In a move to clean up its platform, WeChat cracks down on misleading and harmful content creators. The social media giant recently announced the results of its first phase of rectification action on content norms, targeting accounts that spread misinformation and exploit users for profit.

WeChat Targets Misleading and Malicious Self-Media Content

WeChat’s Public Platform Operation Center identified over 800 accounts engaging in various violations. These accounts were found to be spreading rumors, inciting social conflict, and even creating fake personas to manipulate users’ emotions.

WeChat is addressing four primary types of inappropriate content on its platform: clickbait headlines that use misleading, sensationalized information often involving public figures; hate speech, and doxing that involves publishing harmful content and personal information to incite hostility against specific groups.

Fabricated personas, where accounts create false identities to publish shocking or emotionally manipulative stories. Exploiting tragedies for profit, where users manipulate narratives or fabricate stories related to real-world tragedies to solicit donations or promote sales under the guise of helping others. These practices undermine digital ethics and promote unhealthy online behaviors.

To combat these issues, WeChat has taken several steps. Over 9,000 violating articles have been deleted, and more than 400 accounts have faced functional restrictions or permanent bans. Additionally, the platform has issued clear guidelines for content creation.

For instance, WeChat recommends that titles clearly specify details like names, dates, and events to avoid misunderstandings. Content creators are also advised to respect others’ privacy and avoid spreading misinformation or negativity.

By cracking down on these malicious practices, WeChat aims to foster a healthier and more trustworthy online environment for its users. This initiative is a positive step towards promoting responsible content creation and preventing the spread of harmful information on social media platforms.

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Huawei recently announced the Watch Fit 3 in the global market. The watch sports a sleek design with a 1.82-inch AMOLED display, 1500 nits brightness, and a 77.4% screen-to-body ratio. It promises up to 10 days of battery life. With a starting price of €160, it positions itself as a competitive option in the smartwatch market.

Early Unboxings Reveal Missing Fan-Favorite Feature

The smartwatch is scheduled to launch in China on May 15th. However, just days before its official China release, the Huawei Watch Fit 3 has hit a snag with fitness tracker enthusiasts. According to Weibo tipster “Uncle who looks at the mountain”, stores unpacking the smartwatch revealed it doesn’t come with the highly anticipated WeChat smartwatch app pre-installed.

This news comes as a blow, considering the dedicated WeChat smartwatch app launched in July 2022. Developed by the WeChat team itself, it boasted features specifically designed for smartwatch users, including voice-to-text messaging, viewing images, voice replies, and even animated emoticon support.

Netizens, eager to ditch their phones for on-wrist communication, expressed disappointment on forums like Pollen Club, with some commenting “there is still no WeChat.” This frustration likely stems from the Watch Fit 2‘s experience. Internal testing reportedly included the WeChat app, but optimization issues ultimately led to its cancellation.

Despite the setback, there’s a glimmer of hope. The leaked information only suggests the app isn’t pre-installed. Here are two possibilities: Huawei might deliver the WeChat app through an over-the-air (OTA) update after launch. This approach would allow for further optimization and bug fixes before deployment. Alternatively, the retail version hitting shelves on May 15th in China could come pre-loaded with the app.

However, the lack of confirmed WeChat support casts a shadow over the launch. With WeChat being a dominant communication platform in China, its absence on a smartwatch can be a significant drawback for many users.

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During the recent Lunar New Year celebration, China saw a familiar set of apps dominating the digital landscape. Giants like Tencent and ByteDance led the charge, capturing the attention and data usage of millions. As families gathered and friends reconnected, platforms such as Douyin (TikTok‘s Chinese counterpart), WeChat, Kuaishou, Tencent Video, and Jinri Toutiao became essential tools for communication and entertainment.

The apps accounted for over three-quarters of the mobile data traffic

These apps weren’t just popular; they were pivotal, accounting for over three-quarters of the mobile data traffic during the nine-day holiday. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) highlighted this trend, marking the first time it has released such rankings for the Lunar New Year period.

Tencent and ByteDance, with two entries each in the top five, showed their continued dominance in the market. Most of these platforms have been around for a decade or more, proving that established names still hold sway in China’s tech-savvy society. Douyin, the youngest among them, has quickly risen to prominence since its launch nearly eight years ago.

Interestingly, this year’s report contrasted with previous years’ trends, such as the surge in digital red packet transactions via Alipay in 2021 and JD.com’s significant sales growth in 2019. These shifts underscore the evolving digital habits of Chinese consumers.

Experts note the challenge of introducing breakthrough apps in a market crowded with seasoned players. Yet, the potential for innovation remains, particularly in areas like artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and extended reality technologies.

Amid these trends, apps are evolving. WeChat expands into short videos, while Douyin ambitiously eyes e-commerce growth, targeting a significant increase in its online shopping channel’s gross merchandise volume (GMV). This strategy includes competing on price, directly challenging platforms like Pinduoduo, known for their budget-friendly offerings.

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In a striking turn of events, Tencent‘s WeChat app seems to have made a lot of progress in e-commerce, leveraging its short video and live streaming features. In 2023, these features propelled the app to nearly triple its gross merchandise volume (GMV), a clear indication of the growing trend of integrating social media and online shopping.

This was possible thanks to WeChat’s video section, known as Channels

The heart of this growth lies in WeChat’s video function, known as Channels. In 2023 alone, Channels saw a staggering 244% increase in orders compared to the previous year. This success story was shared at the annual Open Class Pro developer conference in Guangzhou, though the exact GMV figures were kept under wraps. This surge in e-commerce activity underscores the strategic foresight of Tencent’s CEO, Pony Ma Huateng, who, back in 2022, had identified short video as the future of the company.

Despite the impressive growth, WeChat’s e-commerce turnover still trails behind giants like Kuaishou and Douyin. However, Tencent isn’t deterred. It’s betting big on capturing a significant share of the market, leveraging WeChat’s vast user base of 1.34 billion. This strategy seems to be paying off, as WeChat Channels has become a major force not just in e-commerce, but also in advertising for Tencent.

The company is not resting on its laurels. Plans are underway to expand the live-streaming e-commerce team, diversify product categories, and enhance the WeChat Pay infrastructure. These moves are poised to solidify Tencent’s position in the online retail space. Interestingly, as of mid-2022, Channels had more active users than Douyin and Kuaishou, a testament to its growing popularity.

