Discussion keeps the world turning.
We plan trips around monuments, museums, and must-see sites.
And yes, they're incredible.
The Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall are famous for a reason.
But when you look back on a trip years later, what actually sticks for you?
Well, a new report on young Chinese travelers suggests that human experiences are more important than a ticket to a museum.
People are choosing destinations not just by what's on the postcard, but by how welcome they feel.
After that, a screen that follows you from bed to kitchen to living room to office.
There are no cables, no hassle.
It's not a TV.
It's not a tablet.
It lives somewhere in between.
In China, they call it the bestie screen and it's one of the fastest growing gadgets in the country.
Tech giants, appliance brands, global players are all racing to build one.
But is this the next must have device or is this just a fancy replacement for stuff we own?
Coming to you from our studios in Beijing, this is Roundtable.
I'm Steve Hatherly with Yushan and Yushan, and we welcome you to the show.
When you think about your favorite vacation, chances are you don't remember every landmark you visited.
You remember the taxi driver who made you laugh, the stranger who helped you out, the restaurant owner who treated you like family.
Because when we travel, we often think we're searching for places, but what we really remember are the moments.
The unexpected conversations, the small acts of kindness, and the experiences that make us feel connected to somewhere we may have never been before.
Recent research into travel trends suggests that this is changing the way people choose their destinations.
Young Chinese travelers are increasingly looking beyond famous landmarks, judging destinations not only by what they see, but by how those places make them feel.
Yishun and Yishan, good afternoon.
Good to see you both.
All right, so we're gonna talk travel today, which is appropriate because it is the summertime and everybody is looking forward to their trips.
I wanna start with this.
When you go on a vacation,
And when you come back, what is it that stands out in your memory?
Is it the landmarks?
Is it the food?
Is it the people?
What is it about the experience that you remember right when you come back or maybe even many years later when you reflect on the trip?
I think all of them really matter.
And when you are choosing a destination, of course, the landmark, the most popular destination is the thing that hooked you, right?
And then when we got there, it's the people, it's the experience, it's the culture.
I think everything is getting more and more popular.
And what I saw is that now people are saying, okay, it's not only about the destination.
It's not only about the landmarks.
It's also about the human connection that they were having during the trips.
Because that's been...
Proved in some of these reports and surveys, right?
China Tourism Research Institute has just released the research report on the satisfaction of Chinese outbound tourists in 2025.
And what I said just proved in this survey.
Yeah, this was not a small report either.
They covered a
Bunch of different countries and regions and different tourist destinations.
Yeah, 102 countries and regions to be exact, with a closer look at 27 overseas travel destinations.
And these researchers, they've also gathered more than 50,000 market survey responses, along with tens of thousands, if not millions, of just traveler reviews and feedback.
And they look at everything from how the transportation is like there, what's the food like there, and also accommodation, hotel, and even down to details like
Travel agencies is convenient, smooth enough for the transitions upon arrival.
And also there's the public service friendliness of the local people is significant.
Part of that credential too.
So this report also reveals that Chinese people outbound travelers in 2025.
They gave their overseas trips an average satisfaction score of, guess how many?
Out of?
Well, out of 100.
Out of 100?
75, I guess, would be a pretty average score, I would think, because not everybody's going to give a perfect score for their travels.
Yeah, close enough.
Close enough.
80 out of 100, which is not bad, which is good, actually.
It qualifies as a satisfactory in general.
So, well, that's good news because it means that people are enjoying their trips wherever it is that they go.
And you said that they looked at a lot of different factors.
Accommodation, that's one that we might expect, I think, to look at.
Shopping, entertainment, attractions, those types of things make sense too.
Travel agencies rating the travel agency
So i think the point here is is that this is a really comprehensive look at every little detail of people's travels to see where they were satisfied and where they weren't and with the number of countries you said 102 different countries and
50,000 market survey data, hundreds of thousands of tourist evaluations.
So this means that this is a really deep look.
80 out of 100 means people are satisfied with where they're going and what they're experiencing.
But that doesn't really tell the whole story just to say that people are satisfied.
Yeah, because they are rating destinations based on how welcoming locals are, how easy it is to get around, and whether the experience feels real and also personal.
It's not only about what this place can bring you.
It's also about how you are feeling in this place.
How you're welcomed there.
Exactly.
And also there is one very cute little case of a 26 year old who traveled to South Korea just not too long ago.
And her feedback was that the best part is not really where she's been, but
On the luggage delivery service that was so smooth that made a big difference for her trip.
And also there's the immersive activities and the availability of Chinese language support for her locally.
Is it, do you think, that people are...
Getting pickier.
Maybe pickier is not the right word, but I guess what I'm trying to say is travelers are now looking at their experiences through a different lens, right?
Looking at different angles.
So I don't know if picky is the right way to put it, but are they getting maybe harder to impress?
Yeah.
It reminded me some of the experience that I grew up.
When we were a child, you will feel, wow, there are so many tasty, delicious things.
But after you grow up, you feel like there's not that much of tasty, delicious things that you...
You haven't tried.
You haven't tried.
I think it makes sense.
So I don't necessarily think travelers have become harder to impress.
I think they've just simply become more experienced.
They've been to a lot of places and as a result, more selective.
So think about how much travel has changed over the past 25 years maybe.
How much it's changed and how many people, how many more people are traveling now compared to maybe 25 years ago.
It all has associations with the development of this country and also the economy and what people's perspective were landing back then.
