Mainland China Apple customers will pay a hefty luxury tax if they want to purchase an Apple Watch when its released in April. So, it’s China’s counterfeiting industry to the rescue, already flooding the stores with copycat devices.
Apple Watch prices in mainland China are anywhere from 16 to 20 percent higher than they are in other countries, according to Apple. The 38-millimeter Sport model comes in at ¥2,588 ($413) in the People’s Republic, a healthy 15 percent premium over its $351 price tag in Hong Kong, while the top-of-the-line rose gold Edition clocks in at ¥126,800 — more than $20,000.
China slaps a hefty luxury tax – which can amount to more than 30% – on imported items. And while some buyers cough up the extra, or buy the item on overseas visits, others go on a search for knockoffs.
While many of the knockoff watches look nearly identical to Apple’s wearable, they are mostly only compatible with Google’s Android mobile operating system.
A counterfeit watch from Chinese maker Zhimeide includes a Digital Crown, and can control a connected phone’s camera. The device, which costs around $48 USD, includes a battery which claims to provide standby time of over seven days, but only supplies about three hours of power under heavy use.
Of course counterfeit Apple products are nothing new, as Chinese knockoff artists have long targeted the Cupertino company’s popular iOS devices. AppleInsider notes that some counterfeiters have even set up fake Apple Stores, so convincing that even the employees believed they actually worked for Apple.
Apple continues to battle the counterfeiters, filing suit against several Chinese counterfeiters last year, seeking billions of dollars in damages for the lookalikes.
