Phones designed with beauty-focused cameras have always been popular—especially among younger consumers.
So when Haifeng developed the Hongmeng X1, he didn't just focus on power. He made sure to include a unique, stylish beauty camera. It didn't need to be as extreme as those found years later—but it needed to feel fresh, innovative, and personal.
"I noticed some of you looked a bit confused when I mentioned the beauty camera," Haifeng said on stage, smiling.
"Let me show you what it is. And I hope it earns a few screams of excitement."
He looked toward the side of the stage.
"Of course, I'll need a model for the demonstration.
Xiao Ai, would you do the honors?"
Xiao Ai, his assistant, stepped out—no longer dressed in formal business wear. She had changed into jeans, a light blouse, and white sneakers—simple, refreshing, and subtly styled. The audience's eyes lit up. Many had seen her at the previous conference. Now, she looked completely different—approachable yet striking.
Haifeng held up the Hongmeng X1, aimed it at Xiao Ai, and snapped a photo.
Everyone saw the raw frame on the livestream and the giant screen behind him, followed by the final photo processed through the beauty camera.
The crowd exploded.
"Damn! That pic is insane!"
"Xiao Ai was already gorgeous, but now she looks like an actual goddess!"
"Now I get how those movie and drama filters work—it's all in the camera tech!"
Even Haifeng looked impressed.
"Xiao Ai was already 95, but with this photo? Straight-up 100."
The boys in the audience went wild. Even some reporters laughed—half in disbelief, half in awe.
Haifeng took the opportunity to introduce the feature.
"The China Star Hongmeng X1 includes our own Beauty Camera system, which comes with full auto-enhancement:
Skin smoothing
Whitening
Noise reduction
Face slimming
Eye brightening"
He continued, listing the high-tech features one by one:
"It can remove spots, acne, dark circles, and even slim your jawline or body—all in real-time."
"This was the surprise I mentioned earlier. And judging from the male screams I just heard, I take back what I said—this isn't just for women. It's for everyone."
In truth, this kind of beauty filter system wouldn't become standard until years later. But Haifeng had released it early, ahead of the trend.
And as the old saying goes:
Everyone loves beauty.
And Haifeng had no intention of missing out on one of Asia's four great modern "sorceries."
After the live demo, he transitioned to the rest of the phone's specs.
"Now that you've seen the camera let's run through the full configuration of the Hongmeng X1."
One by one, the spec sheet lit up on the big screen behind him:
📱 Hongmeng X1 Full Specs:
Screen Size: 4.6 inches
Resolution: 1920 × 1080 @ 428ppi
Cameras: Rear – 12MP / Front – 5MP
Battery: 3000mAh
Charging: China Star's exclusive 25W fast charging
RAM: 3GB
Storage: Starts at 16GB, expandable up to 128GB
Every detail hit like a thunderclap.
"Are you serious? Is this even a phone anymore?"
"The screen! The speed! The battery! Everything's flagship-grade!"
"They're hitting us with feature after feature… there's only one thing left: the CPU."
The audience was on edge.
Despite the long conference, no one had left. All eyes were on Haifeng.
He took a sip of water, then stepped forward once more.
"There's one last thing. The heart of the Hongmeng X1: the CPU."
He raised the clicker and tapped.
A new image appeared on the screen.
A sleek, silver-gold chip appeared under a bright spotlight, with one line of bold text across it:
Kunpeng A1-4-8
The crowd went dead silent.
"Kunpeng? What happened to Zhulong?!"
"Isn't that the name of a mythical beast?"
"Wait—is this an upgrade? A new chip line?"
Haifeng read the audience's reactions, then pressed the clicker again. A quote appeared on the screen:
"In the Northern Ocean, there is a fish named Kun.
When it transforms into a bird, it is called Peng.
The Peng's wings stretch like clouds across the sky."
—Zhuangzi, Free and Easy Wandering (逍遥游)
"I'm sure many of you recognize this passage."
"Kunpeng is a mythical creature of immense power and size," Haifeng explained.
"So we named this chip the Kunpeng A1-4-8 to represent the start of something even greater."
He smiled.
"Some people wondered if we just grabbed some small-brand chip and rebranded it."
"Let me assure you—this isn't off-the-shelf. This is our creation."
"After we launched the S1R, I saw a comment online that stuck with me:
'This is modern romance born from ancient myths. The Classic of Mountains and Seas meets high tech.'"
"That line inspired me."
"We have thousands of years of culture. Why not honor it?"
"That's why we'll be naming our chip line with mythology while tracking performance with clear version labels—A1, A2, A3, and so on."
"Every chip marks a step in our journey."