Like around the turn of the century at early 2000, traveling outside of China is something luxurious.
It's something that you expect to spend a lot of money on and it's not really something that you do or
Every family would do.
It's something that you might save up for for a very long time and it might be a once or twice or three times lifetime experience.
Yeah, exactly.
Back then, about 25 years ago, Chinese mainland residents made about 10.5 million outbound trips.
Now that might sound like a lot, but comparing with that of 2025,
That number had grown to around 148 million.
How many times?
14 times bigger?
14 times.
That was fast math.
Well done.
And that trend is continuing now as well.
So yeah, you said 148 million overseas trips.
Which is a 14-fold increase from a long time ago, they spent $160 billion on those trips.
Now, the reason I mentioned that is because both of those figures, the $148 million overseas trips and the $160 billion spent, both of those are an increase from the previous year by about 20%.
Exactly.
So not only has it increased over the past 25 years, which I suppose we should expect that it would, but it's increased pretty significantly in the last 12 months as well.
And that's why when international travel becomes so much more common than before, so simply crossing a broader isn't.
Exciting enough anymore and then people are not.
It still is.
It's just, well, less of an amazing thing for those of us who are traveling outside of China.
Yeah, I think you both bring up fair points because if you've traveled before, maybe you're returning to a place, maybe you're visiting a place for the first time, but you've had a similar experience in the past and that's why the bar has changed.
It's not that it's not exciting to take a trip anywhere anymore.
It certainly
Absolutely is.
But maybe what people are looking for from their experience is a little bit different.
And that's what this report is talking about.
Yeah.
Young people nowadays are increasingly paying attention to the details that could range from before they start the trip to all the way after the trip is even finished.
So that would include a lot of things like how to plan it involving the travel agencies here.
Yeah, which agency to pick.
The planning part is my favorite part, by the way.
Yeah, me too.
I think I like the planning part almost as much as I like the trip part.
I will spend hours and hours and hours searching for restaurants in the place that I'm traveling to.
You're a perfect companion to travel with because you're always going to be the planner and somebody will be just sitting there and enjoy the work.
You didn't let me finish my thought.
I only end up going to about 5% of the restaurants that I search.
But I have a great time doing so.
Anyway, sorry I interrupted you.
You're talking about conveniences now.
Conveniences like we find in our own daily lives, like public transportation, I don't know, payment, all the things that we experience every single day,
People are looking for that when they travel too.
Yeah, especially for foreign travelers, people who don't belong to this specific area or region or even country, they might encounter all different kind of unexpected things that might
Bring that trip to a bumpy road that's out of their expectation.
But these days we're seeing that a lot of the countries, they are kind of designing that route to be easier for
Chinese travelers.
We see bilingual signs everywhere.
You just mentioned to me before the show, Yushun, that in one of the major airports in France, they're doing that just very recently.
No, actually for more than five years now.
Oh, five years?
Yeah, they've been putting Chinese signage in the De Gaulle Airport.
I'm not sure I'm pronouncing the name right.
De Gaulle, maybe?
Charles De Gaulle?
Okay.
Charles de Gaulle.
And that is really the news.
And people are praising.
A lot of Chinese tourists were praising that.
And it says that it's just some kind of nanny level welcoming.
Yeah, I'm telling you, I'm telling you, eight, nine years ago, you were lucky enough to see English signage in France.
So that is a big upgrade.
Chinese characters.
I think I'm understanding this more now.
Because it's not so much about a make or break deal.
It's not like you're gonna cancel your trip to France because you know or you knew that they didn't have Chinese characters on a street sign or something like that.
It's not about that.
It's that when you get there and you realize that they do, it makes you feel all the more comfortable.
Yeah.
It makes you feel all the happier about the place that you've been.
And it's this little, according to the report that we're talking about today, it's these little details.
That are standing out in people's memories when they come back from their trips.
Now, speaking of trips, let's talk about where people are going.
What were some of the highest rated destinations among Chinese travelers in 2025?
We'll look at 2025 stats because we're only in the middle of this year.
Yeah.
So topping the rankings were Macau, followed by New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Argentina, Spain, Singapore, Italy, France, and the UK.
So different regions will offer people different experiences.
But there are one thing that I think they've been putting a lot of effort in is that they offer...
A lot of convenience for the tourists to traveling and people don't just judge a destination by how beautiful it is anymore.
They also judge it by how easy it is to get around that area and
Think about all the little things that we just mentioned before and all of these things.
Can you pay with your phone?
Can you go around with the metro with your phone?
Just these kind of little tiny things will elevate the experience that you travel there.
You traveled to Thailand, Yushin, maybe within the last few years.
And I remember when you came back, one of the first things you told me about your trip was, oh, you can use WeChat there.
Exactly.
So that kind of stood out to you as kind of a highlight of your trip because of the convenience?
Definitely because we don't really have the you know that kind of mindset of being hassled of getting exchanges and everything and you know
A few years ago, traveling to these countries, Indonesia, Thailand, it means that you need to make transactions in the bank and get ready with a stack of cash.
And nowadays, that's being changed drastically.
And also there are like convenience stores everywhere you can use your mobile phone to pay for basically everything that you need.
So, and as you said, it's not about that kind of drastic change of your whole trip, but it's about, that's what Chinese people call
Make yourself at home
It's that kind of feeling uh of all the places i i just realized i have to travel more of all the places you just mentioned new zealand i've never been there
Macau i've never been there
Australia never been
Hong kong yes
Argentina no
Spain no
Singapore yes
Italy no
France no uk no
A couple of places on the list I really want to check off in the coming years.
