Reporter's Notes | How Did "Hard-to-Understand" Dreame Become the "Top Star" of Home Appliance and Consumer Electronics Expo?

[Caixin] From March 12 to 15 this year, the 2026 China Home Appliance and Consumer Electronics Expo (AWE) was held in Shanghai. Qumi became a focal point with multiple new products, new projects, and high foot traffic: the Qumi automotive concept car and the AURORA smartphone brand made their debut, with a luxury customized version priced at 100,000 yuan; and the launch of the first “Yao Tai” series space computing satellite.

Against this backdrop of cross-industry releases, many of Qumi’s new products showcased at AWE—such as robotic vacuum cleaners, floor washers, vacuum cleaners, air conditioners, TVs, small kitchen appliances, and hair dryers—appeared somewhat conventional within the overall narrative.

Qumi spared no expense for this AWE, renting the entire over 7,000-square-meter E7 pavilion, setting up booths in multiple exhibition halls and outside the venue, with a total display area exceeding 11,000 square meters. On March 13, the venue even limited entry due to overwhelming crowds. Staff on-site said that during peak times, the queue time approached an hour. Qumi claims its ecosystem is centered on “people, vehicles, homes, and the core,” encompassing smart cars, smartphones, smart home appliances, sky exploration, cosmic resources, energy equipment, and full-spectrum chips.