https://www.scmp.com/rss/326573/feed Iris is a technology reporter at the Post. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Iris Deng Iris Deng Tencent Holdings has launched a new OpenClaw tool for enterprises that promises easy deployment of the artificial intelligence agent as part of the Chinese internet giant’s efforts to capitalise on the “lobster” frenzy in the country. ClawPro, launched in public beta by Tencent’s cloud unit on Thursday, works as an AI agent management platform for enterprises, allowing them to deploy OpenClaw templates, select models and agents, track token consumption and manage security settings. Tencent said... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348942/tencent-expands-openclaw-suite-enterprise-tool-amid-chinas-lobster-craze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348942/tencent-expands-openclaw-suite-enterprise-tool-amid-chinas-lobster-craze?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Shares of Hong Kong-listed UBTech jumped after the robotics firm reported a surge in 2025 revenue, driven by an explosive 23-fold rise in humanoid robot sales as China’s robotics sector moves into large-scale production. Revenue from full-size embodied intelligent humanoid robots and related services reached 820 million yuan (US$119 million) last year, making it UBTech’s largest business line. That marked a 2,203 per cent increase from a low base of 35.6 million yuan in 2024, according to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348635/ubtech-surges-leaps-and-bounds-humanoid-robot-sales-jump-23-fold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3348635/ubtech-surges-leaps-and-bounds-humanoid-robot-sales-jump-23-fold?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 06:59:28 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Huawei Technologies maintained “steady” recovery momentum in 2025, with its profit rising 8.6 per cent, as the Chinese telecommunications gear maker doubled down on chip development and smartphones in defiance of US sanctions. Net profit came in at 68 billion yuan (US$9.8 billion) last year, compared with 62.6 billion yuan a year earlier, according to the Shenzhen-based company’s annual report released on Tuesday. Total revenue in 2025 reached 880.9 billion yuan, up 2.2 per cent from 862.1... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348558/huaweis-profit-rises-86-2025-overall-performance-remains-steady?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3348558/huaweis-profit-rises-86-2025-overall-performance-remains-steady?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies has launched the Atlas 350 accelerator card for inference, boasting higher computing power for artificial intelligence applications and better performance than US rival Nvidia’s H20, as AI rapidly advances into the agentic era. The Atlas 350 AI accelerator card would be powered by Huawei’s latest Ascend 950PR chip, designed to deliver enhanced computing power and storage for AI inferencing, said Ma Haixu, a vice-president at Huawei, at the firm’s China... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3347346/huawei-challenges-nvidia-powerful-new-ai-accelerator-card?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3347346/huawei-challenges-nvidia-powerful-new-ai-accelerator-card?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 13:00:18 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese telecommunications gear giant Huawei Technologies is capitalising on the OpenClaw frenzy with new enterprise agent tools and a series of Kunpeng and Ascend compute offerings, as it bets on surging demand for agentic artificial intelligence services. The Shenzhen-based company announced at its China Partner Conference on Thursday that it would launch AgentArts, an agent development platform for enterprises, on April 30 for public beta testing, followed by the official release of the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3347160/huawei-capitalises-openclaw-frenzy-boost-computing-demand-its-chips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3347160/huawei-capitalises-openclaw-frenzy-boost-computing-demand-its-chips?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Tencent Holdings pledged to double its investment in artificial intelligence products and models in 2026, a bigger bet from the tech giant as it gains greater confidence in the technology’s capability to drive future growth across its businesses. The Shenzhen-based company dedicated 18 billion yuan (US$2.6 billion) to the development of new AI products in 2025, including 7 billion yuan in the fourth quarter alone, said Tencent president Martin Lau Chi-ping at a media briefing on Wednesday. “We... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347023/chinas-tencent-meets-expectations-fourth-quarter-results-ai-wave-lifts-all-boats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3347023/chinas-tencent-meets-expectations-fourth-quarter-results-ai-wave-lifts-all-boats?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 08:52:11 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings has integrated its QClaw AI agent as a mini-program in its flagship WeChat app as it pushes to expand adoption of its OpenClaw-based tool. It said QClaw was now accessible as a mini-program inside WeChat after an upgrade on Wednesday that allowed users to transfer files to their personal computers. QClaw was launched last week as an OpenClaw-based artificial intelligence agent for personal computers that users could control remotely from WeChat on their... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346994/lobster-fever-grips-china-tencent-makes-openclaw-based-tool-available-wechat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346994/lobster-fever-grips-china-tencent-makes-openclaw-based-tool-available-wechat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 06:58:57 +0000 Iris Deng,Wency Chen Iris Deng,Wency Chen Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group Holding are set to report quarterly earnings this week, against a backdrop of an artificial intelligence boom that is reshaping the global economy and fuelling a frenzy in China around open-source AI agents such as OpenClaw. The South China Morning Post examines market expectations for their results and the key themes investors will be watching. What are the expectations for top line and bottom line performances? Shenzhen-based Tencent, operator of China’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346920/tencent-and-alibaba-quarterly-earnings-preview-key-things-watch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346920/tencent-and-alibaba-quarterly-earnings-preview-key-things-watch?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 01:00:15 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese smartphone maker Oppo is mounting a fresh challenge in the foldable handset market after launching the latest product in its Find N series, as the industry faces rising memory prices and anticipation builds around Apple’s foldable iPhone. Find N6, launched globally on Tuesday, featured upgraded hinge technology designed to make the crease on the foldable screen “virtually imperceptible”, according to the company. “While foldables offer the advantage of a larger display, the crease has... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346829/chinas-oppo-doubles-down-foldable-smartphones-potential-apple-entry-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3346829/chinas-oppo-doubles-down-foldable-smartphones-potential-apple-entry-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:00:10 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings has become a sponsor of OpenClaw after public complaints from the creator of the popular open-source artificial intelligence agent. Tencent and its cloud computing unit officially became sponsors of OpenClaw on Monday, as featured on the project’s GitHub page alongside OpenAI and Chinese AI giant Baidu. The GitHub page has a section that lists the project’s sponsors. Earlier on Sunday, an account belonging to Tencent Cloud Lighthouse – the tech giant’s team... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346796/tencent-sponsors-openclaw-after-creators-complaints-copying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346796/tencent-sponsors-openclaw-after-creators-complaints-copying?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:44:50 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s industrial robot production accelerated in the first two months of the year, according to government data, amid Beijing’s policy support and industry efforts to promote wider adoption. China produced 143,608 industrial robots in January and February, an increase of 31 per cent from the same period last year, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday. The growth outpaced the 27 per cent increase in the same period last year, when production totalled 91,088... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346775/chinas-industrial-robot-output-accelerates-factories-ramp-deployment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3346775/chinas-industrial-robot-output-accelerates-factories-ramp-deployment?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 13:30:11 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng The mobile industry buzzed with excitement over the artificial intelligence revolution showcased at MWC Barcelona 2026, but the optimism was overshadowed by the Middle East crisis and a memory crunch that could reshape the global smartphone supply chain. The AI showcase drew a large crowd, including King Felipe VI of Spain, to the booth of Chinese smartphone maker Honor, which displayed its “Robot Phone” with a built-in camera gimbal designed to become a companion to users. “This brings a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345760/middle-east-crisis-global-memory-crunch-dim-ai-smartphone-buzz-mwc-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345760/middle-east-crisis-global-memory-crunch-dim-ai-smartphone-buzz-mwc-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 04:00:10 +0000 Iris Deng,Themis Qi Iris Deng,Themis Qi Leading Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer BYD has unveiled a new-generation battery featuring charging speeds that the company says can rival a refill at a petrol station. BYD’s Blade Battery 2.0, launched on Thursday, can be charged from 10 per cent to 70 per cent in five minutes, and to 97 per cent in nine minutes, which the company said was the world’s fastest charging speed for a mass-manufactured unit. Even in extreme weather, with temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345652/chinas-byd-looks-make-electric-vehicle-charging-fast-filling-petrol?