Chinese startups and their technology were a big hit at this year's Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Companies from the Asian country, big and small, were showing innovating and interesting products in the showroom such as car-smartphone integrations, "superphones" and giant drones.
The businesses in China are starting to understand how the market works and how to make it work for them with smart, new, bold ways. As Forbes wrote about the emerging entrepreneurs are recognizing the benefits of public relations, partnering with international companies, and choosing the right startups that will show off what they can offer the global market.
One of the Chinese companies gaining attention is Letv. Letv is an online entertainment company founded by Chinese billionaire Jia Yueting. Letv's partnership with British luxury automobile maker Aston Martin and Yueting's own Faraday Future showed how cars could work in the future with Internet capable consoles, allowing drivers to gain immediate access to information on the go.
Letv's Le Max Pro Smartphone even won the Best of CES award by Android news blog Android Authority. The newest in Letv's line of "Le Superphones", the blog touted Le Max Pro's outstanding performance, build, and the large amount of streaming content that made the phone a better value.
Joshua Vergara, video producer and host for Android Authority said about the phone, "As the first Snapdragon 820-powered device, the Letv Le Max Pro ushers in an exciting future for smartphone performance."
Another Chinese company that impressed the crowds at CES was Ehang. Their main attraction was a helicopter-like drone, called the Ehang 184. The Ehang 184 is an electric quadcopter large enough to carry one passenger and autonomously take off, fly, and land.
Ehang CEO Huazhi Hu, with The Verge, spoke about the aspirations of the Ehang 184. "It's been a lifetime goal of mine to make flight faster, easier, and more convenient than ever. The 184 provides a viable solution to the many challenges the transportation industry faces in a safe and energy-efficient way."
At the moment the company has shown no proof of a successful flight, nor was there a live demo at CES. But the interest in the possibility of the 184 was akin to the concept cars presented at the show - one that garners a lot of attention but probably will not be able to fulfill its full vision in production.
There were many more Chinese innovations at the show, and surprisingly many outshone the more established Chinese businesses such as Lenovo, Haier, and Huawei. These startups are just showing how much China has to offer, and it's more than the typical assortment of smartphones and appliances.
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