在中國(guó)售價(jià)高達(dá)733美元，限制了其對(duì)不太富裕買家的吸引力。傳言與中國(guó)移動(dòng)的交易銷售iPhone5c以及補(bǔ)貼方案至今都沒(méi)有實(shí)現(xiàn)。

　　Xiaomi the money

　　小米的資金

　　As Apple looks to tap the rapid growth of the Chinese market, Xiaomi is heading the otherway. It recently hired Hugo Barra, a Google executive responsible for product developmentfor Android, to develop new products for international markets.

　　隨著蘋果開(kāi)始注意挖掘中國(guó)市場(chǎng)的快速增長(zhǎng)，小米選擇了另一條路。最近小米聘請(qǐng)了谷歌安卓產(chǎn)品開(kāi)發(fā)主管Hugo Barra為國(guó)際市場(chǎng)開(kāi)發(fā)新產(chǎn)品。

　　Yet Xiaomi and other Chinese firms sell so many games, apps and add-ons in large partbecause the Chinese government requires handsets to run a neutered version of the Androidoperating system, without Googles app store, mail service, maps and other features. Thathelps Xiaomi sell its own replacement services, an advantage it will lose once it stepsoutside China. How scared should Apple be, really, of a rival that has yet to prove that itsbusiness model will work at home, let alone abroad?

　　然而，小米和其他中國(guó)公司銷售如此多的游戲，應(yīng)用和插件很大程度上是因?yàn)橹袊?guó)政府要求手機(jī)運(yùn)行一個(gè)閹割版的安卓操作系統(tǒng)，不包括谷歌的應(yīng)用程序商店，郵件服務(wù)，地圖和其他功能。這有助于小米銷售期自己的替代服務(wù)，而這在國(guó)際市場(chǎng)上會(huì)失去優(yōu)勢(shì)。小米的商業(yè)模式在國(guó)內(nèi)尚未稱得上成功，更不用說(shuō)在國(guó)外了，蘋果應(yīng)該為此感到害怕嗎?

　　Smartphones in China

　　中國(guó)的智能手機(jī)市場(chǎng)

　　Taking a bite out of Apple

　　分蘋果一杯羹

　　Xiaomi, often described as Chinas answer to Apple,is actually quite different

　　有中國(guó)的蘋果之稱的小米實(shí)際上跟蘋果很不一樣。

　　IT FEELS more like a rock concert than a press conference as the casually dressed chiefexecutive takes to a darkened stage to unveil his firms sleek new smartphone to an adoringcrowd. Yet this was not the launch of the new iPhone by Apple on September 10th, but of theMi-3 handset by Xiaomi, a Chinese firm, in Beijing on September 5th. With its emphasis onsnazzy design, glitzy launches and the cult-like fervour it inspires in its users, no wonderXiaomi is often compared to its giant American rival, both by admirers and by critics who callit a copycat. Xiaomis boss, Lei Jun , even wears jeans and a black shirt, SteveJobs-style. Is Xiaomi really Chinas answer to Apple?

　　小米的發(fā)布會(huì)比起資訊發(fā)布會(huì)更像是一場(chǎng)搖滾音樂(lè)會(huì)。打扮隨意的首席執(zhí)行官登上深色的舞臺(tái)向粉絲們揭開(kāi)其公司最新的時(shí)尚智能手機(jī)。然而，這不是9月10日蘋果的新iPhone發(fā)布會(huì)，而食中國(guó)公司小米9月5日在北京舉行的小米3發(fā)布會(huì)。憑借其時(shí)尚的設(shè)計(jì)，炫目的發(fā)布會(huì)和用戶被激發(fā)出的瘋狂的熱情，小米難免經(jīng)常被崇拜者和批評(píng)者同美國(guó)的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手蘋果作比較，批評(píng)家稱其產(chǎn)品為山寨貨。小米的老板，雷軍，甚至穿著類似喬布斯風(fēng)格的牛仔褲和黑色短袖。小米真的是中國(guó)的蘋果嗎?