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345652/chinas-byd-looks-make-electric-vehicle-charging-fast-filling-petrol?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 03:15:28 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Tencent Holdings plans to expand its cloud-computing presence in Europe with new data centres in Germany, as the Chinese tech giant rides on the rising demand for artificial intelligence services globally. The Shenzhen-based company will open a new availability zone – a cluster of physically independent data centres – in the second quarter this year in Frankfurt, adding to the existing two in Germany, Tencent’s cloud-computing unit announced on Monday at MWC Barcelona. The move aimed to meet the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3345069/tencent-expands-cloud-computing-presence-europe-new-data-centres-germany?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3345069/tencent-expands-cloud-computing-presence-europe-new-data-centres-germany?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 09:00:09 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese telecommunications gear giant Huawei Technologies is introducing its latest supernode computing clusters to the international markets at this year’s MWC Barcelona, aiming to offer an alternative to US-led artificial intelligence (AI) systems from rivals such as Nvidia. The Shenzhen-based firm plans to debut the Atlas 950 SuperPoD, a system powered by 8,192 neural processing unit cards, as well as TaiShan 950 SuperPoD, its general-purpose compute cluster, among its other computing... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345064/huawei-holds-global-debut-ai-computing-clusters-challenge-nvidia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3345064/huawei-holds-global-debut-ai-computing-clusters-challenge-nvidia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 07:53:09 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese smartphone maker Honor has unveiled a “robot phone” and its first humanoid assistant ahead of MWC Barcelona, alongside its latest foldable handset, in an aggressive bet on artificial intelligence-powered hardware to stand out in the fierce Android competition. Honor’s AI Robot Phone, which featured a motorised, three-axis gimbal arm, could track motion and interact with users through camera movement, the company said in a preview of the handset on Sunday in Barcelona. The camera arm and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345042/chinas-honor-debuts-robot-phone-and-humanoid-companion-push-ai-hardware?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3345042/chinas-honor-debuts-robot-phone-and-humanoid-companion-push-ai-hardware?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 13:01:07 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese smartphone makers are set to introduce their latest handsets at MWC Barcelona, as the mobile industry navigates an ongoing memory crunch and a pivot to artificial intelligence. Some Android phone makers are also expected to showcase experimental robots and other AI devices at the annual trade show formerly known as Mobile World Congress, which will run from March 2 to 5. Honor, an independent brand formerly under Huawei Technologies, will unveil more details about its highly anticipated... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3344960/mwc-2026-chinese-smartphone-makers-bet-pivot-ai-weather-memory-chip-crunch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3344960/mwc-2026-chinese-smartphone-makers-bet-pivot-ai-weather-memory-chip-crunch?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 09:00:09 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Huawei Technologies is aiming for a major international comeback, with the overseas release of its latest flagship smartphone, the Mate 80 Pro, alongside a new smartwatch and the addition of a “wheelchair mode” to its wearable devices. Powered by the company’s self-designed, China-made Kirin 9030 Pro processor, the overseas version of its Mate 80 Pro handsets will run on the Android-based EMUI 15 operating system, Huawei announced at a launch event in Madrid, Spain, on Thursday. While the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344774/huawei-targets-global-comeback-mate-80-pro-smartphone-new-smartwatch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344774/huawei-targets-global-comeback-mate-80-pro-smartphone-new-smartwatch?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 16:01:08 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng On a crisp January afternoon, the Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre, just a stone’s throw from Tencent Holdings’ headquarters, was packed with employees gathering for a party featuring celebrity cameos and prizes. But before the fun started, they witnessed a round of sober self-reflection from their low-profile leader. The New Year address by co-founder, chairman and CEO Pony Ma Huateng is an annual tradition for the social media and video gaming giant, offering its 115,000 employees rare insight into... