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For China's taxi drivers, smartphones are as important as seat belts

Ride-hailing apps, robotaxis and flying cars add stiff competition to gain customers

Taxi drivers need multiple smartphones to handle the various ride-hailing apps used by commuters. (Photo by Tomoko Wakasugi)

SHANGHAI -- Taxi drivers in China are facing cutthroat competition from ride-hailing apps, robotaxis and even flying cars, pushing some to use several smartphones in the battle for customers.

Ride-hailing services have been popular in China since early in the technology's history. Didi, the leader with a market share of about 70%, was founded in 2012. Domestic ride-sharing app users in China exceeded 500 million in December last year.

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