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Chinese clone-makers ramp up the fake Apple Watches including Gold Edition, pricing from $40 to $80

zeaplus-watch

We started seeing Apple Watch knockoffs at CES, but now that Apple has given more details about the real thing, the Chinese clone-makers appear to be really ramping up their efforts.

The Telegraph notes that companies offering the fakes are quite shameless about it, using the Apple Watch name and logo, and some of them copying the design details all the way down to the four sensors on the back of the watch. You almost have to admire the sheer gall of a company which advertises an “iWatch” using the slogan “Knockoff Apple watches have hit the market!” …

fake-apple-watches

While some of the fakes look undeniably cheap, others look pretty convincing–at least in render form. GizChina reports that the Zeaplus Watch–shown at the top, and not yet available for sale–will be available in silver, gray and (fake) gold, and will feature a heart-rate monitor as well as supporting iOS notifications.

Business Insider found fakes from just 259 Yuan–a little over $40. Just to add to the confusion, some of the vendors are apparently offering genuine watches before they go on sale, and at knockdown prices, but as the BBC’s Leo Kelion notes, what they are actually advertising in the small-print is the ability to put down a deposit on that date. Whether you’ll actually get the real thing if you do is anyone’s guess.

Here’s a gallery of just some of the listings on Chinese ecommerce site Taobao.

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Comments

  1. chrisl84 - 9 years ago

    As much as I love Apple…..these are probably smarter buys.

    • Pack your lunch and your coffee for 10 or 15 days and you’ll have money to buy an Apple Watch.
      People think its overpriced but spend like crazy on breakfast, lunch, dinners, snacks and coffee outside.

      • chrisl84 - 9 years ago

        Funny because I do pack my lunch EVERY day but thanks for the advice, having a degree in finance and accounting I am really bad with understanding the value of money.

      • Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend. You can understand what I was trying to say. Most people can easily afford it if they really want to.
        And hey:) you have a degree and you still think buying a $40-$80 pedometer is smarter than buying a $400 device that you can pay with, board a plane with, open your garage door, hotel room, car or home with, connect with loved ones, workout, run or listen to music with, play games on, check your emails, answer text messages, get directions with, instagram, facebook, yelp, twitter…? to name a few.

      • You’re a very sensible person, Elias. I like your posts.

    • izinkdifferent - 9 years ago

      He can already do all that with his iPhone. Why spend $400 on redundant functionality ?

  2. patthecarnut - 9 years ago

    Well of course….should we expect any less from the Clonese…err I mean….

    They haven’t had an original idea in 3000 years

  3. They are basically just a cheap dummy on your hand so it’s basically useless.

  4. motilon79 - 9 years ago

    These pirate products are attractive at the beginning because of outside looking and low price but after one day you’ll throw them away after dealing with the bad software and limited fuctions due to cheap inner hardware.

  5. cm477 - 9 years ago

    Well of course the renderings look real, aren’t they just lifted from Apple’s website?

  6. Dave Cooke - 9 years ago

    what i cant understand is why people would want to use the watch when the iphone can do the same thing, if you could use it with a older apple device then it would seem a good idea, however you need a iphone 5 and above to use the watch. im not no apple fanboy, and i dont like android, however i am using a iphone 6 i would have liked something abit different, not in design but practicality

Author

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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