From robo taxis to impressive tech toys, Shenzhen is known as the Silicon Valley of China, thanks to companies such as Huawei, Honor, DJI, Insta360, Ugreen, and more. But it’s not just the tech companies, the city is also home to a giant electronics market, called HuaQiangBei where you can conceivably find any gadget that’s been made (in China).
But if you want to look at newer products, then you’ll have to visit either Inno100 or Z-Pilot, two places that were recommend by my good friend Richard Lai. The former is co-launched by Kickstarter, and is the first authorised offline retail store.
Inside, you’ll find massive 3D printers, exoskeletons, cups with built-in digital screens that appear to be under the ceramic, holographic displays, and my favourite gadget of them all, a Go playing robot.
It looks like a really weird snail, but this Go robot uses the two cameras in its “antennas” to detect your play, then a robot arm uses suction to pick up a stone and place it. It seems like the perfect gift for a niece who just picked up the game, but it’s not a cheap one — the robot retails for 3,499 RMB (~S$660 or US$520).
The best part, though, is that it can pick up the pieces and put them in their respective containers after the game, making clean-up a breeze. I also spotted the Eight Sleep Mattress, an exoskeleton competitor to Hypershell, which just launched in Singapore, and drones such as the HoverAir Aqua which can take off on water.
I also popped by Z-Pilot, located at the touristy Nantou Ancient City, which offers similar products. I spotted 3D-printed shoes, robotic Labubu-like plushies, a portable fan that uses a Peltier cooler to cool and blow mist at you, and a bear that well, nibbles your finger when you put it into its mouth. I have no idea why anyone would want one, but don’t let me stop you from your kinks, yeah?
Anyway, the highlight of my trip to the store was actually watching Richard Lai pick up a LiberLive Stringless Smart Guitar and belt out Careless Whisper while strumming the odd-looking guitar. I also tried it, and it honestly felt like I was playing Guitar Hero, since it features multiple buttons you have to hit and strum while following the on-screen prompts. Here’s me trying to play Chinese ballad “后来” (Hou Lai, or Later).
This week, we listened to Sonos’ new Beam Ultra soundbar, tested a premium budget laptop from Acer, and charged plenty of gadgets with the latest Ugreen wall charger.
If you have space for just a single, relatively compact soundbar for your home (and have a 65-inch TV or smaller), the Sonos Beam Ultra should be on your shortlist. Not only does the latest Beam add proper up-firing drivers for a true Dolby Atmos experience, the bass and the dialogue clarity from this unassuming soundbar will surprise you — in a good way. Only downside: It’s not cheap (S$1,299).
The Acer Swift Air 14 offers a premium design that belies its relatively affordable price tag (from S$1,199). It’s slim and light (1.2kg), with a nice-looking design that can be opened with one hand. The Intel processor is not as capable as more expensive models, but it’s more than adequate for basic computing needs like web-browsing and media streaming. Battery life is also very decent at around 12 hours, and there’s fast charging, too.
Ugreen’s latest Nexode Pro 160W charger offers a total output of 160W via four ports, including the built-in retractable USB-C cable. There’s even Wi-Fi support to connect it to the Ugreen app, though we aren’t too convinced by its overall usefulness. It also has a customisable display that keeps you updated on the charger’s current charge, wattage, and temperature.