I bought a $12 Apple Watch Series 10, it’s bizarre

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Apple Watch in identify and elegance However not in nature Apple may be taught from this imitation

One in every of my favourite issues about Huaqiangbei, the world’s craziest tech market, is the varied vary of wares out there in its varied stalls. Go to this market in Shenzhen, China, and also you’ll discover 1000's of small retailers promoting a variety of merchandise, with the bulk being branded or impressed by Apple.

I discovered $9 AirPods Professional that had been unique and an awesome cut price, in addition to a number of drones and different tech merchandise. The strangest buy? This $12 Apple Watch Sequence 10, which resembles the unique Apple Watch at the very least till you begin utilizing it.

Right here’s the story of a weird Apple Watch Sequence 10, which is, actually, an Apple Watch, but in addition positively isn’t.

Apple Watch in identify and elegance

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In case you noticed this on somebody’s wrist, you’d instantly assume it was an unique Apple Watch. It options the identical giant show, digital crown, and energy key that you just’ll discover on an official Apple Watch.

Flip it over, and it additionally seems to be an official product, though it lacks a number of the hallmarks that you just’ll discover whenever you place it subsequent to an genuine one. It contains a ceramic case, a coronary heart charge monitor, and comes with a sport band that's an identical to an official Apple product.

Whenever you flip it on, there’s no setup; as an alternative, it boots immediately into the homescreen, which resembles Watch OS. Even the app drawer options the identical zoomed-out view as on Apple’s merchandise.

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There’s a number of apps that each one function the identical icons because the Apple Watch and work properly. There are additionally a number of apps you gained’t discover preloaded on an Apple Watch, corresponding to Alipay, which is without doubt one of the two tremendous apps utilized by everybody in China in each a part of day by day life. There are additionally shameless copies of most Watch OS apps, together with Exercise, Exercise, Messages, and way more.

You could possibly be fooled into pondering that that is an official Apple Watch. Nonetheless, when you begin to dig in additional, you’ll rapidly discover that it’s not an official Apple Watch.

However not in nature

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Essentially the most interesting factor concerning the Apple Watch is its connectivity to your iPhone. The least interesting factor about this Apple Watch? There’s no technique to join it to your cellphone, at the very least that I've discovered.

To pair it, you first have to enter a settings menu that tries to imitate Watch OS, however fails miserably. As an alternative of the overall menu, you have got a common menu, which is the results of a foul translation from Mandarin to English.

On the backside, there's an choice to pair with a brand new cellphone, which generates a QR code that it is advisable to scan with an app. Nonetheless, there isn't any indication of which app to make use of for scanning. In case you merely use your cellphone’s digital camera, it redirects you to a random Google search, which is the default conduct for many telephones after they can't acknowledge the endpoint for the QR code URL. I spent an hour looking for a technique to join this, however to no avail.

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Past the dearth of a companion app, there are additionally a number of different notable facets. The haptics are unusual and activate in two levels. The contact response on the display is significantly poorer than that of Apple’s merchandise. There’s additionally a number of apps which might be downright unusual and do little or no, corresponding to one that allows you to make it an AI Watch, no matter which means.

Regardless of this, some individuals can be joyful utilizing this as their watch, particularly given its worth and some of its options.

Apple may be taught from this imitation

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As stunning because it sounds, Apple may be taught from this watch. First, the app drawer contains a kaleidoscope view that lets you cycle by all put in apps in a extra intuitive and user-friendly method than the record or grid views, that are additionally out there. Second, this Watch has barely higher step counting than the unique Apple Watch Sequence 10 on my different wrist.

The most important shock is that, apart from notifications and cellphone connection, that is basically a great watch. It precisely shows the time, and the health and exercise options work. Though it lacks the polish of an official product, and also you’ll seemingly by no means obtain an replace, it’s out there for a fraction of the worth.

<img decoding="async" data-wp-init="callbacks.setButtonStyles" data-wp-on-async--click="actions.showLightbox" data-wp-on-async--load="callbacks.setButtonStyles" data-wp-on-async-window--resize="callbacks.setButtonStyles" src="https://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/12-dollar-apple-watch-series-10-6.jpg?fit=2560%2C1920&p=1" alt="Heart rate sensor on a Apple Watch Series 10 copycat product" class="wp-image-3911355"/> Nirave Gondhia / Digital Developments

Dubbed the Watch S10 Professional, it’s not a Professional watch and doesn’t supply the complete expertise of an Apple Watch, however could possibly be ultimate as a starter watch for a kid or when you’re extraordinarily restricted by funds. In any case, it prices lower than 5% of an actual Apple Watch and presents significantly greater than a $10 watch you possibly can purchase wherever else. For most individuals, that’s a worthwhile trade-off, even when it gained’t be making its manner onto any greatest smartwatches record anytime quickly.