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344113/chinas-ai-crossroads-3-divergent-paths-race-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3344113/chinas-ai-crossroads-3-divergent-paths-race-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 03:00:14 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng As the cryptocurrency market faces mounting pressure, Standard Chartered on Thursday cut its forecast for bitcoin, flagging a further drop to US$50,000 before the world’s largest cryptocurrency stabilises. The digital currency was trading at around US$66,300 at 1pm Hong Kong time on Friday, a decline of nearly 50 per cent from a historical high of US$126,000 in October. Ether slid slightly to US$1,940 at 1pm on Friday. The world’s second-largest digital token has lost 60 per cent of its value... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3343504/standard-chartered-expects-bitcoin-slump-us50000-mounting-comeback?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3343504/standard-chartered-expects-bitcoin-slump-us50000-mounting-comeback?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 10:27:45 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Lenovo Group, the world’s largest personal computer (PC) maker, warned of the “prolonged impact” of a global memory crunch after reporting a 21 per cent profit drop in the December quarter, while pinning hopes on a shift to artificial intelligence-powered devices to drive growth. “This structural imbalance between supply and demand [for memory chips] is not simply a short-term fluctuation,” Yang Yuanqing, chairman and CEO, said on Thursday after the earnings release. “It is likely to have a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343355/chinas-lenovo-warns-prolonged-memory-crunch-looks-ai-rebound?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3343355/chinas-lenovo-warns-prolonged-memory-crunch-looks-ai-rebound?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:14:40 +0000 Eunice Xu,Iris Deng Eunice Xu,Iris Deng The majority of Hong Kong’s white-collar workers are embracing artificial intelligence in their daily work, but executives’ reluctance to use the technology risks slowing enterprise-wide adoption, according to a survey by McKinsey & Company. Nearly 70 per cent of white-collar workers in Hong Kong use AI, with more than 90 per cent engaging with the tools at least once a day, according to findings from the consulting firm’s local survey released on Wednesday. Most workers use AI for specific... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3343205/hong-kong-executives-trail-employees-ai-adoption-mckinsey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3343205/hong-kong-executives-trail-employees-ai-adoption-mckinsey?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 13:00:09 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng In an intensifying giveaway war among artificial intelligence apps in China, TikTok parent ByteDance’s Doubao chatbot has joined the fray to offer robots and drones, following multibillion-yuan campaigns from Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings to hand out cash and bubble tea. ByteDance said on Tuesday that it planned to give more than 100,000 tech products as gifts, as well as red packets of up to 8,888 yuan (US$1,284), through lucky draws on the Doubao app on the eve of Lunar New... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3343104/bytedance-joins-alibaba-tencent-offer-freebies-bid-acquire-ai-app-users?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-war/article/3343104/bytedance-joins-alibaba-tencent-offer-freebies-bid-acquire-ai-app-users?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:00:19 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese electronics companies Insta360 and Vivo are preparing aggressive moves into the gimbal-stabilised camera market, setting up a direct challenge to DJI’s dominance, though analysts warn the newcomers may struggle to match the drone maker’s entrenched content ecosystem. Insta360, a key rival to GoPro, is planning a handheld gimbal camera aimed at DJI’s popular Pocket series, currently slated for release in the first half of the year, according to people familiar with the matter. Separately,... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3342930/insta360-vivo-challenge-djis-turf-eyeing-slice-gimbal-camera-boom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3342930/insta360-vivo-challenge-djis-turf-eyeing-slice-gimbal-camera-boom?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:00:11 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s market regulator has penalised several companies for posing as DeepSeek and OpenAI’s ChatGPT to defraud users, in its latest crackdown on unfair competition in the fast-growing artificial intelligence sector. The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), China’s market watchdog, fined Shanghai Shangyun Internet Technology 62,692.70 yuan (US$9,034) for operating a fraudulent ChatGPT service on Tencent Holdings’ super app WeChat. The service posed as the official Chinese version... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342718/china-fines-firms-fake-chatgpt-and-deepseek-services-ip-theft-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342718/china-fines-firms-fake-chatgpt-and-deepseek-services-ip-theft-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 13:42:47 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s internet watchdog has fined Kuaishou Technology 119.1 million yuan (US$17 million) for hosting explicit live-streaming content, just days after the operator of the country’s second-largest short-video platform was penalised over e-commerce violations. Beijing’s Cyberspace Administration launched an investigation following reports of a surge in pornographic and vulgar streams. The probe found the platform had failed to meet its cybersecurity obligations, fix system vulnerabilities in... