Why Is Everyone Obsessed? HYROX, Labubu & Nokia’s ¥199 WeChat Phone | On The Table

Why is everyone suddenly doing HYROX? How did Labubu become a global obsession? And why is Nokia launching a ¥199 phone that can make WeChat video calls? In this episode of The Bund Frequency: On The Table, the hosts sit down to unpack three stories that caught our attention — and the bigger cultural shifts behind them.

We talk about HYROX's rapid rise in Shanghai and whether fitness events are becoming the new nightlife, the strange economics and psychology behind the Labubu craze, and why a deliberately simple Nokia phone might actually make sense in an age where our devices keep getting more complicated.

This is "On The Table" — where we take the things people are talking about and figure out what they might actually say about culture, business and the way we live.

Show Notes

This episode explores:

• Nokia's ¥199 WeChat video-call phone
• Why simple technology might still have a place
• The HYROX craze in Shanghai
• Is fitness becoming the new nightlife?
• Exercise, community and social status
• The strange rise of Labubu
• Scarcity, collectibles and consumer psychology
• Why adults spend serious money on toys
• How social media turns products into cultural phenomena

At the heart of this episode is a simple question:

"Do we really need to become one thing, or can we build a life around all the parts that make sense to us?"

About the show

The Bund Frequency is a conversation show about business, tech, culture, creativity, and life in China. The goal is simple: to talk about what is happening in the world in a way that feels clear, honest, and human.

Some episodes will feature guests. Some will be team conversations. Some topics will be serious. Others will be lighter. But the focus stays the same: asking why things matter and how they connect to real people.

Produced by

The Bund Frequency is produced by Limecut Studios in Shanghai — a creative and storytelling company working across film, branded content, and culture.

Follow the show

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmD9P5UTOesbvmuauA7HGKQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebundfrequency?igsh=YXRpeXFqNjR0eGEx&utm_source=qr

Credits

Temitayo Adegboyega

Alexander Yushkevich

Cecilia Li

Ana Ling

Yuliia Honchar

Songer Jin

Mila Dapkiunas