Recently, Hu Baishan, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Dean of the vivo Central Research Institute, discussed the localization of mobile phone functions and services in an interview. He stated that previously, the user experience of Android phones lagged behind the iPhone, but with the development of domestic brands in China, the gap has been significantly narrowing in recent years, especially in terms of imaging functions where it is rapidly closing.
In fact, it is now a consensus that Chinese brand mobile phones have a greater advantage in localization, which enables them to better meet the needs of domestic users in China. This has also driven an increasing number of consumers to choose smartphone products from domestic manufacturers.
For instance, as the imaging capabilities of smartphones continue to improve, female users have developed a stronger demand for enhanced effects. However, the iPhone's approach in this aspect tends to be more singular, focusing on realism and naturalness. This approach clearly diverges from the needs of some users who desire to "restore their original beauty." While this may be related to Apple's consistent adherence to its own aesthetic and design philosophy, this type of user demand undoubtedly provides more opportunities for domestic manufacturers in China. It has also led to the development of products targeting niche markets, such as the vivo S series and Xiaomi Civi series.
With the growing demand for selfies, some Chinese manufacturers are continually investing in front-facing imaging. On the hardware design front, this includes the integration of solutions like fill lights and soft lights, which not only help users achieve better lighting effects in various environments but also create more "atmospheric" feelings with different color temperatures. Additionally, some Chinese brand models further enhance shooting effects through dual-camera modules in their front cameras.
On the other hand, Chinese smartphone manufacturers are also continuously improving their beauty algorithm. Previously, beauty features mostly focused on relatively "simple" aspects such as skin smoothing, skin beautification, and face slimming. However, with ongoing technological advancements, some models now offer more intelligent beauty effects. For example, in skin beautification, there are models that intelligently process different skin imperfections (such as dark spots, dark circles, nasolabial folds, and periorbital lines) by calculating and targeting specific areas.
With the rapid development of AI-related technologies in recent years, Chinese brand smartphones have commonly incorporated features like "AI Smart Beauty." These can detect characteristics such as the user's gender and age to provide differentiated automatic makeup adaptation for different individuals. Some even use color and three-dimensional theories from painting to enhance facial features and contours while adjusting skin tones in different areas, making the portraits more three-dimensional.
Although Apple currently maintains certain advantages in brand, experience, and ecosystem, the growing demand for personalized features and services among users is highlighting the shortcomings of the iPhone series in terms of localized services. This aspect is prompting a shift in the purchasing intentions of some consumers. Chinese smartphone manufacturers, being based locally, are able to more clearly perceive and continuously improve upon these user needs.
In today's fiercely competitive smartphone market, Chinese manufacturers are leveraging their more in-depth localization strategies, which are key to their product differentiation. By capitalizing on this differentiation, Chinese brand smartphones are steadily closing the gap with the iPhone, offering consumers a wider range of choices.