Tech Brief (April 30): BYD Increases Price of Driver-Assistance System

Published: Apr. 30, 2026 6:56 p.m. GMT+8

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BYD hikes price of driver-assistance system as memory chip costs surge

BYD Co. Ltd. will raise the price of an advanced driver-assistance system package on some models in May as surging memory-chip costs squeeze the auto industry. The Chinese new-energy vehicle maker said Tuesday that the optional God’s Eye B driver-assist system will increase to 12,000 yuan ($1,757) from 9,900 yuan. The system supports complex urban navigation, a technically demanding feature that requires higher-performance computing and memory hardware than lower-tier systems designed only for highway driving. Memory chips have been on a rapid, sustained price upswing since the third quarter of 2025. Standard dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) contract prices are estimated to have surged 93% to 98% quarter-on-quarter in the first three months of 2026 and are expected to rise another 58% to 63% in the second quarter, according to market-research firm TrendForce.

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BYD raises God's Eye B driver-assist price to 12,000 yuan ($1,757) from 9,900 yuan due to DRAM surge (93-98% Q1 2026).
Insta360 2025 net profit down 6.6% despite 74.8% revenue rise; Q1 2026 profit falls 52% to 84.6M yuan amid DJI rivalry.
Tencent launches Copilot AI agent with memory; Post Bureau meets couriers on competition, stability.

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Who’s Who

BYD Co. Ltd.: BYD Co. Ltd. will raise the price of its God’s Eye B driver-assist system to 12,000 yuan ($1,757) from 9,900 yuan in May, due to surging memory-chip costs. The system enables complex urban navigation on select models, amid DRAM prices surging 93-98% Q1 2026 and expected 58-63% rise in Q2. (62 words)

TrendForce: TrendForce estimates standard DRAM contract prices surged 93%-98% quarter-on-quarter in Q1 2026 and are expected to rise another 58%-63% in Q2 2026, amid memory chip price upswings since Q3 2025.

Shenzhen Arashi Vision Co. Ltd.: Shenzhen Arashi Vision Co. Ltd. (Insta360) reported a 6.6% net profit decline in 2025 despite 74.8% revenue surge, due to heavy R&D and DJI rivalry. Q1 2026 profit plunged 52% to 84.6M yuan ($12.4M) as revenue rose 83.1% to 2.5B yuan. Post-June 2025 IPO, it launched Antigravity A1 drone; chairman alleged DJI supplier pressure.

SZ DJI Technology Co. Ltd.: SZ DJI Technology Co. Ltd., a drone giant, faces escalating rivalry from Insta360, which launched the Antigravity A1 360-degree drone in Dec 2025 to challenge its dominance. Insta360 alleged DJI pressured supply chain partners to cut ties ahead of the launch.

Tencent Holdings Ltd.: Tencent Holdings Ltd. launched a knowledge AI agent named Copilot on its artificial intelligence workstation. Users can create personalized AI assistants with a built-in memory system that tracks backgrounds, habits, and ongoing tasks across scenarios for continuous assistance without repetitive inputs.

JD.com: JD.com executives attended a State Post Bureau symposium with J&T Express, SF Express, ZTO, and Cainiao. Discussions focused on promoting high-quality industry development, curbing excessive competition, maintaining stability, and improving service quality.

J&T Express: J&T Express executives attended a State Post Bureau symposium with peers like JD.com, SF Express, ZTO, and Cainiao. Discussions focused on high-quality industry development, curbing excessive competition, maintaining stability, and improving service quality.

SF Express: SF Express executives attended a State Post Bureau symposium on Tuesday with peers from JD.com, J&T Express, ZTO, and Cainiao. Discussions aimed at promoting high-quality industry development, curbing excessive competition, ensuring stability, and enhancing service quality.

ZTO: ZTO executives attended a State Post Bureau symposium on Tuesday with peers from JD.com, J&T Express, SF Express, and Cainiao. Discussions focused on high-quality industry development, curbing excessive competition, maintaining stability, and improving service quality.

Cainiao: Cainiao attended a State Post Bureau symposium with executives from JD.com, J&T Express, SF Express, and ZTO. Discussions focused on promoting high-quality industry development, curbing excessive competition, maintaining stability, and improving service quality.

AI generated, for reference only