China unveils its vision for low-altitude urban and regional air travel at the 2025 China International Import Expo.
Simulated “flying fares” show 10–15 minute flights between Shanghai and nearby cities for under CNY120 / $17
Electric aircraft with five-passenger capacity and 250 km range highlight sustainable mobility innovation.
source: ithome.com
A Glimpse into the Future of Urban Air Travel
The 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai is not just a showcase of global trade; it’s a window into the future of transportation. On the third day of the event, the spotlight fell on the “Future Low-Altitude Travel” zone within the Automotive and Smart Mobility exhibition area. This unique section introduced visitors to the possibilities of everyday air commuting through low-altitude mobility systems.
The “Future Terminal” Experience
The exhibit was designed like a futuristic low-altitude travel terminal, complete with zones for security checks, digital flight information boards, and even a cozy waiting lounge. A key attraction was a simulated ticket vending machine, which allowed visitors to explore potential routes and fares of short-distance air travel.
According to the simulation, a 10-minute intra-city flight from the National Exhibition Center to The Bund in Shanghai could cost around ¥49 / $7, while a 15-minute cross-city flight from Shanghai to Suzhou would be priced at about ¥119 / $17. These figures are based on realistic projections of future operating costs, making the idea of “flying to work” seem surprisingly affordable.
source: ithome.com
Electric Aircraft Lead the Way
A prototype electric aircraft on display captured significant attention. The model featured a 15-meter wingspan, a 10-meter fuselage, and room for five passengers. It can reach speeds of up to 200 km/h and cover distances of up to 250 km on a single charge, perfect for regional commutes. The design emphasizes zero-emission, sustainable travel powered by advanced battery technology.
Strategic Significance for China
Low-altitude travel has been identified as a key component of China’s next-generation transportation network. It forms a crucial part of the country’s “low-altitude economy,” which has been prioritized under China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. The focus reflects China’s ambition to integrate electric air mobility into daily life, connecting urban and suburban regions faster, cleaner, and more efficiently.
At CIIE 2025, this showcase wasn’t just an exhibit; it was a bold statement of how China envisions the skies becoming part of everyday travel in the years ahead.
Jensen Huang warns that China is catching up fast in AI and could “win the race.”
He criticizes U.S. restrictions and overregulation for slowing innovation.
Huang clarifies he wants America to lead by accelerating, not isolating.
Huang’s Warning at the London AI Summit
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has warned that China is moving rapidly toward AI dominance and could “win the AI race” if the U.S. continues to slow its innovation through overregulation and export restrictions. Speaking at the Financial Times Future of AI Summit in London, Huang said China is “nanoseconds behind America” in AI progress, highlighting how quickly the global gap is closing.
Huang urged Western countries to speed up AI development rather than hold it back. “It’s vital that America wins by racing ahead and winning developers worldwide,” he later wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
source: nvidia.com
China’s Rapid AI Growth
According to Huang, China’s government-backed energy subsidies and strong state support are helping local companies advance faster. Beijing’s investments in semiconductor manufacturing and AI research are creating an ecosystem that rivals the U.S. in both scale and ambition.
He noted that while China faces technological hurdles, its developer community and policy environment are highly motivated and unified under national goals for AI self-reliance.
U.S. Restrictions and Policy Concerns
The U.S. government recently reaffirmed its ban on Nvidia’s advanced Blackwell AI chips being sold to China, citing national security reasons. Huang criticized these restrictions, arguing they hurt U.S. competitiveness and inadvertently push China to accelerate its own chip development.
He also pointed to state-level AI regulations and high energy costs as factors slowing innovation in the U.S. “Cynicism and overregulation are making it harder for American companies to move fast,” he said.
Market Reaction and Clarification
After his remarks were reported, Nvidia’s stock briefly dipped, prompting Huang to clarify that he wasn’t predicting U.S. defeat. Instead, he emphasized that the U.S. must act faster to maintain its lead. Nvidia remains the world’s most valuable company, valued at around US$4.7 trillion, even after a recent dip from its US$5 trillion milestone.
Balancing Global AI Competition
Huang’s comments come amid rising U.S.–China tensions over technology and trade. While Washington focuses on limiting China’s access to cutting-edge AI hardware, Beijing is boosting domestic innovation.
Huang’s message was clear: the U.S. should lead through innovation and collaboration, not isolation. “We want America to win,” he said, “but winning means building faster, not building walls.”
