Makers of 'much cheaper' Chinese smartwatches say clock is ticking for Apple
A welcome boost in business for domestic alternatives costing a fraction of the price
The Apple Watch goes on sale on Friday but Chinese factories are already churning out cheaper alternatives, to the delight of local consumers.
“Our product has all the functions Apple Watch has, and even surpasses them,” said Zheng Yi, founder of a firm whose electronic watches can make phone calls, browse the internet and play movies.
His profits may lag behind the US tech giant, but Zheng said he “started working on smart watches eight years ago, long before Apple”.
Apple has been hugely successful in China and industry analysts expect its new “smartwatch” will be a hit with status-conscious consumers in the world’s most populous country.
But it is priced from 2,588 yuan (US$400), and Chinese alternatives cost only about a sixth as much wholesale.