Report: Xiaomi to respond to Apple Watch with a smartwatch of its own

Considering that Xiaomi is known as "China's Apple," perhaps it is no surprise to hear that the manufacturer will soon be releasing a smartwatch of its own. The eagerly awaited Apple Watch is launching on April 24th. Xiaomi would obviously love to take advantage of Apple's propensity to create a rising tide that lifts all boats with a new product or feature.

The Xiaomi Smart Watch is rumored to have a large dial and could offer pulse wave velocity identification. This would permit users to verify their identity using their own individual pulse waves. Adding this feature to a smartwatch would be extremely difficult considering the amount of energy required to power it.

The Xiaomi Smart Watch is expected to feature a brushed metal design, similar to what we've seen on the back of the HTC One M9. It should come with a round dial and a thin design. And of course, being a Xiaomi device, it will probably be more affordable.

Besides a watch, Xiaomi is also said to be working on a sequel to its Mi Band fitness tracker. First launched last summer, one million of the bands were shipped by Xiaomi in the first three months of its existence. We should see a new NFC sensor stuffed in the wearable. The original model offered Bluetooth connectivity and an accelerometer.

At this point, Xiaomi has not offered any information regarding pricing or a launch date for either device.

source: 36Krypton (translated) via GizmoChina