Apple is close to signing a US$1 billion per year deal with Google to use its Gemini AI model for Siri.
The upgraded Siri is expected to launch in spring 2026 as part of iOS 26.4.
Apple plans to use Gemini temporarily while developing its own large-scale AI model.
Apple Turns to Google for AI Upgrade
Apple is in final talks with Google to integrate its powerful Gemini AI model into Siri, marking one of the biggest artificial intelligence partnerships in the tech industry. The deal, worth around US$1 billion per year, aims to overhaul Siri’s capabilities and bring Apple up to speed in the fast-moving AI race. According to Bloomberg, the Gemini-powered Siri could launch by spring 2026 with iOS 26.4.
AI Generated Image
A Smarter, More Capable Siri
Currently, Siri runs on Apple’s in-house cloud AI with around 150 billion parameters. Under the new agreement, it will tap into Google’s Gemini model, which boasts 1.2 trillion parameters, nearly eight times more powerful. The upgrade will allow Siri to better understand complex commands, summarise information, and plan multi-step tasks.
Internally, the Siri revamp is known as “Linwood”, while the larger AI project is called “Glenwood.” The effort is being led by Apple executives Craig Federighi and Mike Rockwell, the creator of the Vision Pro headset.
Privacy and Performance
Despite using Google’s AI, Apple will maintain strict privacy controls. Gemini will operate on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute (PCC) servers, ensuring user data remains isolated from Google’s infrastructure. All processing will be temporary, with no data stored between sessions, reinforcing Apple’s privacy-first image.
However, this setup means Apple must expand its cloud hardware to handle Gemini’s massive size, potentially increasing costs and system load.
Why Apple Chose Google
Apple reportedly tested multiple AI models, including OpenAI’s GPT and Anthropic’s Claude, before selecting Gemini for its contextual understanding, scalability, and integration flexibility. While the deal gives Apple a major AI boost, it’s seen as a temporary arrangement until Apple completes its own 1-trillion-parameter AI model.
In markets like China, where Google services are banned, Apple plans to rely on its in-house models and local partners like Alibaba for regulatory compliance.
Strategic Implications
The collaboration marks a shift in Apple’s strategy, from building everything internally to selectively partnering with industry leaders. While the partnership won’t be publicly branded like the Safari-Google Search deal, it highlights how Apple is adapting to remain competitive in generative AI.
Both Apple and Google stocks rose after reports of the deal, signaling investor optimism. Once launched, the Gemini-powered Siri could redefine what voice assistants are capable of, blending power, privacy, and intelligence in a way that reshapes the AI landscape.
Two US-based AI coding tools are suspected of using Chinese open-source models.
The issue has sparked debates on ethics, transparency, and attribution in AI development.
Chinese foundational models like GLM-4.6 are shaping global AI products, even in the US market.
Rising Concerns Over Model Origins
Two newly launched AI coding tools from US-based companies, Cognition AI and Cursor, are under scrutiny for possibly being built on Chinese foundational AI models. The controversy has reignited discussions around transparency and credit in the commercialization of open-source artificial intelligence systems.
AI Generated Image
Cognition AI’s SWE-1.5 Under the Spotlight
San Francisco–based Cognition AI, valued at about $10.2 billion, recently introduced its SWE-1.5 model, which boasts near state-of-the-art coding performance and record generation speed. While the company confirmed that SWE-1.5 was built “on top of a leading open-source base model,” it did not specify which one.
However, speculation quickly arose that SWE-1.5 may be based on Zhipu AI’s GLM-4.6, a flagship Chinese model released under an MIT open-source license. Zhipu AI itself hinted that Cognition’s model might have used GLM-4.6 as its foundation, though Cognition AI has not commented publicly on the matter.
Cursor’s Composer Faces Similar Questions
Another San Francisco startup, Cursor, valued at $9.9 billion, launched a coding assistant called Composer, which delivers performance similar to SWE-1.5. Users reported discovering traces of Chinese-language reasoning in the tool’s output, leading to speculation that Composer also relies on a Chinese base model. Cursor has so far declined to address these claims.
Ethical and Licensing Debate
At the center of the issue lies the question of ethical use and attribution in AI. Many Chinese models, including GLM-4.6, are released under permissive licenses like MIT, which allow companies to use and modify them commercially without mandatory credit. While legal, this practice has raised concerns about fairness and transparency in AI development.
