In the Media

In 2023, the Belgian newspaper Dernière Heure revealed that the ride-hailing platform Uber charges different prices to users based on their phone’s battery level.[1] Specifically, for the same trip, if your phone has 84% battery remaining, Uber charges 16.6 euros; but if you only have 12% battery left, the price rises to 17.56 euros. The logic behind this pricing is obvious: if your phone is about to run out of battery, you’re probably in no position to wait, and have no choice but to accept Uber’s higher price

In a recent interview with Ming Pao, Prof. Heiwai Tang, Associate Vice-President of HKU, explained that Hong Kong’s economic growth coupled with weak consumer sentiment stems from price rigidity—where wages and shop rents remain high, causing slow price adjustments. He noted that this leads the public to perceive restaurants as understaffed and expensive, yet offering poor quality, while high costs undermine business competitiveness and dampen consumer spending.