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Canada recently prohibited the use of Chinese messaging app WeChat and Russian antivirus software Kaspersky on government-issued devices. The ban comes amid concerns over privacy and security, according to the Treasury Board of Canada. This raises a question: Is the ban a defensive move for the nation, or is it influenced by the current geopolitical climate?

The decision came after an assessment by Canada’s Chief Information Officer

The decision to ban the apps was made after an assessment by Canada’s chief information officer. While the Treasury Board stated that no government information has been compromised, they described the apps as posing “clear” risks. Interestingly, this move aligns with Canada’s earlier action of banning TikTok in February for similar reasons. However, the abruptness of the decision left Kaspersky “surprised and disappointed,” highlighting the absence of a warning or a chance to address the government’s concerns.

Kaspersky argues that the ban is more of a geopolitical maneuver than an evaluation of the app’s security measures. The company claims that no evidence has been presented to justify the action. The silence from WeChat further deepens the mystery. Could it be that Canada is following suit with its international partners rather than solely focusing on the apps’ security issues?

The Treasury Board was quick to point out that their decision aligns with the approach of international partners. This points to a broader trend of countries tightening digital borders, particularly against Chinese and Russian tech companies. However, the lack of disclosed evidence to support the ban raises questions about the transparency of the decision-making process.

While Canada assures that the ban is to keep its government networks secure, the absence of a transparent evaluation and the geopolitical implications suggest that the story might be more complex than it appears. This move could be a blend of genuine security concerns and a reflection of international politics. But without further information, the true motive remains a subject of debate. Only time will spill the beans. Or maybe not.

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ChatGPT is a large pre-trained language model developed by OpenAI. This is a variant of the GPT-3 model that can engage in conversation-like interactions with humans, answering probing, sequential questions, acknowledging errors in its answers, pointing out incorrect premises when a human asks a question and refusing to answer inappropriate questions. However, seems like not everyone is happy with the app. WeChat has restricted the ChatGPT and related applets, according to latest reports. The applet has been suspended by WeChat due to its content falling outside of the platform’s service scope.

WeChat blocks access to ChatGPT chatbot

After ChatGPT was launched, it quickly gained popularity and many related small programs appeared on WeChat. Some users even managed to connect ChatGPT to WeChat, allowing everyone to play “answer questions” in the WeChat dialog box. However, the good times didn’t last long. WeChat has now restricted the ChatGPT related applets and they cannot be found in the search keywords on the platform.

The ChatGPT applet also shows a message stating that “the service has been suspended because the content belongs to the platform’s unopened service scope.”

It is unclear why WeChat has taken this action, as ChatGPT has been widely popular and has been used by many people to engage in conversation-like interactions with the chatbot. It is possible that WeChat has restricted the applet due to concerns about the accuracy and reliability of the answers provided by ChatGPT, or due to concerns about the applet being used for malicious purposes.

In any case, the restriction of ChatGPT on WeChat is likely to be a disappointment to many users who have enjoyed interacting with the chatbot. It remains to be seen whether the applet will be restored on the platform in the future.

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The Xiaomi Watch S1 Pro is the company’s latest smartwatch. It was unveiled in August at the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 launch event. Even after months, the wearable still remains exclusive to China.

Earlier today, the brand announced that it has released WeChat app for this smartwatch. Let’s check out the features offered by this application.

WeChat is the most-used instant messaging application in China. It is what people use to stay communicated over the internet.

This application is now available on the Xiaomi Watch S1 Pro. Thus, the company’s new smartwatch becomes one of the few RTOS-powered wearables to have support for WeChat.

Users can pretty much use all the basic functionalities of WeChat on their wrists. The app allows them to reply to messages in multiple formats. They can not only use text but also voice and emojis. Also, they can view the images they receive in chats.

Users will likely have to install the WeChat application through the companion app on their smartwatch.

The Xiaomi Watch S1 Pro is the most premium wearable sold by the company right now. It is priced at ¥1,499 in China. At launch, the watch already had support for a few third-party apps like Baidu Map, NetEase Cloud Music, QQ Music, and more.

More third-party apps for the RTOS platform could arrive. Because almost all Chinese OEMs use RTOS for their affordable as well as premium smartwatches. Unfortunately, we cannot say whether this trend will catch on outside mainland China.

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The USTR (United State Trade Representative) has just added a number of companies in its “Notorious Markets list” recently. The latest additions in the list includes a number of Chinese tech firms, like AliExpress and WeChat.

Looking at the official list, the USTR has added a number of business that it considers being involved in trading counterfeit goods and promoting piracy. The official data lists 42 online sites and around 35 physical stores, which includes e-commerce based platforms as well. The trade agency believes that these businesses “engage in or facilitate substantial trademark counterfeiting or copyright privacy.”

Notable brands in this list include AliExpress, which is owned by the Alibaba group, along with the Tencent operated WeChat. The USTR stated that the AliExpress platform offered a number of anti-counterfeiting tools and systems, however, despite its efforts there were a significant rise in counterfeit goods being offered for sale on AliExpress. Similarly, it also flagged WeChat’s e-commerce ecosystem for facilitating the “distribution and sale of counterfeit products.”

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in a statement that “The global trade in counterfeit and pirated goods undermines critical US innovation and creativity and harms American workers.” On the other hand, Tencent said that “We strongly disagree with the decision made by the United States Trade Representative and are committed to working collaboratively to resolve this matter.” It also added that it has invested significant resources into protecting intellectual property rights as well. Notably, the news arrives amid the ongoing frictions between the US and China. So it remains to be seen how the situation impacts the two major China based online markets.

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The Indian government has now officially and permanently banned up to 60 Chinese-owned apps it initially listed in June last year. This lengthy list includes TikTok, WeChat, Baidu, Alibaba’s UC browser, and some Xiaomi apps, among others.

The moves that have now culminated in this official ban was kick-started by India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. It claimed to be relying on Section 69A of the IT Act, stating that the apps were engaging in activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, the security of the state, and public order. 

The official ban, therefore, reflects the inability of both the government and the app developers to arrive at a common meeting ground, as the government was not satisfied by the app companies’ responses with regards to how these apps collect data and disseminate such even outside the sub-continent.  

What is yet to be seen is how India will ensure full compliance with this new policy, as all the prohibited apps are still available on the Play Store and will continue to work on phones that already have them downloaded.

Added to the seeming void in the response of the Indian government is the fact that some of the blacklisted apps are stock apps that come with devices. It would be difficult to remove stock apps like these, even with a Play Store removal. The ban is still silent on what becomes of such phones, whether they are also banned. 