But honestly, I'm not really surprised that Macau SAR is ranking the first.
And actually, it is ranking the first for the second consecutive year.
And the credits is on the fact that it has been providing convenience for travelers, especially now that we're talking about travelers from Chinese mainland.
My feeling of traveling to Macau just less than one to two years ago was that everything is so smooth.
It's made.
Oh, yeah.
Have the same feeling it's made to make you feel convenient how so because like taking the buzz and shopping around and
Every possible thing that you can imagine that's the biggest highlight in Macau or just daily living and moving around in Macau doesn't feel like we're at a different zone.
We're at a different region.
Because definitely that's what they want you to do in Macau, to go shopping and experience the different things, right?
And that's why they set up all of these very, very convenient service for you.
Even some of them are free.
They give you the free shuttle bus to all of the different destination that you want to go.
Uh yeah as you said everything is so smooth and you can experience different types of culture there
Yeah and even the the local people they're like you know in some of those um tourism highly dense density spots
Local people might want less people instead of more travelers to come.
But when me and my mother were visiting the Macau SAR, local people were like, we were at the very popular picture place.
And one shop owner just walked out, oh, you guys are from Chinese mainland?
Yeah, we're from Beijing.
Just stand there I'll take your picture like in front of the huge giant skyscraper buildings behind us
There's a really nice view in that alley and local people just they just jump out and they are proud to show that city off
It's one of the first things you mentioned today, Yuxin, kindness of local people.
And that stood out in your memory even now.
Now, in terms of payment, I think it's kind of understandable when if you have a country that's maybe next to China.
If you have, geographically speaking, I mean, then maybe it's not so surprising that you would find WeChat available as an option.
But it seems to me that the further away you get, you might find it a little bit more surprising.
I found it surprising Australia
You can use WeChat.
I don't know how widespread it is in Australia, but you can find spots where you can use WeChat in Australia too.
Australia, by the way, has become a hotspot for Chinese travelers between April 2025 and April 2026.
So that's a one-year period.
1.1 million Chinese visitors, and that was up 20% year on year.
And there's a few different factors at play there.
One of them, I think, is the convenience of WeChat Pay.
Yeah, and their leadership or the Australian officials once said that their biggest highlight is to attract Chinese tourists during our wintertime, which is their summertime.
Ah.
So the off-season kind of tourism is one of their highlight, natural highlight that they don't even need to sell on.
And second of all, they want to design different travel products or travel packages for Chinese tourists to feel like it's one of a kind kind of experience, for example.
Australian wine are really popular in china so they just designed that kind of route that covers the vineyard or the vineyard plus local cuisine kind of um plus seafood
Kind of products for you to land in that country and already become part of the the trip and that's all by design and it's for the benefit
You're right it's all by design because that's one of the things from the report as well is that young people they want experiences that they can't get
Anywhere else
So if you fly to Australia I guess the old style would be maybe you fly to Sydney and you book everything yourself and you arrange your own trip within the city and then you come back home which is fine which is great
But now what people are looking for is a little bit different
For example in the UK
They have promoted Harry Potter.
Oh, yes.
Harry Potter still...
Making headlines these days.
That's not all.
Downton Abbey.
It's been popular lately, actually.
Which I was surprised to find out was really popular here in China.
Even among our parents' generation, surprisingly, because of the family vibe that's created in that show.
Wuthering Heights.
That one I didn't hear.
I heard there's a... Bronte sisters.
Yeah, there's a new adaptation of the movie that released not too long ago.
I read that in high school.
It was a bit painful.
But all of those places, Harry Potter, Downton Abbey, Wuthering Heights, filming locations have been popular for people to travel to.
Of course, these kind of unique things that can connect the whole world is definitely the selling point.
Product or a spot that they're going to promote.
And also aside from that, Argentina, meanwhile, is also using football culture.
Oh, yes, of course.
Yeah, especially the excitement surrounding the World Cup to introduce visitors not only to the sport, but also the country's landscapes, also food and a local culture.
I imagine that when you're going on the street of Argentina, you will definitely...
Hoping to run into Lionel Messi.
Or come across one of their hand-holding little pot of
I don't know the name of that tea, but it seems like everybody from Argentina is drinking that while eating roast beef, like local cuisine.
They're even bringing that to World Cup.
And those are that kind of experiences people love sharing with their friends because they're, you know, that kind of personal, not something everyone can find in a travel brochure or something.
Yeah, that's a really good point.
And then there are other conveniences as well.
Singapore, I believe you can use, they've partnered with AMAP, which is a really popular.
Domestic map system.
Yeah, navigation app.
Navigation app here in China.
They offer more detailed and targeted tourism information through online maps.
So that's a convenience too, right?
When you get to another spot.
With all of this talk about memorable trips and things that stand out in your mind, have you ever traveled to a place where maybe you went there because you loved a thing from there already?
I ask that question because we just gave the example of Harry Potter and Downton Abbey.
In the UK where people might be fans of the movie series or the show and then go there to travel to the sites where they film.
Anything like that from your travels?
Yeah, when I was pursuing my studies in London, one thing that I loved about being here was to be able to travel to the London Tower.
Now, that might sound weird.
It's a pretty popular tourist destination.
Well, yeah, it's also a very popular prison historically.