According to AI researcher Florian Brand from Trier University, “the fine-tuning is the ‘sauce’”, meaning the true value often comes from customization and reinforcement learning, not just the base model itself.
Zhipu AI’s Perspective
Rather than seeing the situation as negative, Zhipu AI has emphasized the positive impact of open-source collaboration, saying it strengthens the global AI ecosystem. The company has seen a tenfold rise in overseas paid users in recent months and has launched a coding subscription plan to expand internationally.
Why This Matters to Everyday Users
For ordinary users, this controversy highlights growing concerns around trust, transparency, and data security in AI tools. When companies don’t disclose where their models come from, users can’t be sure how their data is handled or whether the technology follows proper privacy standards. It also raises ethical questions about fair use and credit in open-source AI, meaning the tools people rely on might be built on others’ work without acknowledgment.
Ultimately, this shows how AI has become deeply global and interconnected, blurring national boundaries and making transparency more important than ever for user trust.
U.S. government has officially blocked Nvidia from selling its advanced Blackwell and B30A AI chips to China.
China has responded with a new rule banning foreign AI chips from all state-funded data centers.
Global AI chip war deepens as both nations tighten technology controls
White House Blocks Nvidia’s Advanced Blackwell Chip Sales to China
The Trump administration has decided not to allow Nvidia to sell its latest Blackwell AI chip to China. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt confirmed the decision, stating, “The Blackwell chip is not something we’re interested in selling to China right now.”
This decision follows months of speculation about whether a scaled-down version of the chip might be cleared for sale. The move aligns with President Trump’s strategy to maintain America’s technological edge in artificial intelligence and prevent China from acquiring high-end U.S. hardware.
US Treasury Secretary Calls Blackwell the “Crown Jewel”
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described Nvidia’s Blackwell chip as the “crown jewel” of American AI innovation. He indicated that sales to China might be reconsidered only after the chip becomes outdated in 12 to 24 months. According to Bessent, Nvidia’s rapid pace of innovation means that the Blackwell could soon be several generations behind the company’s latest models.
Nvidia’s Market Collapse in China
Nvidia’s position in China has deteriorated sharply. Once controlling 95% of the Chinese AI data center market in 2022, the company now holds no market share. CEO Jensen Huang has expressed hope that Nvidia will eventually return to the Chinese market, but admitted there are no current plans to do so. Nvidia is reportedly redesigning its B30A chip in hopes of meeting future U.S. export conditions.
China Retaliates with Ban on Foreign AI Chips
In a direct response, Beijing has ordered that all new data centre projects receiving state funding must use only domestically produced AI chips. Projects that are less than 30% complete are required to remove or cancel any foreign chip orders, while those further along will be reviewed individually.
This directive represents one of China’s most aggressive steps toward achieving AI chip self-sufficiency. It is expected to benefit domestic manufacturers such as Huawei, Cambricon, and MetaX. However, industry analysts warn that Chinese AI chips still lag behind Nvidia’s products in performance and software ecosystem support, potentially slowing China’s AI development.
The Global AI Divide Widens
The escalating U.S.–China chip restrictions are reshaping the global AI landscape. The United States aims to secure national security and preserve its technological dominance, while China seeks independence from U.S. technology and to strengthen its domestic semiconductor ecosystem.
While American tech giants like Microsoft, Meta, and OpenAI continue to build massive AI data centres using Nvidia’s most advanced chips, China risks falling behind in computing capacity despite gains in local chip production.
Both the U.S. and China are pursuing self-reliance in AI technology, setting the stage for a deeper divide in global innovation. The U.S. is safeguarding its AI lead, while China is accelerating its domestic semiconductor push.
Nvidia and other American chipmakers are losing access to one of the world’s largest markets, while Chinese chip firms stand to benefit, though at the cost of slower advancement in high-end AI capabilities.
OPPO Find X9 vs OPPO Reno 13 Pro comparison is an exciting one because it pits a true flagship against a near-flagship contender from the same brand. Both phones showcase OPPO’s design excellence and cutting-edge tech, but they cater to slightly different users; one prioritizes power and innovation, while the other focuses on balanced performance and value. This comparison highlights how much of the flagship experience you actually get when spending less.