In the aftermath of the restrictions on these Chinese apps since June 2020, some Indian home-grown apps have been trying to fill the void, while also global players like Facebook, YouTube, etc have been incorporating some features into their platform that could easily carry out some of the tasks of the banned apps.

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Xiaomi first launched the MiTalk back in November 2010, way before Tencent launched the popular WeChat. Although the service was quite popular a couple of years back, hitting 70 million users with 7.5 million active users by September 2014.

However, the popularity of the MiTalk app has dwindled over the years. As such, the Mi Talk team has announced that the service will be discontinued next month. Specifically, Xiaomi will pull the plugs off the service at 12 noon on February 19, 2021.

To this end, the brand advises that users should individually export the chat history, personal data, and other information themselves. Devices running on Android v8.8.70 and above support batch export. The team also alerts that after the service is stopped, any of the users’ information cannot be exported.

Here’s the complete message;

Dear MiTalk users:

Since its release, Mi Talk has been deeply supported and loved by everyone, and the Mi Talk team is deeply grateful. Due to business changes, we will stop the Mi Talk service at 12:00 noon on February 19, 2021. The specific schedule is as follows:

-At 12:00 on February 1, 2021: Account registration and messaging will be stopped;

-At 12:00 on February 19, 2021: Stop MiTalk login and shut down the server. Then and after that, you will not be able to log in and use MiTalk.

Users are requested to export their chat history and personal data and other information before stopping the service (Android v8.8.70 and above support batch export). After stopping the service, they will not be able to export any user information in MiTalk. In addition, the relevant information collected legally when we provide services to you will be stored in accordance with national laws and regulations and the “MiTalk Privacy Policy”. After the retention period, we will delete or anonymize your personal information.

Finally, I would like to thank every MiTalk user for their support and company in the past. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the suspension of MiTalk. In the future, the Mi Talk team will work hard to bring you more new services.

January 19, 2021

Mi Talk Team

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Robert O’Brien, the US National Security Adviser recently stated that the Trump administration’s efforts to ban popular Chinese social media apps like WeChat and TikTok will “ultimately” succeed.

For those unaware, President Donald Trump has been actively working to restrict Chinese owned social media platforms in the US. The reason behind this was national security, but the ban order had been put on hold due to court injunctions. Notably, WeChat and TikTok users have also argued that the ban was only motivated by election year politics rather than an actual security based risk, as per a Bloomberg report.

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According to Robert O’Brien, “We’re now looking — those court cases are ongoing, so the federal government will wait and see what our courts tell us we can or can’t do with respect to those bans. I think ultimately the president’s authority with those bans on those apps will be enforced. And I think even if there’s a change in administration, those bans will take place.”

Interestingly, President-elect Joe Biden is set to take the office on 20th January 2020 and has promised to review the situation regarding the security risk posed by TikTok. Furthermore, the administration will also be reviewing other Chinese companies that have popular applications in the US “that are taking a lot of data from the American people,” O’Brien added. “We’re taking a look at those apps as well and there could be some action. We’ll have to see what the president decides to do.” Although, it is still too early to tell how the situation will play out, and we will have to wait for further development to know for sure.

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Earlier this week, a US appeals court rejected a request Justice Department that will allow the government to immediately ban the WeChat app from Apple and Google’s respective app stores for download in the US.

According to a Reuters report, the three judge panel for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals stated in a brief order, the government had not demonstrated how it would “suffer an imminent, irreparable injury during the pendency of this appeal, which is being expedited.” Similarly, a US judge rejected the Justice Department’s request to reverse her decision on preventing the WeChat app ban that was sought by the Commerce Department in response to a lawsuit from WeChat users, earlier this month.

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WeChat users have stated that the ruling will prevent an “unprecedented shutdown of a major platform for communications relied on by millions of people in the United States.” Previously, the Commerce Department had ordered the ban to take effect by 20th September 2020, barring other US transactions with the popular Chinese messaging and multipurpose application. This would’ve effectively made the app unusable.

At the moment, Tencent and the Commerce Department have yet to comment on the matter, while the appeals court date has been placed for January 2021. The Justice Department has argued that the Chinese app is a threat to US national security, which is similar to the allegations on the tech giant, Huawei.

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The US Judge, Laurel Beeler, stated earlier this week that she was not inclined to reverse her decision of blocking the US Government from banning Apple and Google from offering the WeChat app through their respective US app stores.

According to a Reuters report, the US Magistrate Judge stated in a hearing that a new filing from the Justice Department will not “changes the outcome” or change her analysis. Previously, Beeler had also issued a preliminary injunction that blocked the US Commerce Department order, which would’ve taken effect in September. At the moment, the Justice Department has appealed the judge’s order to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

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The ban from the Commerce Department would essentially make the WeChat app unusable in the US. Furthermore, the Justice Department has argued that Beeler’s order “permits the continued, unfettered use of WeChat, a mobile application that the Executive Branch has determined constitutes a threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.” On the other hand, WeChat users argued that the government sought to “implement an unprecedented ban of an entire medium of communication,” which is based on mere “speculation” and “without any evidence.”

For those unaware, the popular Chinese social media and all in one smartphone application from Tencent are recently facing issues in the US. The government is aiming on banning the application from major app stores like Google Play Store and Apple App Store. However, the Chinese app is a big part of many Chinese students’ lives and is used by over 19 million active users daily.

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Ever since the Trump administration announced a ban on ByteDance-backed TikTok and Tencent’s WeChat apps in the United States, there has been an on-going legal battle that has so far prevented the ban to go into effect.

Now, China is claiming that the ban on these two apps by the United States is in violation of the World Trade Organization’s rules, reports Reuters. And it’s not just the US, China has also accused India of the same for banning TikTok and several other Chinese apps.

At the Council for Trade in Services meeting at the World Trade Organization, China took the floor to accuse the USA and India of taking measures that are “inconsistent with WTO rules, restrict cross-border trading services and violate the basic principles and objectives of the multilateral trading system.”

During the lengthy exchange at the council, China said that there was no evidence to support the claims by the United States and India regarding data collection and it added that TikTok’s data collection is standard practice by thousands of apps worldwide. It also described the failure of the U.S. for providing concrete evidence of the reasons for its measures a “clear abuse” of rules.

