A note from Juniper Research’s James Moar has asserted that wearable devices will be of interest to Chinese manufacturers after Xiaomi announced the Mi Band fitness wearable.

Xiaomi is currently prospering in the smartphone market, having recently overtaken Samsung in Chinese sales, according to research from Canalys. Yet its move into the low-end wearable market with Mi Band – at 79 yuan (£7.50), less than one tenth of the cost of Fitbit’s Flex – has caused an interesting debate. A Business Week article spoke of it as part of Xiaomi’s “plan to conquer the world”, while a TechCrunch review described it as a “beautifully simple tracker.”

Moar argues that the Mi Band is not entirely low end, offering security features “a step above what current wearables offer”, alongside a purported 30 days of battery life. No wonder Business Week author Brad Stone said Xiaomi is “turning the release of high-end, low-priced gadgets into a ritual.”

China has already gained a stranglehold on the smartphone market, with Android Authority’s Jonathan Feist describing 2014 as “the rising tide of the Chinese smartphone manufacturer”. This trend, Juniper argues, will eventually be at the heart of wearable device building.

“These devices and business moves are, if successful, set to redefine wearables capabilities and bring them to a wider audience than China itself,” Moar wrote. “Traditionally very much an inward-looking technology market, the companies involved in these wearables developments are much more likely to look to expand elsewhere once they’ve had success at home.

“And that could redefine what passes as standard in the currently very US-centric wearables market,” he added.

Take a look at the full note here.

 

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