Xiaomi's new $50 smart watch targets children's market

Xiaomi quietly became one of the largest wearables brands on the market thanks to its low-cost Mi Band, which is available for $15. The company does not have a big presence outside China, but it does not need one to sell in great numbers in a country with nearly 1.4 billion people. Now, Xiaomi wants to continue this success in wearables with its first smart watch called the Mi Bunny.

The Bunny is a smart timepiece for children that costs only 299 yuan, or less than $50. It is not a particularly sophisticated piece of technology compared with other smart watches on the market, but it is not meant to be. The primary function is to keep kids in contact with their guardians and allow parents to track their kids, as the Verge reported. This means the watch has built-in GPS and a SIM card slot that works with 4G cards. The Bunny can make calls and send voice messages to specific contact numbers programmed into the device. It also supports Wi-Fi and has Bluetooth to connect to smartphones, if children need that functionality.

The display on the Bunny uses LED lights to create images. This, along with the bright-color plastic design, makes it clear the watch is a product for kids. The watch is not a great deal for adults the way Xiaomi's budget smartphones might be. However, it does provide a cost-effective way to give parents some peace of mind by helping stay in touch with their children.

Xiaomi and other China brands have the advantage of operating in the most populated country in the world. This has served Xiaomi well, although it has relied more on product diversification for growth than global expansion. Other China companies following Xiaomi's business model have found some success beyond the country’s borders, though. Oppo and Vivo broke recently into the top five smartphone makers in the world, and OnePlus has received a lot of praise for its smartphones internationally. China makers are now turning to wearables and Xiaomihas already proven at home that these products can sell fast with the right combination of price and features.