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Last month, the Trump administrator ordered to ban the downloads of TikTok and WeChat in the United States and stop all the transactions with those two companies. It has also ordered ByteDance to sell TikTok to a US-based company by 14th November in order to avoid a ban in the US.

However, a U.S. judge has questioned the government’s claim of national security and has agreed to temporarily block the ban on the app. In order to avoid getting banned in the United States, ByteDance has agreed to set up a new entity called TikTok Global with 80 percent of the stake. The remaining stake will be acquired by Oracle and Walmart.

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The US Justice Department recently announced that it is appealing a judge’s ruling to block the government from banning Apple and Google from offering the popular Chinese app, WeChat, through their respective app stores.

For those unaware, a recent crackdown saw the social media application also face a possible ban by the US Government, which might have even extended across Android and iOS devices in China. However, the government has now stated that is appealing the ruling passed by the Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler. This judgment had blocked the US Commerce Department’s order, which would have barred every US based transactions with Tencent Holding’s WeChat. This would effectively have made the app unavailable/unusable in the US.

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Initially, the Justice Department stated that Beeler’s orders were in error and “permits the continued, unfettered use of WeChat, a mobile application that the Executive Branch has determined constitutes a threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.” On the other hand, WeChat Users Alliance, the group that is fighting the legal battles against the WeChat ban said that the department “has still presented no compelling national security interest to justify such an unprecedented ban.”

Furthermore, the group also added that Tencent had tried to negotiate a settlement with the Commerce Department as well, offering numerous mitigation measures and even to address any data security concerns. Judge Beeler also added that WeChat users have “have shown serious questions going to the merits of the First Amendment claim,” which guarantees freedom of speech. The app has millions of daily active users in the country and plays an integral role in many lives, especially Chinese students living in America. Although, it remains to be seen just how the entire situation plays out. So stay tuned for more updates.

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The Trump administration recently confirmed that the Tencent-backed WeChat and ByteDance’s TikTok will be banned in the United States from 20th September. It also blocked all the transactions to WeChat from the same day while broader restrictions for TikTok were related till November because of the on-going negotiations.

Now, in a major relief, a judge has blocked the ban on WeChat just as the restrictions were about to go into effect. U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler said in an order that WeChat users, who filed a lawsuit, “have shown serious questions going to the merits of the First Amendment claim, the balance of hardships tips in the plaintiffs’ favor.”

The ruling also temporarily halts the ban on transactions for the application in the United States. This is a major setup for President Donald Trump who has labeled the service as a national security threat, just as election date nears.

In her order, Judge Laurel Beeler said that she had chosen to grant the motion because of some serious questions raised by the plaintiffs about the harm of First Amendment rights. The plaintiffs had also argued that the ban would shut down the primary means of communication for the Chinese community.

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The lawsuit was filed by the U.S. WeChat Users Alliance, which says that it has no connection with Tencent or its affiliates. The group argues that the ban violates several constitutional provisions, including the right to free speech, due process, and equal protection against arbitrary discrimination.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump has approved the deal of TikTok with Oracle and Walmart where both the American companies will take up a minority stake in TikTok Global while the Chinese group will continue to hold the majority stake.

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The U.S government has reportedly concluded plans to ban the use of WeChat in the US from Sunday night. The Wall Street Journal reports the Trump administration to have disclosed that it will ban the use of the popular messaging and electronic payment app over national security and data privacy concerns.

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross disclosed in an interview on Fox Business Network that the decision was reached by the department after President Trump ordered his department to review the Chinese-owned app for national security concerns last month. He stated; “China has been taking all kinds of data…that’s what we’re trying to squelch.”

The Commerce Secretary also disclosed that a similar ban will be imposed on another Chinese-owned app TikTok by November 12. However, he noted that the Oracle deal was in the pipeline that would incorporate data safeguards which could enable U.S users to continue accessing TikTok.

Earlier in August, the Trump administration had passed an executive order to ban the WeChat app in the US. According to a Reuters report, the Tencent owned app saw a rise in downloads after the passage of the executive order. This is as a result of users rushed to install the application before it completely disappeared from the app stores in the country.

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The WeChat app and its encrypted alternative Signal saw a spike in downloads in the US, after the Trump administration passed an executive order to ban the application earlier this month.

According to a Reuters report, the Tencent owned app saw a rise in downloads, as users rushed to install the application before it completely disappeared from the app stores in the country. Similarly, Signal also saw a similar trend, especially in China, as it is an encrypted alternative, which owned by non-profit Signal Foundation. The report stated that the WeChat app downloads rose by 41 percent in a six day average in the United States when compared to the previous week.

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This occurred immediately after the Trump Administration threatened to ban the app last week. Notably, the Signal app download rose by 30 percent in the US app stores and by a whopping 90 percent in the Chinese app stores. A Sensor Tower analyst stated that, “Not only are alternatives like WhatsApp and Telegram officially blocked in China, but Signal has an inherent advantage in that it’s well known for being strongly encrypted.”

Furthermore, WeChat users have also turned towards other Tencent owned chat apps like QQ, since the ban did not specifically include this platform. As such, the downloads for this app have also tripled in the past week. At the moment, Apple and other US giants are pushing back against the move from the government, citing various busines losses that would occur if it is enforced. Although, it remains to be seen how this event develops, so stay tuned.

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Recently, we had reported on the Trump administration banning the WeChat app, a popular Chinese social media platform. This new US sanction would force Apple to remove the app from its App Store, which was expected to cause it to lose a significant part of its sales in China. Now, a new report reveals that Apple plans to push back on the ban while a survey found that 95 percent of Chinese users would rather give up iPhone than lose WeChat.

At the moment, it is unknown if the ban on the WeChat app is strictly restricted to just the US App Store or the global one. Tencent, the parent company of WeChat, stated that it believed that the ban is only applicable in the US but is seeking clarity. The cause for this unsure atmosphere around the new order is due to its vague working, which states banning any transaction related to WeChat.

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According to a Bloomberg survey, 95 percent of the 1.2 million Chinese Apple users said that they would rather switch to an Android device than use an iPhone without WeChat. A HongKong user stated that banning WeChat would make an iPhone into “electronic trash.” Another stated that his “family in China are all used to WeChat and all our communication is on the platform.”

A Wall Street Journal report also revealed that over a dozen companies including Apple, Ford, Walmart, and Disney are pushing back against the ban. In a call to the White House, the known brands detailed the adverse consequences that a ban on WeChat would have on their businesses. With WeChat being used to payments, e-commerce and marketing as well, Tencent stated that any device without it would be “extremely hard to sell” in China.