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3342690/watchdog-slaps-chinas-kuaishou-us17-million-fine-after-explicit-content-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3342690/watchdog-slaps-chinas-kuaishou-us17-million-fine-after-explicit-content-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 10:55:10 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese humanoid robotics companies are doubling down on developing intelligent models, as investors eye advances in robot “brains” as the next step towards real-world commercial use. Shenzhen-based Dobot said on Wednesday that it delivered its third batch of mass produced, full-size humanoid Atom robots, marking a shift from laboratory concept to an industrialised product. Dobot, listed in Hong Kong, said its self-developed Dobot-VLA, a vision-language-action model, enabled Atom to react to... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3342505/chinas-humanoid-robot-makers-pivot-body-brain-commercial-race-heats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3342505/chinas-humanoid-robot-makers-pivot-body-brain-commercial-race-heats?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 01:15:09 +0000 Iris Deng,Coco Feng Iris Deng,Coco Feng Tencent Holdings’ aggressive red-packet blitz to promote its artificial intelligence chatbot Yuanbao ran into a roadblock on Wednesday from the company’s own super app WeChat, dealing a blow to a US$144 million effort to acquire users for the emerging AI app. WeChat, known as Weixin on the mainland, announced on Wednesday that it would restrict Yuanbao links from opening directly within WeChat, effective immediately, in response to “user feedback and complaints”, according to a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3342324/tencents-giveaway-campaign-ai-chatbot-yuanbao-blocked-tencents-wechat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3342324/tencents-giveaway-campaign-ai-chatbot-yuanbao-blocked-tencents-wechat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 05:01:35 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings aims to replicate the success of WeChat Pay by splashing cash for its artificial intelligence app Yuanbao, but analysts are sceptical about whether subsidies can move the needle in the increasingly crowded market. Yuanbao’s 1 billion yuan (US$144 million) promotional campaign, which gives out cash through digital red packets to drive adoption, kicked off with a high-profile launch on Sunday, as many users woke up to find their WeChat groups flooded with... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342111/red-packet-rumble-will-tencents-cash-giveaway-work-again-crowded-ai-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3342111/red-packet-rumble-will-tencents-cash-giveaway-work-again-crowded-ai-market?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:00:15 +0000 Ann Cao,Iris Deng Ann Cao,Iris Deng In the world’s biggest wholesale electronics marketplace in the bustling Huaqiangbei district of the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen, memory is the new gold. On a Tuesday in January, a merchant surnamed Ye held up a list of prices that looked more appropriate for luxury goods than humble computer parts. A pair of 32-gigabyte, 6000-megahertz Double Data Rate 5 (DDR5) memory sticks was priced at 6,878 yuan (US$990) – having shot up nearly fivefold since September. “In my over 10 years in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3341762/how-hair-raising-prices-memory-chips-could-take-chinas-top-makers-new-heights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3341762/how-hair-raising-prices-memory-chips-could-take-chinas-top-makers-new-heights?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 02:00:08 +0000 Ann Cao,Iris Deng Ann Cao,Iris Deng China has emerged as the brightest spot in Apple’s quarterly earnings, as the US tech giant achieved record iPhone revenue in the world’s largest smartphone market. Revenue in Apple’s Greater China region, which comprises mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, surged 38 per cent from a year earlier in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, which ended December 27, the Cupertino-based company said on Friday. That growth, more than double the company’s overall 16 per cent quarterly revenue increase,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3341841/china-gives-apple-best-iphone-quarter-history-38-revenue-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3341841/china-gives-apple-best-iphone-quarter-history-38-revenue-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 10:00:25 +0000 Iris Deng,Wency Chen Iris Deng,Wency Chen Pony Ma Huateng, founder and CEO of Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings, has teased a new artificial intelligence-powered social feature in the company’s latest push to keep pace in China’s intensifying AI race. In an internal address to staff, Ma said Tencent was beta testing a new social tool inside its AI assistant app Yuanbao, and encouraged employees to try it out and help debug the feature, according to Tencent staff who attended the meeting. The feature, known in Chinese as Yuanbao Pai,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3341288/tencents-pony-ma-flags-new-ai-social-feature-yuanbao-app?