Both the OPPO Find X9 and Reno 13 Pro flaunt premium glass-and-metal designs, complete with IP68/IP69 water and dust resistance. The Find X9 edges ahead with a sturdier aluminum frame and slightly more refined build, offering a higher-end flagship finish. The Reno 13 Pro, while slim and elegant, leans toward a lighter, sleeker aesthetic that prioritizes comfort and portability. The Find X9’s design feels more luxurious and robust, targeting users who prefer a solid hand feel, while the Reno 13 Pro appeals to those who value modern minimalism. In essence, the Find X9 looks and feels more “flagship,” whereas the Reno 13 Pro delivers a balance between style and practicality.
Display Quality:
The Find X9 offers a 6.59-inch AMOLED display with HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and a staggering 3600 nits peak brightness, making it a treat for content lovers. Its color vibrancy and HDR calibration are flagship-grade, enhanced further by Dolby Vision and Ultra HDR support. The Reno 13 Pro, with its larger 6.83-inch AMOLED, also impresses but caps at 1200 nits peak brightness. While it provides fluid visuals with 120Hz and HDR10+, it lacks the ultra-high brightness and HDR depth of the Find X9. The Find X9 delivers superior clarity and dynamic contrast, ideal for outdoor use and multimedia enthusiasts.
Verdict:
The Find X9 dominates in both build quality and display richness, setting a higher bar for brightness, HDR performance, and luxury feel. The Reno 13 Pro remains an excellent choice for users who want a bigger screen at a slightly lower cost, but doesn’t quite reach the flagship finesse of the Find X9.
The Find X9 houses the powerful Dimensity 9500 chipset built on a 3nm process, easily outclassing the Reno 13 Pro’s Dimensity 8350 (4nm). This translates to faster processing, smoother multitasking, and superior AI and gaming capabilities. The G1-Ultra GPU enhances graphical performance, while UFS 4.1 storage ensures blazing-fast app loading and data access. The Reno 13 Pro’s hardware still performs impressively for everyday users, but it is a step behind in raw computational and graphical muscle. The Find X9’s advanced chipset makes it more future-proof and ideal for demanding users or gamers who want sustained top-tier performance without throttling.
Battery and Charging:
The Find X9 offers a massive 7025mAh battery, one of the largest in its class, paired with 80W wired and 50W wireless charging. It also supports reverse wireless charging, a rare flagship-grade addition. The Reno 13 Pro, with a 5800mAh battery, still provides excellent endurance but uses slower UFCS and PPS charging protocols (33W). Its 50W wireless charging is region-limited, adding minor inconsistency. In day-to-day performance, the Find X9 lasts longer and charges faster, making it the superior choice for heavy users who prioritize reliability and convenience.
Verdict:
When it comes to performance and endurance, the Find X9 clearly leads with stronger silicon, better energy management, and more versatile charging options. The Reno 13 Pro still holds its ground for moderate users, but falls short of the Find X9’s flagship-grade efficiency and power delivery.
Camera
Main and Secondary Lenses:
The Find X9’s triple 50MP system, fine-tuned by Hasselblad, delivers professional-grade results. Its larger sensor, periscope telephoto with OIS, and advanced color calibration produce sharper detail and truer tones across all lighting conditions. The Reno 13 Pro’s 50MP setup, while solid, uses a smaller sensor and lacks the same level of post-processing finesse. Its 8MP ultrawide feels limited compared to the Find X9’s 50MP ultrawide lens. The Find X9’s imaging pipeline also benefits from enhanced HDR video recording and Dolby Vision support, offering a cinematic edge that content creators will appreciate.
Selfie Camera:
The Reno 13 Pro packs a standout 50MP selfie camera with autofocus, one of the best in its segment. It captures excellent skin tones and dynamic range, even outperforming the Find X9’s 32MP shooter in certain lighting. However, the Find X9 compensates with 4K selfie video and consistent stabilization, making it more balanced for vlogging and professional content. Both phones handle selfies well, but the Reno 13 Pro has a slight advantage for high-detail stills.
Verdict:
For overall imaging performance, the Find X9 remains the more capable camera phone with superior optics, processing, and versatility. The Reno 13 Pro shines with its front camera but doesn’t match the flagship’s depth and color accuracy on the rear.
Pricing
At approximately $650, the OPPO Find X9 sits slightly above the $600 Reno 13 Pro, positioning itself firmly in flagship territory. The $50 difference is modest considering the Find X9’s superior chipset, camera, and charging features. The Reno 13 Pro’s pricing makes it an excellent value pick for those who want near-flagship specs without paying the full premium.