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Apple being forced to remove the popular messaging app, WeChat, from its global App Store could have its iPhone shipments drop by up to 30 percent in the Chinese market.

According to the known analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, and a report from MacRumors, Apple’s annual iPhone shipments could see a sizeable decline in China in a worst case scenario. After a recent executive order that sought to ban US transactions with WeChat and its parent company Tencent was passed, the Cupertino based giant might have to remove the messaging app from its App Stores across the globe.

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Ming-Chi Kuo presented two possible outcomes that covered an optimistic and pessimistic scenario, which depends on whether or not Apple has to remove WeChat from just its US App Store or in its entire global App Store. For those unaware, WeChat is a popular Chinese messaging application that is especially successful in China. A global ban would be devastating to Apple, due to its popularity in China.

Kuo stated that “Because WeChat has become a daily necessity in China, integrating functions such as messaging, payment, e-commerce, social networking, news reading, and productivity, if this is the case, we believe that Apple’s hardware product shipments in the Chinese market will decline significantly. We estimate that the annual ‌iPhone‌ shipments will be revised down by 25–30%, and the annual shipments of other Apple hardware devices, including AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac, will be revised down by 15–25%.”

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Amid ongoing talks between Microsoft and TikTok for the possible acquisition of the short-video social media platform, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning American firms from transacting with ByteDance, owner of TikTok.

This is a step forward for the Trump administration, which has been trying to ban the Chinese application, citing national security concerns without providing any proof. Based on the Forbes report, it looks like TikTok is no mood to go down so easily.

The short video platform has warned going to court over the order. In a statement, the company said: “We are shocked by the recent Executive Order, which was issued without the due process. This Executive Order risks undermining global businesses’ trust in the United States’ commitment to the rule of law, which has served as a magnet for investment and spurred decades of American economic growth.”

The company has been a target of the U.S. lawmakers over allegations that the company could share app’s user with the Chinese government, a claim which TikTok has denied several times, citing that the data is stored in the U.S. and the Chinese government has no authority over that data.

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Prior to this Executive Order, the U.S. government had threatened to ban TikTok in the country unless Microsoft acquires the application by 15th September. The ban on TikTok comes after the United States has effectively banned the telecom giant Huawei for over a year now, citing similar national security concerns, without any proof. This time, the government has not only targeted TikTok but also WeChat, owned by Tencent.

China’s foreign ministry spokesman, Wang Wenbin, said to Reuters: “The U.S. is using national security as an excuse and using state power to oppress non-American businesses. That’s just a hegemonic practice.”

TikTok has more than 100 million users in the United States while WeChat has been downloaded more than 19 million times in the U.S. Despite getting banned in India and ongoing issues in the U.S., TikTok was the most downloaded app on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in July 2020.

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The world’s most populous country is currently battling to contain a lethal coronavirus similar to the SARs epidemic that originated in China in 2002. China has already reported 830 cases of the coronavirus and 26 deaths so far. The government has placed 13 cities under effective lockdown with transport restrictions, putting nearly 41 million under virtual quarantine. The city of Wuhan, the place where the coronavirus originated, is in a state of severe lockdown with all major flights and transport vehicles going in and out of the city suspended for the foreseeable future. While things are tense in China right now, tech companies from different parts of China are coming in to offer help. 

Companies like Xiaomi, Meizu, WeChat, Douyin (Chinese TikTok), and even Baidu have all taken efforts to educate and help combat the new virus in China. 

So let’s take a quick look at how tech companies in China are helping to fight the spread of the lethal coronavirus. 

• Xiaomi 

Xiaomi is shipping out N95 masks, medical masks, and thermometers worth 300K yuan (~$43.2K) to Wuhan’s epidemic control and prevention headquarters. The first batch was shipped out from various centers last night and will arrive in Wuhan tonight. The company added on its Weibo platform that they are monitoring the epidemic’s status and will continue to allocate supplies to help out the city in this time of crisis.

• Meizu

Another smartphone maker has come forward to offer support to the city of Wuhan. Meizu announced that it has donated 300K yuan (~43.2K) to fight the outbreak of the coronavirus in the city. 

• Huawei

While we haven’t heard of any donation from Huawei yet, the company has postponed its HDC.Cloud 2020 developer conference from Feb 11-12 to March 27-28. This event was expected to take place in Shenzhen, China, which is over 1000 km away from the city of Wuhan. So this was more of a precautionary measure from Huawei to eliminate a potential opportunity for the spread of the virus. 

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• E-commerce websites

China’s biggest online retailers like Jd.com, Taobao, Suning have all announced that they would freeze the prices of essential medical items such as masks and disinfectants on their platforms. Ever since the news about the outbreak of the virus, the prices for these essential items had shot up. However, the retailers have agreed to intervene and provide these medical supplies at reasonable rates. Moreover, Jd.com has also announced that it will donate 1 million masks and 60,000 medical supplies to Wuhan, in batches.

• Travel 

China’s aviation regulator has announced passengers can get free refunds for flight tickets booked before Jan. 24, 2020, across all airlines and ticket sales agencies in China. Multiple airlines like Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines, and Qantas Airways are offering free cancellations for tickets booked to or from mainland China till the end of February. You can read more about airline refund announcements from this Reuters article.

• Entertainment

China’s TikTok – Douyin has a dedicated page that informs users about the coronavirus and its current status. The app also added a special ‘Jiayou video effect‘ to offer support to the medical staff and patients fighting the virus in Wuhan. 

Online movie ticketing platforms like Taopiaopiao and Maoyan are offering unconditional refunds for tickets booked between January 22 and the first week of February in the city of Wuhan. 

Moreover, six potential blockbuster hit movies, which were scheduled to release in theaters this weekend, have been postponed. In fact, in a surprising move, one of the most anticipated movies in China this year, ‘Lost in Russia’ or ‘Awkward Mother’ (Chinese translation), is now premiering online for FREE! The film will be made available to watch at midnight today in China via the movie studio’s in-house streaming platform. 

• Food Delivery

Popular food delivery apps like Meituan Dianping and Ele.me in China have promised to continue operations as usual during this period. To combat the spread of the coronavirus, they have announced precautionary measures such as masks and body temperature monitoring of its delivery drivers. These platforms have also reportedly stopped delivering to hospitals. 