　　Xiaomi sold 7.2m handsets last year, in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, earning revenues of12.6 billion yuan . Apple sold 125m smartphones globally, earning about $80billion of its $157 billion sales. But since it was founded in 2010, Xiaomi has grown fast. Arecent funding round valued it at $10 billion, more than Microsoft just paid for Nokias handsetunit. That made Xiaomi one of the 15 most heavily venture-backed mobile start-ups ever,says Rajeev Chand of Rutberg, an investment bank. In the second quarter of 2023 Xiaomismarket share in China was 5%, says Canalys, a research firmmore than Apples forthe first time.

　　去年小米在中國(guó)大陸，香港和臺(tái)灣一共售出了7200萬(wàn)臺(tái)手機(jī)，收入達(dá)126億人民幣。蘋果在全球賣出了1.25億臺(tái)手機(jī)，銷售額為1570億美元，收入達(dá)到800億美元。但是由于小米始建于2010年，小米的增長(zhǎng)速度極快。最近的一輪融資，小米估值達(dá)100億美元，超過(guò)微軟剛剛買下的諾基亞手機(jī)部門。投資銀行Rutberg的Rajeev Chand表示這使得小米成為全球目前為止最值錢的15個(gè)手機(jī)公司之一。

　　Yet we have never compared ourselves to Applewe are more like Amazon, says Lin Bin,Xiaomis co-founder, who once worked for the Chinese arms of Microsoft and Google. Applesells its iPhone 5 for around $860 in China and has the industrys highest margins. Xiaomioffers its handsets at or near cost: the Mi-3, its new flagship, costs 2,000 yuan . Xiaomisells direct to customers online, rather than via network operators or retail stores, whichalso keeps prices down. Crucially, its business depends on selling services to its users, just asAmazon provides its Kindle readers at low prices and makes its money on the sale of e-books.The idea is to make a profit from customers as they use the handset, rather than from thesale of the hardware, says Mr Lin.

　　然而，曾在微軟和谷歌工作過(guò)的小米聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人林斌表示，我們從沒(méi)有跟蘋果對(duì)比，我們更像是亞馬遜。蘋果的iPhone5在中國(guó)的售價(jià)約為860美元，是行業(yè)中利潤(rùn)率最高的手機(jī)。小米提供的手機(jī)接近成本，新旗艦米3售價(jià)為2000元。小米通過(guò)線上商店直接賣給消費(fèi)者，而不是通過(guò)網(wǎng)絡(luò)運(yùn)營(yíng)商或零售商店，這也壓低了價(jià)格。最重要的是，它的業(yè)務(wù)依賴于將服務(wù)賣給用戶，就像亞馬遜提供低價(jià)的kindle閱讀器，通過(guò)賣電子書賺錢。林先生表示，這個(gè)想法是通過(guò)用戶對(duì)手機(jī)的使用賺取利潤(rùn)，而不是通過(guò)硬件銷售。

　　Xiaomis services revenues were 20m yuan in August, up from 10m yuan in April. It is aclassic internet business model: build an audience then monetise it later, as Google andFacebook did, notes Mr Lin. Selling games, custom wallpapers and virtual gifts may not soundvery lucrative, but Chinas internet giants have found a huge market for virtual goods: thebiggest, Tencent, sold $5 billion-worth of them last year.

　　小米8月份的服務(wù)收入為2000萬(wàn)，從四月的1000萬(wàn)增長(zhǎng)至此。林先生指出，這是一種典型的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)商業(yè)模式：吸引聽(tīng)眾然后套現(xiàn)，谷歌和facebook也是這么做的。售賣游戲，自定義壁紙和虛擬禮品聽(tīng)起來(lái)沒(méi)那么利潤(rùn)豐厚，但是中國(guó)的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)巨頭們找到了虛擬物品的巨大市場(chǎng)：最大的騰訊去年賣出了50億美元的虛擬物品。

　　Another big difference is their openness to user feedback. Apple takes an almost Stalinistapproach to its handsets, limiting user customisation in favour of a we know best designphilosophy. Xiaomi is more guided by its users, releasing a new version of its MIUI software every week in response to their suggestions.In some cases Xiaomi asks users to vote via weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, onwhether particular features should be included or how they should worka form ofdemocracy its American rival would never countenance.

