Xiaomi’s upcoming smartwatch looks like an Apple Watch clone (Update) - Android - Canadian apps and news

Xiaomi’s upcoming smartwatch looks like an Apple Watch clone (Update) - Android

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Update: Xiaomi has posted more pictures and specs, but it's also shown the MIUI for Watch skin in action.

The Xiaomi smartwatch, believed to be called the Mi Watch and running Wear OS. Weibo/Lei Jun

Update, October 31 2019 (3:43AM ET): Xiaomi continues to issue more details about its upcoming smartwatch, revealing that the so-called Mi Watch will pack a Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset, heart-rate tracking, cellular support, Wi-Fi, and GPS connectivity.

One of the biggest tidbits however is that the new smartwatch will come with Xiaomi’s MIUI skin, dubbed MIUI for Watch. It’s unclear if this skin will come to the West as well. It’s possible Xiaomi could use the skin and its own services for China, and switch to a more traditional WearOS experience with Google support in the West.

We also get a look at MIUI for Watch in action thanks to official videos uploaded to Weibo. One video, embedded below, shows a rather familiar lockscreen and navigation via the crown.

https://cdn57.androidauthority.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/miui-for-watch-weibo.mp4

Xiaomi will likely drop more information about the device ahead of its November 5 unveiling. But what would it take for you to buy the Mi Watch? Let us know in the comments!

Original article, October 29 2019 (3:37AM ET): Xiaomi announced a November 5 event earlier this week, where it’ll peel the curtain back on the Mi CC9 Pro (presumably the Mi Note 10 in the West). It also confirmed that we’ll get a look at a Xiaomi smartwatch, believed to be called the Mi Watch.

Now, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun and its Mijia brand have revealed the design on Weibo, and it looks like an Apple Watch clone. The resemblance to Apple’s wearable is uncanny, as we’re looking at a similar shape and digital crown here. The right side of the watch in particular seems to feature a near-identical digital crown/microphone/side button layout as the Apple Watch Series 5. Xiaomi’s design does seem a bit more box-like though, for lack of a better term. Check out a comparison below.

It’s disappointing to see Xiaomi take this route, as we’ve seen several prominent smartwatches opt for a different design to the Cupertino wearable. It’s also worth noting that this isn’t the first time in 2019 that Xiaomi faced allegations of copying Apple. The firm touted its Mimoji feature earlier this year, and then accidentally used Apple’s Memoji ads on the Xiaomi website.

In any event, the Xiaomi smartwatch or Mi Watch is believed to run Google’s Wear OS platform. There’s no word on other specifications, but hopefully it packs better battery life than the likes of the Fossil Gen 5 watch.

What do you make of the Mi Watch? Give us your thoughts below.