But for me back then, I was so into the historical side of England for like the Rose War or the War of the Roses, the White Rose, Red Rose between different families and parties.
So yeah, London Tower was a place that I read so many times about during university times.
And as an English major, it is a dream come true to be in that spot and witness that whole system where Anne Berlin got her head chopped off.
Is that sounding too weird?
It's a bit dark, yes.
Anyway, yeah, I was there twice.
One with the audio guide just to immersely experience everything and hear all the stories behind from hundreds of years ago.
And the other time just to walk around, feel myself in there before I need to come back to China.
So yeah, of course, we travel for places that we've always liked even before we were there.
I don't see prison travel anywhere in my script.
I have to add that as a note here later.
Yeah and i think these kind of things are always the like intriguing part when people are choosing a destination
I didn't um particularly go to somewhere because i love that but i kind of have a plan or i think i would definitely go there for one time to some places because i think we plan
We're planning or we're having a plan to go to New Zealand because my girlfriend really loves the Lord of the Rings.
Oh, because of Lord of the Rings.
Yes, exactly.
And also maybe some other
Destinations here in China, Zhangjiajie because of Avatar, the movie.
We really want to visit that place and to see how authentic it could be when you just see it in a movie and how significant it can be.
I wonder if any New Zealand immigration officer
When denying someone entry has ever said, thou shall not pass.
It could be.
Well, that's all used in there.
That's what I would do.
I remember the Hobbit elements were used in their official tourism promotions, like in their video or even in the airline promotions.
As they should be.
What do you look for when you go on vacation?
We talked about this report today and, you know,
It's not that people aren't going places and checking out historical landmarks anymore.
When I went to New York, it was an amazing experience to go to the top of the Empire State Building.
To see the island of Manhattan from that point of view was completely memorable.
It's not that people aren't doing those things anymore.
So it's not like tourism is shifting from one focus to another.
I feel like this is just an addition where people are doing those things,
But then it's the little extra tidbits.
It's the little cherry on top type things that are standing out for young people these days.
When you go somewhere, what is it, Yushin, that you're looking for before you go?
The popular spots is definitely one of the things that we can first of all get in touch with this place.
And another thing I would think personally is that the local culture aspect, because that is the thing that makes this destination more unique.
And and can attract people who are not because we're
I think we're accepting a lot of different styles of traveling now and a lot of people they just go to one spot take a picture and go to the next one
That's one way
We're not against that and another type of person will be just go to that place and really get some kind of immersive experience
And to have the local culture really get the first hand of that kind of experience.
So maybe I will find...
For example, wet market, grocery stores, what local people would go.
And then I will go to that place and actually feel what is the life of local people have.
You and I might be good travel buddies.
I love going to the local supermarkets.
That's awesome.
To see what everybody's buying.
How about for you, Yushan?
For me, it's more on the experience that I don't expect to get anywhere else.
And also along the way, all the simultaneous little details that impress me as, oh, this is unique to this very place.
For example, there are sunrises every day.
And waking up to a sunrise from your bed is one thing, while getting up at 3, 2, 4 a.m. in a tent in Sahara Desert just to see the sunrise from the horizon in the desert, it's something else.
That's one of the biggest selling point back then when a lot of us, well, six of us had a group
To travel to Morocco, yeah.
But along the way, you will encounter better service in bigger cities, Marrakesh, Casablanca, and then there's the tent.
Well, you kind of don't expect a lot from accommodation for living in a tent.
No 5G.
No 5G.
Surprisingly, there were 5G.
Really?
There were good rooms inside the tents, and there were even bathrooms, individual bathrooms inside the tents in the center of Sahara Desert.
So you see those little simultaneous things meeting your expectations, not meeting your expectations.
Oh, I'm having good accommodation here, but I don't know where next stop will bring me to.
That's one thing I really love about that trip.
And that's also a country that I will definitely return to.
Do please describe the feeling of watching the sun rise in the Sahara Desert in Morocco.
I was alone.
I was not with the rest of the team.
I was alone on a little bump of sand.
And I was...
Wearing a lot of clothes because it was super cold out there in the morning and i just remember the sky turned um beige bright and then it all turned very purple
It's not like how you imagine like how orange it might look like from mount thai for example
It's all purple, bluish before it starts to look like what a daylight might become.
So it's magical.
It almost looks movie scenic like than anywhere else.
So yeah, with a line of camel walking from distance, that's something that you'll remember for life.
Kind of makes our grocery store comments seem a little boring now.
Watching the sunrise from a local grocery store?
Why not?
Well, maybe the future of travel is not just about where we go, but what we take away from the journey.
As travelers become more experienced and destinations around the world are competing for their attention, the places that stand out might not simply be the ones with the most famous attractions, but the ones that make us feel connected as visitors.
I'm steve hatherly today i'm with yushan and yushan stay with us on roundtable we'll be back after the break
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Discussion keeps the world turning.
This is Roundtable.
I'm Steve Hatherly.
Today with Yushan and Yushan.
Coming up, what if your TV could follow you around the house?
Sounds a bit weird, but that's exactly what's happening in China right now with something called the Bestie Screen.
It's basically a giant tablet on wheels and it is selling like crazy.
Everyone from smartphone makers to home appliance giants is jumping in.
But is it really a new category of home entertainment or are we just rebuying screens that we already have?
We'll talk about it.
After that, sometimes in life answers come easy and sometimes they don't.
And as exciting as a change in life can be, it can also be terrifying.
You have a lot of questions that need answering.