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3341288/tencents-pony-ma-flags-new-ai-social-feature-yuanbao-app?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 12:24:49 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s Spring Festival has emerged as a high-stakes arena for artificial intelligence and robotics companies, with tech giants Tencent Holdings and Baidu committing a combined 1.5 billion yuan (US$215 million) to their digital red packet campaigns. Chinese social media and gaming giant Tencent announced on Sunday that its AI chatbot app Yuanbao would give away 1 billion yuan in hong bao – the traditional red envelopes containing cash gifts. Users could win up to 10,000 yuan through lucky draws... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3341262/chinese-tech-giants-tencent-and-baidu-join-fight-spring-festival-spotlight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3341262/chinese-tech-giants-tencent-and-baidu-join-fight-spring-festival-spotlight?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 10:00:29 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings cited data privacy risks after its request to remove open-source WeChat export tools from GitHub sparked an online backlash. Some of the projects claiming access to WeChat chat records have used reverse engineering, among other techniques, to crack local database keys, bypassing the app’s encryption mechanisms, according to Tencent. “These actions compromise user privacy and data security and could be exploited by malicious actors,” Tencent said in a statement... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3341003/tencent-crackdown-third-party-wechat-backup-tools-sparks-privacy-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3341003/tencent-crackdown-third-party-wechat-backup-tools-sparks-privacy-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 10:00:43 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng The municipal government of Shanghai will open “free-to-fly” zones in the city for drones from February 1, as part of streamlined regulations designed to support the country’s development of a low-altitude economy. According to Shanghai’s new guidelines for civil unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), consumer drones will be allowed to fly in certain “suitable airspace” in the city without prior declaration, provided these devices are registered. These include UAVs categorised as micro, light and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3340696/shanghai-open-free-fly-zones-covering-46-city-consumer-drones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3340696/shanghai-open-free-fly-zones-covering-46-city-consumer-drones?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 10:15:08 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Shanghai’s tax authority fined an operating entity of PDD Holdings, the US-listed e-commerce company that runs leading retail platforms Pinduoduo and Temu, citing its failure to comply with local tax requirements, according to a Wednesday report from state news agency Xinhua. Shanghai Xunmeng Information Technology, a PDD subsidiary which operates Pinduoduo, failed to report necessary information concerning its platform operators and employees for the third quarter of 2025, the city’s tax... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340679/china-fines-e-commerce-firm-pdd-tax-violations-amid-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3340679/china-fines-e-commerce-firm-pdd-tax-violations-amid-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 08:15:44 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese smartphone makers are bearing the brunt of a global memory crunch, slashing their 2026 shipment targets by tens of millions of units, according to industry supply chain sources. Beijing-based smartphone and electric vehicle giant Xiaomi cut its latest shipment forecast for the year by between 10 and 70 million units in its guidance for upstream suppliers, a source said. This follows a target of 180 million units the company had set in the fourth quarter of last year, the source... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340567/chinas-xiaomi-transsion-slash-2026-smartphone-shipments-memory-crunch-bites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340567/chinas-xiaomi-transsion-slash-2026-smartphone-shipments-memory-crunch-bites?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 11:15:13 +0000 Iris Deng,Coco Feng,Wency Chen Iris Deng,Coco Feng,Wency Chen China’s Unitree Robotics shipped more than 5,500 humanoid robots in 2025, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, as the Hangzhou-based company ramped up production ahead of its planned listing on the mainland. That number – covering “pure” full-body, bipedal humanoid models – exceeded those of its American peers such as Tesla, Figure AI and Agility Robotics, which shipped 150 humanoid robots each last year, according to market research firm Omdia. Unitree saw its annual output... