Core Viewpoint - The core viewpoint of the article emphasizes that Midea's main competitor is not other brands but its future self, focusing on continuous internal improvement and innovation in the air conditioning sector [2][4]. Group 1: Product Innovation and Market Strategy - Midea's "Cool Energy Saving" series has sold over 10 million units since its launch in 2023, demonstrating strong market demand [2]. - The "Cool Energy Saving" feature is not just a label; it is backed by AI variable frequency and smart technology to genuinely reduce energy consumption while maintaining comfort [2][4]. - Midea's air conditioning products are designed with user comfort as a priority, indicating a user-driven approach to product development [5]. Group 2: Competitive Landscape - The air conditioning industry is experiencing intense price competition, with new players like Xiaomi entering the market, increasing pressure on established brands [4]. - Midea welcomes new entrants into the air conditioning market, believing they can provide fresh perspectives and insights on product development [4]. Group 3: Corporate Culture and Internal Focus - Midea's corporate culture emphasizes a user-centric approach, ensuring that all product and service developments are driven by user needs [5]. - The company believes that its long-standing expertise in variable frequency technology and AI capabilities, combined with a strong focus on user rights, will support sustained sales and performance growth [4]. Group 4: Smart Home Strategy - Midea is advancing its whole-home smart ecosystem strategy, centered around the "Little AI" system, which integrates various smart technologies to enhance user experience [6]. - The AI system is designed to create a proactive service environment, allowing home appliances to respond intelligently to user needs [6][7]. - Midea aims to position air conditioning as a key component of its smart home strategy, with plans to enhance its smart capabilities further by 2026 [8].

Core Viewpoint - Midea is focusing on user value rather than the concept of "ecosystem," emphasizing the integration of smart home, smart cars, and smartphones to meet user needs across different spaces and scenarios [1][2]. Group 1: Midea's Strategy - Midea is implementing a dual-brand strategy with COLMO and Midea to create deep smart home integration, aiming to connect users across various environments [1]. - The concept of "human-vehicle-home integration" is not unique to Xiaomi but is seen as a direction for the development of the Internet of Things (IoT) [4]. - Midea has conducted extensive research on user needs for connectivity between smartphones, cars, and traditional homes, indicating a demand for seamless integration [2]. Group 2: Industry Context - The "human-vehicle-home" concept has been referenced by other companies, including Huawei, which emphasizes its HarmonyOS in its smart living solutions [4]. - Midea is a member of the Matter protocol, which aims to standardize connectivity across various smart devices, and has already launched products supporting this protocol [4]. - According to Omdia, the number of devices supporting the Matter protocol is expected to increase by 300% in 2024, with the average number of connected devices in homes rising from 6 to 9-10 [4]. Group 3: Midea's IoT Development - Midea established its IoT research lab in 2013 and has progressed through three phases of smart home development, from single-device control to a unified IoT platform [5]. - The current phase focuses on an integrated solution centered around AI, with the Midea app connecting over 1.259 billion devices and having more than 1.159 billion registered users [5]. - Midea plans to expand its connectivity efforts with smartphone and automotive companies to enhance integration beyond the home environment [5].