Cheap 'Apple Watch look-alikes' available for as low as $30 in China

The Apple Watch was launched in the US recently, but knock-off are already available in China. China's copycat manufacturers are selling cheaper clones of Apple Watch in South China's Shenzhen City and also in China's popular e-commerce site Alibaba.

In Huanqianbei mall Apple Watch clones named as 'U Watch' or 'D Watch' featuring similar design and function are being sold at around CNY 200 (Rs. 2,000 | $30) which is less than one-tenth of the price of the cheapest Apple Watch ($350 | Rs. 20,000). Some sellers at the Huanqiabei mall say an improved iOS friendly version is being produced which will enter the market next month and will be sold for CNY 400 (Rs. 4,000).

Cheaper clones of Apple Watch are also being advertised on China's popular online shopping service Alibaba. Alibaba's Taobao site lists clone Apple Watches branded AW08 and iWatch. Both models features Apple Watch's 'digital crown' dials on their sides, similar-styled straps and UI graphics. However most of them runs on Google's Android platform rather than iOS. They are priced at CNY 250 (Rs. 2500 | $40).

Not only that, at least eight vendors on Taobao advertised watches as "Apple Watch" or "Apple Watch lookalike". Most of the watches were compatible with Apple's iOS or Google's Android OS. 

One vendor jokingly used Chinese slang for a vulgar rich person, offering an "All-New Apple Tyrant Gold Mobile Phone-Supporting Watch" for 288 yuan (Rs. 2,880 | $45).

The Chinese version of Apple Watch only resemble the appearance more than the performance. It can receive calls, be used for text messaging and has music player. However they do not feature the same heart-monitoring sensors and popular apps, but boast of longer battery life.

When asked whether Alibaba had taken action against any sellers, in a statement it said "Alibaba Group is dedicated to the fight against counterfeits. We work closely with our government partners, brands and industry associations to tackle this issue at its source. We also utilize technology like data mining and big data to scrub our platforms of counterfeits."

Source : IANS | IBN Live