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340446/chinas-unitree-ships-more-5500-humanoid-robots-2025-surpassing-us-peers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3340446/chinas-unitree-ships-more-5500-humanoid-robots-2025-surpassing-us-peers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 12:15:09 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China accounted for more than four out of five humanoid robot installations globally in 2025, driven by domestic start-ups AgiBot and Unitree Robotics, as mass production and commercialisation accelerated, according to a report by Counterpoint Research. A total of 16,000 humanoid robots were installed globally in 2025, mainly for data collection and research, as well as in the logistics, manufacturing, and automotive sectors, according to Counterpoint data released on Wednesday. The market was... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3340142/china-dominates-global-humanoid-robot-market-over-80-installations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3340142/china-dominates-global-humanoid-robot-market-over-80-installations?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 09:00:10 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Hong Kong and Shenzhen are establishing a white list for data transfers as part of an overarching effort to forge closer cross-border ties, which policymakers and business leaders see as essential to unlocking opportunities in artificial intelligence and fintech in the region. “If you have a white list to facilitate the movement of sensitive data, biological data and samples between Hong Kong and [mainland] China, it would ensure trust between [parties sending and receiving information] because... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3340022/hong-kong-shenzhen-push-secure-data-corridor-unlock-ai-and-fintech-opportunities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3340022/hong-kong-shenzhen-push-secure-data-corridor-unlock-ai-and-fintech-opportunities?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 10:00:49 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese semiconductor start-up SpacemiT, fresh off an over US$86 million funding round, is gearing up for mass production of its new RISC-V chips, using an architecture rivalling Intel’s and Arm’s, which is seen as Beijing’s hope for achieving chip self-sufficiency. The Hangzhou-based company recently completed a series B funding round raising more than 600 million yuan from investors, including fellow Hangzhou firm Huaxia Hengtian, the Beijing Artificial Intelligence Industry Investment Fund... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339953/chinas-spacemit-launch-server-class-risc-v-processor-after-raising-us86-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339953/chinas-spacemit-launch-server-class-risc-v-processor-after-raising-us86-million?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 07:00:14 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Huawei Technologies edged out Apple to reclaim the No 1 spot in mainland China’s smartphone market in 2025, a new report showed, as the domestic handset maker overcame crippling US sanctions. For the full year, Huawei captured 16.4 per cent of China’s smartphone market with 46.7 million units shipped, narrowly beating Apple, which shipped 46.2 million iPhones for a 16.2 per cent share, research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) said on Wednesday. Huawei’s smartphone shipments fell 1.9... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3339863/huawei-reclaims-top-spot-over-apple-china-smartphone-market-after-chip-breakthrough?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3339863/huawei-reclaims-top-spot-over-apple-china-smartphone-market-after-chip-breakthrough?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 11:30:12 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng The global memory-chip crunch has forced a mainland Chinese smartphone manufacturer to pull the plug on the launch of a new handset, making it one of the first cancellations affecting the wider industry due to surging prices of the key component. DreamSmart Group said that its Meizu smartphone brand had cancelled the release of Meizu 22 Air, a slim handset similar to Apple’s iPhone Air. “The sharp rise in memory prices since the fourth quarter has not only impacted [production] costs, but also... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339566/surging-memory-chip-prices-force-chinese-smartphone-maker-meizu-abandon-launch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339566/surging-memory-chip-prices-force-chinese-smartphone-maker-meizu-abandon-launch?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 11:00:11 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Ant International, the Singapore-based spin-off of Chinese fintech giant Ant Group, has teamed up with Google on standards for artificial intelligence agents that complete online shopping tasks for users, as AI continues to transform the e-commerce sector. Ant International said in a statement on Monday it would endorse the US search and AI giant’s Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard that powers agentic commerce. “By leveraging our leading payment capabilities, Ant International... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339580/ant-international-teams-google-use-universal-commerce-protocol?