Back in the Beautiful Country, Apple's top brass were silent.
Executives sat frozen in their chairs as Steve Jobs fired up a projector, playing footage of China's conference. Their faces darkened with every passing second.
This wasn't just another Chinese OEM phone[1].
It was a direct head-to-head challenge to Apple—and it was winning.
"Are they... ripping us off?" one executive whispered.
"No," another muttered. "They're... improving it."
Meanwhile, the dual press conferences raged on the other side of the world.
Apple announced the iPhone 4's display. Lu Haifeng immediately introduced the Hongmeng S1's display.
Apple revealed its CPU. Lu followed with a stronger one.
Some media outlets had split their reporting teams—one at Apple's event, one at China's. The contrast was impossible to ignore.
Was this timing a coincidence... or a calculated counterattack?
The truth was that Lu Haifeng had no experience hosting launch events. No one in China—or even the entire Chinese mobile phone industry—had. With no frame of reference, Lu had mirrored Apple's playbook while subtly crushing them in every spec.
The result? It is a mirror battle with one side overwhelmingly outshining the other.
[Screen Size]
iPhone 4: 3.5 inches
Hongmeng S1: 4.0 inches
[Resolution]
iPhone 4: 960×640 @ 326ppi
Hongmeng S1: 1136×640 @ 426ppi
[Camera]
iPhone 4: 5MP + 0.3MP
Hongmeng S1: 5MP + 1MP
Every spec? A direct beatdown.
And the final category left?
The Operating System.
"Without a strong OS," Lu said, "even the best hardware is wasted."
Android had flaws—lag, high memory use, and poor battery life. If China wanted to win outright, it had to break that barrier.
The audience collectively held their breath.
Could this be it? Could they actually beat iOS?
Lu retook the center stage.
"Now, I will formally introduce the heart of the Hongmeng S1—our Hongmeng Intelligent Mobile Operating System."
A demo video began to play. It didn't use jargon or professional terms—just real-world use cases: fast loading, instant switching, seamless gestures.
Applause thundered.
No lag… so smooth…
Lu raised his hand. The crowd settled.
"Next, I'll introduce a piece of true black technology. Something buried inside the Hongmeng OS—but also usable by any Android phone."
"We call it the—System Accelerator."
The screen behind him flashed with bold text: System Accelerator
Gasps rippled through the venue. People leaned in.
Lu didn't pause.
"Install this on any Android phone, and it will directly optimize the underlying Android kernel."
"Our lab tests show 80% faster performance and 40% less energy consumption."
A data table appeared behind him—precise, clear, bold.
For a moment, the audience was stunned.
Did he say... Android phones can be made smoother than iOS?!
But not everyone was thrilled.
Fang Yan, the self-proclaimed "truth-teller" of Chinese tech blogging, had ridiculed China early—calling them "a clown act."
He even wrote the now-viral post:
"Why Domestic Phones Will Never Beat Foreign Ones"
Now, if Lu's System Accelerator worked, Fang Yan's entire career was on the chopping block.
His credibility. His influence. His brand.
Please flop... please be fake... he prayed.
But Lu Haifeng was just getting started.
[1] original equipment manufacturer