# Uncanny Valley

The $140,000 Cyber-Companion: Why China’s Humanoid Future is Still Tethered to the Wall

UBTECH has pivoted toward the consumer market with the U1 series, a line of expensive ultra-realistic humanoid companions designed for emotional support. Despite massive initial pre-orders, the product faces significant hurdles including a 2-4 hour battery life and the technical difficulty of scaling highly complex bionic hardware.