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339580/ant-international-teams-google-use-universal-commerce-protocol?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 09:00:15 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Shanghai-based AgiBot topped global humanoid robot shipments in 2025, with nearly a 38 per cent share, as China’s robotics firms dominated the market, leaving in the dust major US players like Elon Musk’s Tesla. According to data released on Thursday by Omdia, AgiBot shipped 5,168 humanoid robots last year to lead five other Chinese companies in the research firm’s top 10 list. Unitree Robotics, headquartered in Hangzhou, ranked second with 4,200 humanoids shipped last year, which accounted for... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339346/chinese-firms-outpace-us-rivals-2025-humanoid-robot-shipments-agibot-takes-lead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3339346/chinese-firms-outpace-us-rivals-2025-humanoid-robot-shipments-agibot-takes-lead?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 12:00:18 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng China’s secondary semiconductor market is seeing a sharp run-up in memory chip prices as global supplies tighten, though vendors say the rally faces an awkward conundrum: the price tags might be higher, but the buyers are disappearing. “We’re looking at high asking prices, but no buyers,” said Cai Zhaojie, a merchant who sells electronic components at Huaqiangbei, the vast Shenzhen wholesale hub often described as the world’s biggest electronics market. The mark-ups on memory products had become... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3339065/soaring-prices-shrinking-demand-chinas-memory-chip-market-falters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3339065/soaring-prices-shrinking-demand-chinas-memory-chip-market-falters?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 13:00:10 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Shenzhen is positioning itself for a bigger role in the global robotics arena after the city’s tech firms pledged to accelerate the roll-out of humanoid robots in line with Premier Li Qiang’s call to bolster industrial adoption of the technology. Li, during his trip to China’s southern tech hub, urged enterprises in emerging technologies – including robotics and drones – to speed up new iterations and upgrades so that more industries and households could benefit, according to Xinhua news... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3338938/shenzhen-poised-bigger-role-world-robotics-arena-firms-vow-boost-output?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3338938/shenzhen-poised-bigger-role-world-robotics-arena-firms-vow-boost-output?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 10:14:45 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese social media and gaming giant Tencent Holdings apologised after its artificial intelligence chatbot Yuanbao was accused of “verbally insulting” a user, fuelling online debate about the risks posed by fast-evolving generative AI tools. Yuanbao is among China’s most popular AI chatbots. Embedded in Tencent’s WeChat and used by tens of millions of people each day, there have been no previous reports of the assistant generating insulting replies in user conversations. The complaint surfaced... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3338793/its-hal-out-there-tencent-ai-chatbot-tells-user-get-lost-rare-angry-outburst?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3338793/its-hal-out-there-tencent-ai-chatbot-tells-user-get-lost-rare-angry-outburst?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 23:00:10 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng Chinese artificial intelligence unicorn Moonshot AI has raised US$500 million in its recent Series C funding round, according to a report, as start-up rivals MiniMax Group and Zhipu AI gear up for their initial public offerings (IPOs). Moonshot AI, developer of the highly lauded Kimi AI models, saw IDG Capital lay out US$150 million to lead the latest financing round, with existing stakeholders Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings also participating, Chinese technology news outlet LatePost... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3338334/chinas-moonshot-ai-raises-us500-million-latest-funding-round-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3338334/chinas-moonshot-ai-raises-us500-million-latest-funding-round-report?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 02:00:17 +0000 Iris Deng Iris Deng The former autonomous driving unit at DJI, the world’s largest drone maker, is gearing up to serve the heavy vehicle industry in 2026, in the latest example of Chinese innovation spilling over from Big Tech firms to start-ups. Chinese self-driving tech firm ZYT plans to move into heavy-duty lorries and unmanned logistics vehicles, expanding its footprint from city streets to highways, as the race for commercialisation intensifies in the sector. The Shenzhen-based company, known as Zhuoyu, will... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3338311/former-dji-self-driving-unit-seeks-edge-adapting-drone-tech-lorries-logistics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3338311/former-dji-self-driving-unit-seeks-edge-adapting-drone-tech-lorries-logistics?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 10:00:14 +0000