For Leo in Chicago, this was a digital prison. Every morning, a “Weather” app popped up showing smog levels in Beijing. His Google Assistant was replaced by a silent Breeno. And worst of all, was a ghost—replaced by a sea of Chinese characters and apps named “WeChat” and “Taobao.”

He felt like a tourist who couldn’t speak the language in his own pocket.

He walked into a coffee shop, pulled out his phone, and paid via Google Pay—something impossible 24 hours earlier. The barista noticed the phone. “Nice Oppo. Where’d you get the global version?”