　　另外一個(gè)很大的不同是他們對(duì)待消費(fèi)者反饋的態(tài)度。蘋果對(duì)自己的手機(jī)采取的幾乎是斯大林式的方法，限制用戶定制，用一種我們知道什么是最好的設(shè)計(jì)哲學(xué)。小米更以用戶為導(dǎo)向，每周發(fā)行一個(gè)新版本的MIUI軟件響應(yīng)用戶的建議。有些時(shí)候，小米會(huì)通過(guò)微博投票征求用戶的建議，這是其美國(guó)對(duì)手絕對(duì)不會(huì)贊同的民主工作形式。

　　Apples launch this week of the iPhone 5C, a colourful, slightly cheaper version of the iPhoneaimed at consumers in China and other developing countries, marks a shift in its strategyas it faces competition from Xiaomi and many other Chinese firms. Apples handsets havesold well in developed countries, but those markets are maturing. Global sales ofsmartphones are growing by 50% a year, notes Canalys, but by 108% a year in China, whichnow accounts for over one-third of global sales.

　　這周蘋果發(fā)布了iPhone 5c，一款彩色版稍便宜的iPhone，這款設(shè)備旨在吸引中國(guó)和其他發(fā)展中國(guó)家的消費(fèi)者，標(biāo)志著在諸如小米和其他中國(guó)公司的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)下戰(zhàn)略的轉(zhuǎn)變。蘋果的手機(jī)在發(fā)達(dá)國(guó)家非常暢銷，但是這些市場(chǎng)相對(duì)成熟。Canalys指出，全球智能手機(jī)銷量每年增長(zhǎng)50%，但是在中國(guó)增速為108%，占據(jù)全球三分之一的銷量。

　　For the first time, Apple held an official launch event in Beijing this week, indicating itsgrowing interest in this market. Yet there was widespread surprise at the high price of the5C, which will cost $733 in China, limiting its appeal among less wealthy buyers. A rumoureddeal with China Mobile to distribute the iPhone 5C and subsidise its cost has so far failed tomaterialise.

　　本周蘋果首次在北京舉辦了官方發(fā)布會(huì)，表明其在中國(guó)市場(chǎng)的興趣與日俱增。但是外界對(duì)5c的價(jià)格普遍感到驚訝，在中國(guó)售價(jià)高達(dá)733美元，限制了其對(duì)不太富裕買家的吸引力。傳言與中國(guó)移動(dòng)的交易銷售iPhone5c以及補(bǔ)貼方案至今都沒(méi)有實(shí)現(xiàn)。

　　Xiaomi the money

　　小米的資金

　　As Apple looks to tap the rapid growth of the Chinese market, Xiaomi is heading the otherway. It recently hired Hugo Barra, a Google executive responsible for product developmentfor Android, to develop new products for international markets.

　　隨著蘋果開(kāi)始注意挖掘中國(guó)市場(chǎng)的快速增長(zhǎng)，小米選擇了另一條路。最近小米聘請(qǐng)了谷歌安卓產(chǎn)品開(kāi)發(fā)主管Hugo Barra為國(guó)際市場(chǎng)開(kāi)發(fā)新產(chǎn)品。

　　Yet Xiaomi and other Chinese firms sell so many games, apps and add-ons in large partbecause the Chinese government requires handsets to run a neutered version of the Androidoperating system, without Googles app store, mail service, maps and other features. Thathelps Xiaomi sell its own replacement services, an advantage it will lose once it stepsoutside China. How scared should Apple be, really, of a rival that has yet to prove that itsbusiness model will work at home, let alone abroad?

　　然而，小米和其他中國(guó)公司銷售如此多的游戲，應(yīng)用和插件很大程度上是因?yàn)橹袊?guó)政府要求手機(jī)運(yùn)行一個(gè)閹割版的安卓操作系統(tǒng)，不包括谷歌的應(yīng)用程序商店，郵件服務(wù)，地圖和其他功能。這有助于小米銷售期自己的替代服務(wù)，而這在國(guó)際市場(chǎng)上會(huì)失去優(yōu)勢(shì)。小米的商業(yè)模式在國(guó)內(nèi)尚未稱得上成功，更不用說(shuō)在國(guó)外了，蘋果應(yīng)該為此感到害怕嗎?