• Other Apps

China’s most popular messaging app, WeChat, has a special ‘Fever Clinic’ Map that shows you where you can go for a check-up in over 14 cities in China. Some popular cities like Shanghai and Chengdu have over 100 listed clinics on the platform. 

Baidu has a dedicated anti-pneumonia page on its app that is updated with relevant coronavirus related news in real-time. The Baidu Maps app also shows you ‘Fever Clinics’ (similar to WeChat). But one of the best features of the Baidu Maps is the thermal heat map giving you a view of the busy streets in your area, in real-time. It’s an excellent way to identify crowded streets to avoid them. 

In a country like China, that’s obsessed with apps and social media; it’s good to see tech companies coming forward to educate people to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pneumonia. With over 830 cases reported so far, it remains to be seen whether China can contain this new coronavirus before it becomes as widespread as the SARs epidemic. 

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A few weeks ago, we wrote about how some apps had been blacklisted by the Pixel 4. This meant they couldn’t run on the Pixel 4’s 90Hz refresh rate since they would completely drain the battery. When the phone is on a lower brightness, the 90Hz Smooth Display is disabled and switches to 60Hz only. It’s understandable now because it’s all for the best.

Originally the Pixel 4 had identified these four apps not to run at 90Hz: Google Maps, Pokemon GO, Waze, and WeChat. While most of these are graphics or resource intensive apps, WeChat is an outlier in that it’s just a chat client. The reason that the refresh rate is throttled down is simply due to the app’s poor performance at 90Hz refresh rate setting.

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Months since WeChat was added to the 90Hz blocklist in August, however, Tencent has apparently spent time optimizing the app for the Pixel 4. In a new commit posted late last week to the Android Open Source Project, Google has deemed that WeChat version 7.0.8 fixes all of the “jank” issues the app faced, and subsequently removed the app from the blocklist.

Before you experience the change on your Pixel 4 or 4 XL, however, there are still a couple of hurdles that you have to get past first. WeChat, which is still on version 7.0.5 in the Play Store, needs to be updated and released. And second, Google has to integrate the new blacklist into one of its monthly security patches before sending them out to everyone. Unfortunately, yesterday’s November security patch did not come with the newer list.

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(Source)

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Pixel 4 series’ 90Hz screen was supposed to be one of its stand out features. But over the past one week, the phone’s screen has been standing out for all the wrong reasons. After it was recently discovered that Pixel 4 and 4 XL’s screen refresh rate changed according to screen brightness, 9to5Google has just found out that Google has blacklisted one of its own apps from running at 90Hz refresh rate.

According to a review of the Pixel 4 and 4 XL’s source code, it was discovered that both these models set the refresh rate to the default 60Hz when running apps like Google Maps. Three other apps, namely, Pokémon Go, Waze, and WeChat have also been blacklisted by the company from running at 90Hz. While it makes sense to limit Pokémon Go (Niantic capped the app’s refresh rate to 30 fps earlier this year due to its gameplay design) and even Waze and Maps’ refresh rate (these two maps applications were already said to lock in refresh rate at 60Hz ), WeChat has been blacklisted simply because of “poor performance”.

WeChat is a very powerful app with a lot of features and some of them might not be working well under 90Hz refresh rate. However, we haven’t heard of similar issues on OnePlus 7 Pro or 7T, both of which have 90Hz displays.

Fortunately, this is not something an update can’t solve. Once WeChat fixes the performance issue under 90Hz refresh rate, Google can send out an update to remove it from its blacklist.

Anyway WeChat users on OnePlus 7 Pro or 7T/Pro? Let us know if you guys are facing any issues at 90Hz.

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(Source)

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China is among those few countries that have widely adopted the mobile payments system, making the system quite easy to use compared to the traditional ways. The popularity of mobile payments in China was driven by the use of QR codes, making the process super easy as the user just need to scan the code to make payments.

But now, since the QR codes are gaining more popularity outside China, the tech giants in the Chinese market are moving towards a newer system for mobile payments — facial recognition. Companies like Ant Financials, an arm of Alibaba and WeChat backed by Tencent, have already started using facial recognition.

The facial recognition-based payments system provides more ease and security as well as portability compared to the QR codes method. Also, the use of this new method could further boost the usage of mobile payments as it has the potential to bring a new wave of less tech-savvy users, such as the elderly.

Alipay first rolled out its Dragonfly facial recognition system, which is an upgrade of its Smile-to-Pay system, in December last year. Since then, the company has expanded it to over 300 cities in China.

Following its footsteps, rival WeChat Pay also started offering its device to merchants around three months later. The device is capable of scanning both a customer’s face as well as QR codes for payment. However, the company has not shared statistics.

The adaptation of this new system of facial recognition has made the shopping experience a breeze. During checkout, all the user needs to do is choose facial recognition to pay and look at the tablet’s camera. Once authorized, the amount will be deducted from the user’s account. Now, the user doesn’t need to take out the phone and scan the QR code and then proceed with the steps to make payment.

This is also leading to less reliance on cashiers. For instance, Alipay is now offering solutions such as vending machines and self-checkout machines that both use face-scans to process payments.

The battle for the mobile payments market share in China is majorly between two giants — WeChat Pay and Alipay. As per the reports, both the companies jointly accounted for over 90 percent of China’s mobile payments last year. Both are almost equal when it comes to ticket size, with WeChat Pay accounting for 45 percent of total transaction amounts and Alipay for 46 percent, reveals market research firm Ipsos.

There are currently about 583 million users who are using mobile payments technology. With over 562 million Chinese still remain to get connected to the internet, the market has a lot of room to grow.

(Source)

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The security and privacy of the users’ data is a major concern among poplar apps and websites. Many times, these companies have failed to provide a secure environment for the users’ data. A similar incident has been witnessed by a security researcher Victor Gevers of non-profit organization GDI. As per a report from the Financial Times, the identities and other personal data of 300 million Chinese users were searchable on the internet if anyone knows the IP on Saturday, last week.

The data of Chinese popular social messaging networks such as QQ and WeChat were exposed including Chinese citizen ID, photos, addresses, GPS location data along with the personal messages. It seems a major breach on the ChinaNet online, internet service provider servers. As per Gevers, later the data was distributed to over 17 different remote servers. It is not confirmed whether and why it is sent to over different servers and what’s the actual usage. But as per assumption, Gevers claims that the data is sent to police stations in different regions of China.

