Yesterday, Chinese company Xiaomi shared teasers of its upcoming Mi Watch on Weibo. The device is set to mark the company's entry into the smartwatch market, and Xiaomi's got plenty of experience with wearables through the Mi Bands. As soon as the teasers were published, folks started to comment on how the device resembled Apple's Apple Watch lineup. So, we've collected all the information for the Mi Watch and compared it with the Apple Watches to see just how similar the two product lineups are. Take a look below for more details.
Xiaomi's Mi Watch Copies Apple Watch With Squarish Design & Button Placement
Xiaomi first came to fame when it openly emulated Apple's keynotes with its smartphone launches. In fact, the company's management went as far as to state the imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, as its CEO started to wear Steve Jobs' trademark black shirt and blue jeans on product launches.
Now by teasing the Mi Watch, the company has once again shown how it admires Apple's products. The Cupertino tech giant's Apple Watch took the wearable market by storm by not only integrating hardware and software but by also providing a premium look and feel that Apple's best known for.
Taking a look at the images above shared on Xiaomi's Weibo, it's clear that the Mi Watch will be a near-replica of the Apple Watch. The gadget has a similar form factor and both its digital crown and power button are located in the same place as the Apple Watch 5. However, this isn't where the two gadgets' similarities end, as they also continue with their specifications.
Spec-wise, the Xiaomi Mi Watch will support Near Field Communication, WiFi, GPS and an eSIm to let it make phone calls. Apple's Apple Watch 5 (no surprise here) also supports all these features. But Xiaomi's attempt to mimic the Cupertino tech giant's wearable ends here, due to both devices differing in two critical areas.
Firstly, the Mi Watch should be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 3xxx processor designed for Wear OS gadgets. Secondly, it will also be powered by Wear OS, although Xiaomi hasn't been clear about which version of the software will run on the upcoming gadget. These two differences are what will separate the Mi Watch from the Apple Watch 5, and it's a tight integration of the two which has allowed Apple to propel itself at the forefront of the smartwatch market and differentiate the iPhones from its competitors.
Thoughts? Let us know what you think in the comments section below and stay tuned. We'll keep you updated on the latest.
About the author: Ramish is a seasoned technology writer and editor with more than a decade of experience. He specializes in semiconductor fabrication and market analysis. With a background in finance and supply chain management - via his bachelors in Finance and a micromasters in supply chain management from MIT - Ramish combines financial rigor with deep industry insight to deliver accurate and authoritative coverage.
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