And for today's Heart to Heart, we'll hear from Julie.
And Julie is looking for some advice on making a big move to the other side of the world, potentially.
You can find us at Roundtable China on Apple Podcasts.
Don't forget that if you, like Julie, would like to take part in our program, you can send us an email or a voice note to roundtablepodcast at qq.com.
One more time, roundtablepodcast at qq.com.
Imagine watching a movie in bed, rolling the same screen into the kitchen to follow a recipe.
Then you move it into the living room for a workout, and then you take it into your home office for a video meeting, and you do all of that without unplugging anything.
Well, that sounds like a giant tablet on wheels.
And in many ways, that's exactly what this is.
The bestie screen.
It's a new type of mobile smart display, and it's quietly become one of China's fastest growing consumer electronics products.
It started out as a niche gadget just a few years ago, but now has attracted internet giants, home appliance makers, and international brands.
They're all hoping to compete for what could become the next important screen in our home.
Now, why has this suddenly become so popular?
Is this really creating a category of home entertainment?
And do we really need this or is it serving a purpose that's already been filled?
We're going to talk about that as well.
The future of home consumer electronics.
All right, so I guess we have to start with the definition, which is a fun term, by the way, of bestie screen.
I'm feeling that this might be a little bit self-explanatory, where your screen becomes your best friend.
Yeah, that's kind of the whole idea for this kind of device.
It's more officially known as the mobile smart display.
That's boring.
I like bestie screen better.
Most Chinese consumers nowadays just call it that.
And at its core, it's just a large touchscreen, if not a big tablet, you can imagine, on the pole.
And that pole is connected to wheels, meaning that this screen can move around as long as you drag it towards whichever room that exists in your room, in your office, or in your wherever.
Into the kitchen where you need the recipe into the living room where you need to do a little exercise into your bedroom.
If you want to watch something, you go to sleep at night.
Um,
This is attached to the pole permanently, right?
This isn't something, you use the word tablet, but that's just the closest comparison because that's how it functions.
But in terms of size, it's much bigger, but it's not removable or anything like that.
You're buying a one-piece unit.
One piece unit and the very feature, the biggest highlight of it is on the touchscreen part, which resembles a day-to-day tablet that we see.
But yeah, that's one thing on the pole that can be moved around.
And the thing about that is it's different from a traditional television because a television is fixed
On a wall, usually speaking, is either like standing in your living room or in your bedroom, like stick to the wall where you have to go to it and sit down and watch or lie down and watch.
So the idea is kind of shifting.
That's partly true, but I just bought a new television a few months ago, which I was very excited about.
Congratulations.
Thank you very much.
And I saw these,
Advertised these
I didn't know they were called bestie screens at the time but i saw them advertised because and i they stood out to me because the screen was vertical
Now yes yeah you can rotate
It's one of the features of these bestie screens
Right you can have it like this or you can have it like that if you're tilted to whatever angle
Oh that part i didn't know
But what I bought was what feels like a boring old television now.
But I also bought a mobile stand for it.
So that's why I said it's partially right, because not every television now needs to stand, you know, on a TV stand or be attached to the wall or something like that.
But I guess the mobility is not exactly the same because a TV still has to be...
Connected through cables?
Yeah, and plugged into the wall.
Does a Bestie screen need to be plugged in?
No.
It has its own built-in battery and also it is connected through either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
It explains more that we call it a bigger tablet that you can have because one thing is that it has portable batteries.
You don't need to plug it into the wall, which means that it can survive for a little bit longer when you're carrying it to everywhere that you want.
About three to five hours on average.
And another thing is that it has touchscreen.
You cannot touch your TV.
And it is just a tablet, I would say.
And I saw people just go through TikTok.
When they're using this big screen, bigger screen, when maybe they want to cook something and the tutoring is just on TikTok and you can just bring it everywhere.
Wow, that would be a good way for binge watching ultra short drama.
Because on their phone, it's just that size.
But on there, it's amazing, isn't it?
I mean, this product fills in a niche need, a space in the industry, right?
And the price is even going down these days than rising.
Previously, there's been research on the price by Runtow Technology that previously, back in around 2023, the price used to be about 6,100 yuan, which is roughly 900 US dollars, if you think of it.
Comparing it with a TV set or projectors.
But now it's dropped to only around $3,900, so $570.
So almost cutting by half these days.
That's still more expensive than and I guess.
Well, first of all, I think that's going to vary.
The price is going to vary depending on the size of the bestie screen because they would come in different sizes.
But still, that's more than you're going to pay for a television, correct?
Yeah exactly because of the same size yeah nowadays um one thing is that televisions are getting more and more affordable that's one thing and another thing is compared to these tvs
These BASTI screens, they are kind of relatively new ideas.
So I think these kind of manufacturers or brands, they're still taking advantage of this specific period so that they can set the price a little bit higher because there are not that many manufacturers doing that.
So there are limited options and you can only find these machines.
And another thing is touchscreen.
I think it is one of the most expensive part of these devices because, right, when you're thinking about an iPad or an Android tablet, of course, they will not be that expensive.
Cheap when we are using the whole function of touching everything.
And you have to hold it.
Exactly.
Right.
How annoying is that?
You have to use your hands.
Yeah, I guess it makes sense.
I was a little bit surprised when I found out that these things were more expensive than televisions, but the very fact that they don't need to be plugged into the wall, that's a huge advantage.
Yeah.
The fact that they're a touchscreen, that's another huge advantage.