In actual he quoted that, “There is no evidence that law enforcement is doing something active with this spoonfed data. But the infrastructure and well-planned data distribution are there.”  He further investigated the issue and shared some parts of Direct Messages that were supposed to be private. He even shared some snippets of the chats as proof on his Twitter handle.

Upon digging deep, the data patterns hinted that these users might be frequent gamers who used different cafes. There’s another possibility that its the Chinese government’s way of keeping a tap on users who don’t follow censorship in China. Even though, some local officers have also asked internet cafes to track the users’ browsing history time-to-time with software.

Gevers accumulated the information while he was crawling Shodan search engine. As per him, the data was exposed in attempts by someone to frisk through the servers.

Later, Gevers resolved the issue by taking the matter to the Chinese internet service provider. In response, ChinaNet Online secured the data within a few hours.

• Read More: China Consumer Association knocks Apple, asks to compensate Apple ID theft victims

In China, the Government scans the users’ activity routinely to ensure safety and security. Even though, most of the Chinese internet companies are quite straightforward in complying with the state policies. Most of the companies have added in their privacy policies that they “comply with applicable laws and regulations.”

We hope in the future, the telecom operators and internet service providers should be more stringent while handling users’ data.

(Via)

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It sounds little different from the primitive hotel experiences. Today, WeChat has opened doors for a smart hotel in Shanghai. China’s biggest social messaging app, WeChat has partnered with InterContinental to open this new kind of hotel. It brings a different type of experience to its users by offering them options to book rooms via WeChat. Even users can remotely check-in their rooms and can also use their smartphones as key cards. There is plenty of smartness that has been stuffed into the overall working of the hotel.

It’s not a new idea, Tencent, WeChat’s parent company is in talks with companies for similar hotels since 2014. Well, now they have finally got a chance to showcase their magic of smartness in a hotel. It will help national and international travelers to access the services with faster identity checks and minimal efforts. Primitively, hotels verify the guest’s identity which almost takes time, but now with the help of WeChat, everything can be done online and fast. From authentication to verification and from dining to checking-out everything is assisted by WeChat.

Mainly, WeChart smart hotel will allow travelers to order room service, help process payments, smartly control the room temperature, and can set the curtains and lighting as per need. All these things are done using the WeChat messaging app. Further, it will also assist the guests in the dining area, and now meal is just a face scan away.

There are a different set of services for every part of the hotel. Users will get different privileges 24/7 on the basis of booking type.

• Read More: Now you can officially Sue People Using WeChat In China

WeChat is not only limited to smart devices, but they have expanded to restaurants, shopping malls, and now they have just begun with the smart hotels. It seems WeChat wants to expand their wings wherever possible.

Already, Tencent has signed a deal with Shangri-La. So, expect some more smart hotels to come up soon. It has opened doors for WeChat to bring in surplus smart hotel deals. Bigger giants like, Alibaba and Baidu are already providing similar services in China.

What do you think? Do we really need smart hotels?

(Via)

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There’s a new app in town that’s taking the Chinese users by storm. It even threatens the biggest social app in China, WeChat, by registering millions of downloads within days of its launch. If you have never heard of the Bullet Messenger, here’s why you should!

Bullet Messenger targets WeChat’s spot with its sleek and simple design. One of the unique features that made it an instant hit among Chinese users is its automatic voice-to-text feature.

To understand how the Bullet Messaging rose to fame just days after its launch, we need to understand more about the app.

What Is Bullet Messenger?

Bullet Messenger a.k.a. Zidan Duanxin (in Chinese), is a social messaging app launched on Aug. 20 without much fanfare. But since then, its popularity has surged rapidly on Apple’s China App Store taking aim at the No.1 Chinese social messaging app WeChat. As of this writing, Bullet Messenger is at the top position on China’s iOS App Store raking in 8 million downloads.

Smartisan Technology Co. Ltd., the same company that manufactures Smartisan smartphones has a major stake in this app. Soon after its launch, this app had taken a shot at Tencent’s WeChat which dominates 86% of China’s social messaging app sector. Smartisan has preloaded this app in its recent Smartisan Nut Pro 2S smartphone.

What Made The Bullet Messenger An Instant Hit In China?

A start-up called Beijing Kuairu Technology developed the Bullet Messenger app for Smartisan. According to Kuairu, the primary reasons for the instant popularity of the social messaging app was its human-like interactions, ‘remind me later’ organizer, and most importantly its built-in integrated speech-to-text (automatic transcription). These features have helped the app soar to the top of the free download charts on China’s iOS App Store.

WeChat offers additional features like payment and gaming. Bullet Messenger, on the other hand, provides a simple messaging platform and a newsfeed- allowing users to respond to messages in fewer steps as compared to WeChat.

• Related Post: Now you can officially Sue People Using WeChat In China

Here are the features that made Bullet Messaging an instant hit among Chinese users:

• Bullet messenger is an app solely made for instant messaging, unlike WeChat which provides a lot of other services along with text messages.
• It converts the user’s voice inputs into a text message as they start composing a message, a feature missing in WeChat.
• It also allows a user to pause a voice message, drag and jump to specific areas, saving a lot of time.
• And finally, its UI is fast and simple when compared to that of WeChat’s UI.

Luo, founder, and CEO of Smartisan said on his Weibo account, that the Bullet Messenger is offering a niche alternative to WeChat for users seeking faster communication.

Bullet Messenger’s quick rise to fame once again highlights the ever changing demands of Chinese users. While it’s very early to say whether it really threatens the market leader WeChat, it once again reminds us of the protean nature of this industry.

What do you think of the all-new Bullet Messenger? Can it topple the WeChat in China? Also, would you like to see an English version of the app with instant voice to text chatting feature? Tell us in Comments.

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WeChat is the most used messaging app and also the largest social network in China. With 980 million active users a month, the app powers the daily lives of a huge percent of the Chinese population, who use it for everything, from messaging to online payments and many other services. According to a new report, Tencent’s messaging app is now going to be used to allow people to file lawsuits.

It is actually possible to sue people electronically by using this app and do a lot more stuff with regards to the lawsuit directly from the app. For example, with WeChat, Beijing Court allows to submit documents, verify people’s identities, pay legal fees and more. All is performed through a prosecution service platform created by Beijing Haidian court and present inside Tencent’s app. The official website of China’s Supreme People’s Court explains that even though everything in this platform happens via the internet, the system is very safe.