Verdict
While the Reno 13 Pro offers great value, the Find X9 justifies its slightly higher cost with significant improvements in performance, camera, and battery. For users seeking a well-rounded premium experience, the Find X9 delivers more long-term value per dollar.
Disclaimer: Prices are approximate and may vary based on country, region, and applicable taxes.
Conclusion
Both smartphones reflect OPPO’s excellence in design and innovation, but they cater to slightly different audiences. For just $50 more, the Find X9 offers a superior processor (Dimensity 9500), better HDR display with Dolby Vision, a larger 7025mAh battery, and a Hasselblad-tuned triple camera system that outperforms the Reno 13 Pro in detail, low-light, and video quality. While the Reno 13 Pro impresses with its 50MP selfie camera and sleek design, the Find X9 delivers a more complete flagship experience, faster, brighter, longer-lasting, and more future-proof.
Verdict:
OPPO Find X9 is the smarter buy, a true flagship upgrade that offers significantly better value for only a small price difference.
OnePlus 15 vs iPhone 17 showdown highlights two flagship giants with distinct philosophies, Android innovation versus Apple refinement. This comparison matters because it reveals how OnePlus challenges Apple’s dominance with cutting-edge hardware, while the iPhone focuses on seamless performance and ecosystem strength. It’s a clash between raw power and polished experience.
Design and Display
Build and Feel: The OnePlus 15 feels solid and durable with its aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and IP69K rating, built for rugged use. The iPhone 17, though lighter, leans toward elegance with its Ceramic Shield 2 and refined aluminum finish. The OnePlus offers better practicality and toughness, while the iPhone focuses on premium minimalist features.
Display Quality: OnePlus 15’s 6.78-inch AMOLED 165Hz display is made for speed and immersion, perfect for gamers and heavy media users. The iPhone 17’s smaller 6.3-inch OLED shines in brightness and color accuracy, delivering natural tones and higher peak brightness. The OnePlus is about punch and motion, the iPhone about realism and polish.
Verdict: Both are premium, but the OnePlus 15 wins for versatility and smoother visuals. The iPhone 17 remains ideal for users who value visual balance and sleek design.
Please Note: When you buy something using the links in our articles, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you.
Specifications
Performance: With Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and up to 16GB RAM, the OnePlus 15 offers raw power and smoother multitasking. The iPhone 17’s A19 chip is efficient and stable, but slightly limited by 8GB RAM. The OnePlus feels faster in high-load use, while the iPhone excels in thermal management and stability.
Battery and Charging: OnePlus 15’s 7300mAh battery and 120W charging easily outperform the iPhone 17’s smaller 3692mAh cell and slower speeds. Its 50W wireless and reverse charging options make it far more flexible for daily use. iPhone remains efficient but can’t match OnePlus’ endurance.
Verdict: Both are powerful, but the OnePlus 15 dominates in charging speed and stamina. iPhone 17 wins only in long-term efficiency.
Camera
Main and Secondary Lenses: OnePlus 15 packs triple 50MP sensors, including a periscope lens with 3.5x zoom, versatile and pro-friendly. iPhone 17’s dual 48MP setup is simpler but delivers more natural and balanced results. OnePlus suits creators seeking flexibility, while the iPhone prioritizes clean, consistent shots.
Selfie Camera: OnePlus offers a sharp 32MP camera with 4K recording and EIS, great for vlogs. The iPhone’s 18MP lens, though smaller, shines in color realism and depth sensing with spatial audio.
Verdict: OnePlus 15 provides a better creative range, while iPhone 17 ensures polished, life-like captures.
Pricing
At around $900, the OnePlus 15 delivers superior specs, display, and battery tech. The iPhone 17, priced at $800, banks on brand appeal, ecosystem, and long-term updates. For those valuing performance and flexibility, the OnePlus is worth the extra cost; for simplicity and reliability, the iPhone remains a safer pick.
Disclaimer: Prices are approximate and may vary based on country, region, and applicable taxes.
Conclusion
The OnePlus 15 stands out with blazing-fast charging, a bigger battery, an infrared port, and IP69K protection, a true powerhouse for enthusiasts. The iPhone 17’s strengths lie in its software ecosystem, satellite SOS, and Face ID security. The OnePlus feels more feature-rich and performance-driven, while the iPhone excels in refinement and user trust.
Final Verdict: OnePlus 15 takes the crown for innovation and hardware value, whereas iPhone 17 wins for simplicity and ecosystem integration.
Login