So now I kind of get it because to be able to move this thing around your house easily, by the way, because it's wheels, it has wheels on the bottom of it, to be able to move it around your house easily, you're paying for the convenience.
I feel like you're not paying for the tech here.
The tech isn't new.
It's essentially a tablet, right?
Some people call it the creature of Frankenstein.
You've got the chip, you've got the monitor, you've got the pole, you've got the whole screen design and everything.
You just put those things together in an unexpected way or a niche way and then call it bestie screens.
So it's like a put together piece, but now every major manufacturer is even trying to become part of that industry.
Did you mention the battery life?
If you did and I missed it, I apologize.
A few hours?
Three to five on average.
Three to five.
Yuxin, you're the tech expert here.
Is that considered good?
Not exactly for a tablet, but for a large screen like that, I think that's fine.
And also, I assume most of these devices, you can connect it with a cable, plug it in on the wall, and then you can use it
For a longer period.
Yeah, and I guess three to five might be the average, but you could probably find more expensive ones with better battery life, something like that.
I think two.
That the concept is not new.
Back in 2021, a company from South Korea called LG, they introduced a movable display.
It was called Stand By Me, which I think is a play on words from the song and the film of the same name.
Anyway, at the time, this was seen as kind of an experimental lifestyle product.
I don't know at the time, this was five years ago, whether they knew that this would be
Accepted or not.
We talked about killer app, right?
That feature on a device that makes people feel like I need to have this.
But this was five years ago when this first came out.
Now, the turning point apparently came about a year later.
So we'll jump ahead to 2022.
When the device launched in Taiwan.
And instead of using its official product name, that's when people started calling it Bestie Screen.
Yeah, it starts as a nickname.
And that name, the nickname, is what...
It's kind of what got the product over the bridge they say because what did you call it before
A poor portable nobody cares right but when you say where's my bestie screen then it makes it like more personal
Yeah somehow um
It feels like it created the demand for a lot of people because back then people wouldn't think, I need a TV, go along with me to everywhere.
And now they tell you, okay, you now can have this kind of experience.
Exactly.
Yeah.
That's kind of the idea shifting how screen are being around us nowadays.
Because nowadays, even if there is a TV in the living room, people probably will stick to their phone anyway.
That's how I observe it.
Like we have the TV turned on, something being displayed, and then we just check our phone.
It's just the background music.
Yeah.
Of your conversation now
Why now then why
I mean you know 2021 lg 2022 taiwan
The term bestie screen was um invented at that time so even that's been around for a few years
So then why
Why now what
What's the reason that this has suddenly taken off
Actually, back then when this kind of product firstly launched, I didn't expect that it can be this popular because as we said, it's very kind of niche.
Need for maybe a little amount of people who only want to maybe watch their TV in their bed while they don't have a TV in their living room.
They can have this another option.
But now the thing is that our relationship with screens probably has changed.
The addiction is stronger.
Is that what you're saying?
Not only us towards what's displayed in the screen, but also just in general, the content displayed in the screen in the first place that's viewed by us, it has become more diverse, like short videos, like on social media, like the habit of watching micro drama that I recently pick up.
That it's becoming more and more common.
I feel like she wanted us to comment about that.
I know.
Congratulations.
No, I just feel, yeah.
Next advice is a bestie screen.
Wait, do you have a bestie screen?
No, not yet.
Are you thinking about getting one?
Could be.
I was until I realized, actually, I don't have room in my living room just for another one.
But yeah, here's the thing.
Now people interact more on the screen with all different kinds of content that's being displayed.
And it feels like the habit of sitting down in the living room and everybody gathering around the TV
It's less, yeah, it feels like 20, 30 years ago when TV was first a thing in China.
It's a great point.
You know, have friends over for a show watch or something.
Have the family gather around for a movie.
That was what the living room was kind of for.
I wonder then, I mean, that's not our topic today, but I wonder if the definition of what the living room is changing.
Could be.
Because it used to be the spot for the TV, the spot for watching.
Exactly.
And now people are talking about...
Do we really need a living room anymore?
We are kind of de-living room right now because a lot of young people realize that, okay, I might not have that many friends.
I don't need a huge gathering or party in my house.
So probably, and I don't watch TV that often.
Why do I even need a living room anymore?
So probably a tablet, a smaller screen or a portable bestie screen is the choice for them.
And they're starting to realize that, OK, this kind of changeable or portable experience is something that really fits their need.
And that's is not getting unique anymore.
That's becoming a lot of people's demand.
What you say is backed up by statistics.
In the first quarter of 2026, TV shipments in China fell 8.8% compared to a year before.
Over that same period, sales of smart projectors, they had their moment.
Yeah.
Right?
Totally.
Totally.
Everybody thought I need one of those.
Then everybody realized I don't need one of those.
Yeah.
Only within a few years time.
They dropped 21.4% year on year.
And surprisingly, you know, lately there's been the FIFA World Cup going on and there's been analyzed on the fact that how the World Cup is driving the TV sales worldwide, but Chinese mainland.
Except for...
Except for...
I mentioned the word addiction before.
Do you see anything there?
Because people have... Not everybody.
People have a TV in their living room.
People have their phone.
Is this just...
Now I need to have one when I'm walking from the living room to my bedroom.
Exactly.
That's the first thing that comes up to my mind when we're introducing, okay, it can go with you, stand by you, something like that.
We're just adding up more screen time when we're having these portable screens with you.
