Xiaomi has already drawn Apple comparisons from the tech community over its iPhone lookalike handsets and iOS-aping MIUI interface.
In the past, we were willing to overlook those issues as the products it released boasted solid specs at affordable prices, although here in the west we still haven’t been able to get our hands on the devices.
Now, however, the company may have gone a step too far in its emulation of the company it calls its main inspiration.
Following its $25 million investment in Chinese healthcare electronics maker Andron Health earlier this week, Xiaomi has now unveiled the fruits of their collaboration.
The new device is a smartphone dock that turns your handset into a health measurement tool with the help of an accompanying app. Xiaomi has every right to follow the health and fitness trends dominating the tech market at present – after all, it also unveiled its very own absurdly cheap fitness band earlier this year.
The problem lies in the name of the product; iHealth. We have a feeling that sooner or later, Apple is going to have to take note of Xiaomi’s cloning of its brand. Especially as it looks to gain a larger foothold in China with its health-centric iPhone 6.
In its favour, the iHealth dock costs an affordable 199 Chinese Yuan (approximately $33) and can track blood pressure and heart rate using an attached pad that attaches to a user’s arm, much like a blood pressure machine. The app then tracks the relevant data, including systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
The new dock forms part of a bigger iHealth Labs venture from Xiaomi and Andron Health, which will see the release of more devices and software in the future. the release of the dock combined with its Mi Band shows that Xiaomi has both younger and older users in its sights with its current focus on health. Whether either of the devices will be released in these parts has yet to be confirmed.