RELATED: QR Codes Are Everywhere in China & The Government Wants To Regulate It

Both facial recognition and ID card verification are used for an accurate identification process which will only allow a single person to access its data. Once the required documents are filed, the parties will receive a notice via WeChat. It seems that the new service available in WeChat will directly reach the official government department, simplifying the process to a great extent. Just to remind you, Tencent’s app is already used as an official virtual ID in a few provinces, so it is able to replace the traditional Chinese government ID card.

(via)

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QR codes are everywhere in China. From buying groceries to hailing taxies to hiring a bike — there’s a QR code for everything. Even beggars have reportedly started accepting payments via QR codes, shedding light on its popularity in the country. In fact, around one-third of the mobile payments in China are via QR codes and this figure is expected to rise in the coming future. With millions of people living in China relying on QR codes for making payments on a day to day basis, it has become necessary for China’s financial institutions to start to regulate this modern mode of payment. In this regard, Chia’s central bank has announced plans to start regulating payments made by QR codes, barcodes, and other modes of payment via scanning, by keeping an initial payment limit of 500 Yuan ($76.5) per person, per day. Additional daily limits of 1000 Yuan ($153) and 5000 Yuan ($765) apply to payers who haven’t completed certain authentication procedures.

The need for regulations in this sector is important to ensure a solid check on fraudulent transactions. Things like money laundering or making payments in exchange for cash are different tactics used by sellers using QR codes and the Chinese government wants to stop such kind of activity by introducing proper regulations. Another reason is to foster fair competition between the two mobile payment giants in China, Alibaba’s Alipay and Tencent’s WeChat. QR code payments are very common among their services, so it becomes necessary to ensure there are enough regulations to keep things in check.

Apart from payment caps, the central bank wants better policies with regards to QR code payments, like expiration dates, encryption, regular updates etc to ensure that QR codes are not being used by sellers for fraudulent transactions. The payment limits are set to come into effect from April 1, 2018.

(Source)

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The Xiaomi Mi 6 is the trending device at the moment. After its launch two days ago, there have been tens of articles on its design, features and camera capabilities. This article adds to the list but will definitely not be the last.

Early reviews of the Mi 6 shows that MIUI now allows fingerprints for payments in the WeChat app. This makes the Xiaomi Mi 6 the first phone to do so. Now users can authorize payments with only their fingerprints on Mi Pay, AliPay, and WeChat.

During the launch, Xiaomi’s CEO, Lei Jun talked about the new features of their new flagship such as the new NFC technology that speeds up communication between channels by up to 50% coupled with the advanced NXP PN80T chip that allows for more secure payments.

READ MORE: Xiaomi Mi Note 3 Now Rumored To Launch in Q3 2017

The feature is still exclusive to the Xiaomi Mi 6 for now and there is no mention yet of it rolling out to older devices but we hope it does if not now but probably with MIUI 9.

(Source)

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At last year’s edition of Google I/O, one of the new features Google announced will be coming to Android soon is Instant Apps. Instant Apps are apps that you can use without installing on your phone. If you come across an instant app while searching on Google, all you have to do is tap on the icon and you are ready to use the app. The app can be as simple as a ticket booking app, a shopping app, or a weather app. Once you are done with it, that’s the end.

Instant Apps are actually not new. In China, popular messaging app WeChat has what is called Mini Programs within its app. Mini Programs work in a similar fashion as instant apps. They are embedded within the app you are using and don’t show up in your main app list. You can install a mini program by scanning a QR code or installing one friend shares. While the apps remain within the WeChat app, a simple swipe is all you need to remove them.

A number of the mini-programs available on WeChat include a photo editing app like Prisma that applies filters faster than Prisma, a movie ticket booking app, and a McDonalds app for coupons. WeChat rolled out the service early January.

Some Android devices have started getting the service and the first app is shopping app, Wish. Instant Apps are going to be available to devices running Android 4.1 and up.

Instant Apps are built just the way your regular android app is. It uses the same APIs, the same package, and source code. The difference is that you do not need to head to the Play Store to install it. You also do not get features associated with regular apps such as background services, background notifications, or access unique device identifiers.

READ MORE: Google Play Store Censored Edition Coming to China?

To use Instant Apps go to Settings > Google > Instant Apps > Click the switch > Agree to the terms. If you don’t see the setting, then it isn’t yet available for your device.

(Sources: 1 & 2, via)

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Even if you are not a Xiaomi fan, you should recognize it’s Mi Bunny mascot. The Mi Bunny has now evolved from being a mascot to being a smart assistant speaker named Kuri.

Kuri was released at this year’s edition of CES which has seen a lot of manufacturers including automobile makers debut products that have voice control or some sort of artificial intelligent assistant built-in.

The smart speaker works as a kids’ companion that reads stories out loud to them and helps them develop their speech and social interaction. Xiaomi says it can read from a database of 10,000 different books. In addition to that, you can also use it send and read messages on the WeChat messaging app and use it to access Xiaomi’s voice assistant.

When you talk to Kuri it’s ears lights up, and while it’s facial expression is sort of fixed it is welcoming and will be loved by kids. Kuri gets better at speech recognition as interactions become more frequent and you can also pair it with the Kuri companion app.

READ MORE: Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Gets Three New Colors: Pink, Green and Purple

Kuri is about 20-inch tall and is covered in food grade AB casing that is resistant to wear from being tossed around by toddlers. There is an 1800mAh battery which should last for up to 7-hours on a single charge.

It costs just ¥199 ($29) but will only be available in China like it’s other products, the Pearl White Mi MIX, the Mi TV 4, and the Mi Router HD launched at CES.

(Source)

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WeChat applications really become one of the most popular messenger application in China. And to move closer to the wearer, WeChat was just spreading into the 300 unit of vending machine specifically used for the WeChat user.

WeChat just deploy as many as 300 vending machines in some stations in Beijing. The vending machine also allows users to take a drink using WeChat apps. Regarding payment, WeChat users can use mobile payment services integration that has just presented in such applications. And of course, consumers also can buy drinks at the vending machine normally.

WeChat users who pay online also can get a drink at a cheaper price. If the drink is usually appreciated ranged between 3 to 5 yuan, then through WeChat apps, the consumers could pay as little as 1 yuan.

The company behind the project is Ubox, which we also saw testing out mobile payments for vending machines way back in 2011. Ubox has the nod from Tencent, makers of WeChat, for its latest endeavour.

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