I think people were thinking about, okay, if I'm watching TV in the living room, then I will have no time for my phone.
That is basically, for a lot of people, one way to decrease the screen time of their smart devices.
And now, because these kind of devices, they can be vertical, they can be horizontal, it can fit in every fragmented piece of time that they have.
And then I think it will be a better, not better, it will be a solution for,
Even more room of these short videos because it's finally the time they can watch it on a larger screen.
Yeah, but think about what you just said, though.
Oh, thank God.
Because I was away from my screen for four minutes.
Now, because of the bestie screen, I don't have to worry about that anymore.
It's filling...
Does it upset you?
Well, it's just filling a gap.
There's no question about that.
It's filling a gap...
Which I think is quite clever, right?
Between the screen and the tablet and the television.
It found its space in the market, which I think is a really cool thing.
And by the way, the sales have increased on these Besties screens, I think 14% or something like that.
Yeah, just within this year.
Yeah.
Okay, so that means people are buying them more and more.
My question is, do we need this?
Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
I'm not arguing that it's not cool.
It's pretty awesome.
That you can flip it vertically or horizontally.
You can bring it into your kitchen while you're watching the dishes.
It's touchscreen.
You can scroll.
Like, that's awesome.
You're sitting there cooking whatever, and then you can just scroll to the next video that you want to watch.
That's amazing.
I'm not saying that it's not.
I'm just saying is this...
It feels like...
We're constantly connected.
It really comes down to who needs it instead of do we need it.
Of course, it sounds like Steve doesn't need bestie screen.
No, I'm probably going to buy one.
I'm just saying, I don't need one, but I'm probably gonna get one.
You've already made one yourself, though.
Yeah, kind of.
But imagine it's someone who is renting a place that doesn't come with a TV.
That's very common in nowadays house rental market.
You usually rent into a house that doesn't come with a TV.
But I want something bigger than a tablet.
And I want something that I don't need my hand to hold onto if I need that screen to follow me.
And after my rental with this place is over, I want it to come with me without having to pull it off from the wall.
Then for that person, this is a very good way to interact with the screen.
And if not, extending features from the phone, from the tablet, even from the laptop to something even more convenient.
Think about saving all that money for a video platform VIP.
And yeah, like I don't need to purchase for membership and I just need to kind of like project or sync your phone with something and watch whatever or just use the membership you already have with your phone.
Then that's all made life more convenient for people like this person.
Yeah or from the industry's perspective it's actually
I think it is the way that they trying to be different because we all know that and the stats are showing that tv and projectors they are having the decreased cells and they're trying to find a way to be differentiated
It is probably the solution that they want to maybe find another path of still a big screen, but maybe another way.
So, yeah.
But what we're saying that, okay, it is getting more popular.
People are using it.
But still, it is a kind of niche category when we're talking about the whole sales compared to TVs.
Yeah, it is now.
But I mean, you've got major players like Baidu and Alibaba who are seeing the device as another gateway for AI powered devices.
Services.
Then you've got home appliance makers, really big names in that industry, like Hisense and Skyworth.
They're viewing it as kind of the next evolution of the television industry.
And display manufacturers and hardware companies, they see an opportunity because they've already, you know, their existing strengths are very well established.
So they can be used on an entirely new type of product.
Maybe it is a change away from, maybe the television's going to become extinct eventually.
I don't think it's going to be gone.
It's just going to stay moderate and allow that kind of market share being taken up by niche and new products like Besties Green.
I think it's not necessarily really a bad thing.
You think so?
I think so, because yeah, still, when we're thinking about the high definition screens, that is the selling point of a lot of televisions right now.
And when you're adding a touchscreen on it,
Actually, you will kind of have to sacrifice some of these high quality images.
Then, of course, at the moment, if you want the portable stands, a touchscreen, plus really, really high definition, probably 4K, it can be even massively expensive.
So at least now we're looking at maybe some of the alternatives that people may have unique demand on.
And then it is the way that we're choosing.
I kind of want one.
Do you want one?
Not yet.
Not yet?
You should.
I don't think so.
Oh, really?
You're going to skip this one?
You're the early adapter in the group.
I don't want to add up more screen time more.
Oh, because you've had already a lot of screens in your place?
Exactly.
Well, the Bestie screen might still be young, relatively speaking, in terms of a product category, and I guess it remains to be seen how far it will go.
But its popularity shows one thing clearly, that consumers are no longer looking for better technology.
They're looking for tech that fits more naturally into their everyday lives.
Perhaps the future of screens is being able to roll your TV into the bathroom with you.
Hey, don't judge it until you try it, I guess.
Also, don't do that because that seems like a safety hazard.
You're with us on Roundtable and coming up next, Heart to Heart.
Heart to Heart.
A moment just for you.
Your questions, your stories, your voice.
Our shared conversations.
It is time for Heart to Heart.
And for today's edition, we heard from Julie, who's asking for some life advice about whether to study overseas or not.
Julie, I hope you don't mind we put your email to an AI voice because we had fun with that.
And this is what Julie had to say.
I'm a 38-year-old single woman working as a project manager in the internet industry.
Lately I've been seriously considering a question.
Is it too idealistic or even unwise to quit my job and pursue a master's degree overseas at this age?
I find myself going back and forth mainly on these three points.
By the time I graduate, I'll be over 40.
Even with a foreign degree, will age still be an invisible barrier when I look for a job, either locally or back in China?
Is the international workplace really much more tolerant of age than it is in China, or are they essentially the same?
Am I overestimating the career boost of overseas experience while underestimating the cost of starting over?
It's not that I hate my current job.
It's more that I feel lost about my future, and I see studying abroad as a way to find direction and change my life.
But I'm not sure if this idea, go back to school when you're confused, is a brave investment in myself or a gentle form of escape.
If I don't go, what other paths could I take?
This would basically consume most of my savings.
If in the end I just end up anxious in a different place, would it still be worth it?
I'm not looking for a simple go or don't go answer.
What I'd really love to hear is your thinking behind making this kind of life decision.
How to weigh age, reality, and ideals, and how to face the uncertainty of even if I choose, things may not work out as I hope.
I would be truly grateful if you could discuss this on your show.
Wishing you all the best with your program.
Julie.
All right.
Thank you so much, Julie, for sharing that very personal story with us.
What do you think, guys?
This is not an easy question to answer, I think.
Yeah.
I am not surprised at all that Julie feels like she, it sounds to me like she needs a reset.
She needs to get out from her current position and then emerge herself into a new environment.
I think that's the ultimate pursuit I hear from this particular message.
It's not that
And she really is dedicated to get a master's degree or anything, even though she suggests that that can be one of the ways that she's considering.
So, yeah, it's indeed a very complicated scenario.
But yes, I can understand.
And the way I see it is that Julie, age is not important.
A hurdle for you to consider
When i was studying in london i've got classmates younger than me
I've got classmates older than me and much older
By older i mean at their 50s 60s even and one was like over her 70s years old and it's just
Her love for that very major that drove her to become classmate with the rest of us.
So really, I don't think age is the main issue here.
So that's... Take that out of the equation.
So yeah, that's where I'll start with.
Yeah.
But what I heard is that I think she or Julie, you have already, I think, identified that kind of biggest issue that you have.
It's uh it this isn't just a big financial decision it could also change the whole direction of your whole life and one word kept coming up in your message is worth it
Is it worth it?
Should I put that much of investment in my life or to overseas studying?
So I think one question that you need to find out is what do you actually want?
Is it the experience of living overseas or are you mainly hoping that it will help your career when you get back from that study experience?
Because I don't think studying abroad equals that they will have a boost on your career.
It's more like a buffer, a chance to,
For now, step out of your current life and try something new.
And then eventually you still have to figure out what you really want after you studied something like maybe AI or technology and everything.
It's tricky because it's not a desperate situation for Julie now.
It's not like, oh, I hate my job.
I got to get out of here.
Oh, I feel like I need to get out of this world and travel to a new place where nobody knows me.
It's not that.
It's just a little bit hard to find out which one is the correct decision because you need to pay a lot on this one decision.
Exactly.
That's what I feel a little bit controversy in terms of whether you should go pursue the master degree abroad or not, because
If you want a degree outside of China, that is one thing, that is one way.
And it brings a lot of rewards and benefits.
But I want to start from a new place and get out from where I am right now and just to settle down or just to reflect on how far I've been and where I'm going next.
That can turn out to be a whole lot different kind of scenario.
It can be a trip.
It can be quitting current job and sitting at home for or just relax for a while.
It could be a long trip abroad instead of, like you mentioned, how you risk spending all your savings just for a degree that you yourself don't know yet if it's worth it.
Because you feel sorry to interrupt.
You feel like it's better to be if you're going to make this level of a decision, it's better to be sure.
Yeah.
And also, where did you get that idea of pursuing a master degree is the way out?
Is it because somebody around you is doing it and it's working for them?
Is it something that you want?
I don't think that's the issue because for a lot of people, they just don't know what to do.
And they probably for a whole lifetime, they I'm not saying, Julie, you are not understanding your life.
It's just it's really hard for people to actually get the direction or to choose which way I should go.
It's always been like that for whatever age group, right?
I went through exactly the same kind of mindset when I was also deciding whether I should go with further study or I should go to just a job.
And at that time I wanted a little bit of this, a little bit of that, maybe I can do both that kind of decision.
But one thing I was sure about back then was
Something that I didn't want.
It's probably the position that I've been doing for two years.
And I don't think I want to be in that industry any longer.
And that's the moment I quit that job and starting to maybe find another direction in the job market.
And that's the first step i would do
And then that's why i'm saying that because the decision you're making right now it's not only one decision it's a whole bunch of series of decisions
You need to quit your job you need to find another job you need to go to another country to living
And maybe should you go back?
Should you come back and decide whether kind of industry they're going to?
So don't feel like you have to answer all of these questions in one day or in one move.
Just maybe start with one.
Like think about what is...
Bugging you right now?
Is it the routine?
Is it the job career?
Is it the live experience that you're having right now?
So maybe make one small change at a time.
Is the perspective that I can get.
Yeah.
I mean, that's all very, very, very good advice.
The only thing I would add on top of that, because it sounds like if you guys are financial managers, for example, you would say, be careful with your investments.
I, when I was 24, moved to Asia because I thought, cool.
So it was a different stage of life.
It was a different set of circumstances.
So I can't say do it, Julie.
I can't say don't do it, Julie, because I think this decision has to be yours.
But I will say this.
Now, remember...
I'm kind of a fly by the seat of my pants kind of person.
If you don't make a change and you look back 15 years later, there's a chance that you might say, what if?
What if?
And I personally hate that question.
What if?
But good luck with your decision, Julie, and thank you very much for sharing your personal story with us.
