China’s coolest smartwatch struggles to sell, but plans global launch next year

China’s coolest homegrown smartwatch, the GEAK Watch, was unveiled this summer and started shipping on July 3 for $325. So, how many wrists is the Android-powered smartwatch now wrapped around?

According to GEAK founder Gu Xiaobin, 100,000 GEAK Watches have been sold from July to mid-October. That’s only about 30,000 a month, so this piece of wearable tech seems to be struggling to sell. In contrast, Chinese phone-maker Xiaomi sold 100,000 of its new Mi3 phones in just 90 seconds (OK, not very fair to compare a phone with a smartwatch).

A GEAK representative tells TechinAsia that the GEAK Watch will soon be available in more colors, as with the colorful bands on the Sony Smartwatch 2 and the later Samsung Galaxy Gear. Then, sometime in early 2014, the Chinese firm aims to sell the watch across Europe, America, Southeast Asia, Japan, Australia, and the Middle East.

GEAK has already enlisted Saibo Electronics, a subsidiary company of Foxconn, as its sole agent in Southeast Asia.

GEAK phones venturing overseas too

The Android-based Geak Eye (left) and Geak Mars phones.

Indeed, it’s not just the watch that will venture overseas but also the Geak Mars and Geak Eye smartphones and the Geak Ring that were also launched this summer. That will pitch GEAK up against other Chinese phone-makers venturing outside of their homeland, such as Coolpad and OPPO.

GEAK is a startup subsidiary of Shanda, a Chinese web giant that’s best known among consumers for its Bambook e-reader and e-bookstore. Shanda tried to use the Bambook name to launch its own Android-based smartphone in 2012, but that seems to have flopped and no 2013 updated model has emerged. Shanda’s own plan for a smartwatch also seems to have been subsumed into the GEAK venture.

Here are some specs:

• GEAK Watch – 1.5-inch screen at 240×240 pixels; Android 4.1; Bluetooth 4.0. Works with other Android phones and syncs via an Android phone or Windows PC app. Costs RMB 1,999 ($325)
• GEAK Ring – Can be used to securely unlock your GEAK phone, bump your contact details to someone with the same device, and keep your device awake when you’re holding your GEAK phone in proximity to the ring. Claimed battery life of 99 years. Costs RMB 199 ($33).
• GEAK Mars – Flagship phone with a 5.8-inch, 1080p HD screen (at 377 PPI) and powered along by a 1.7 GHz Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor. 13MP rear camera and 2MP at front; 3200mAh battery; runs Android 4.1. Costs RMB 2,999 ($487).
• GEAK Eye – The more affordable of the pair of phones still has quad-core (but only a Mediatek chip) and a 5-inch screen at 720p. 2000mAh battery. Runs Android 4.2. Costs RMB 1,999 ($325).

(Editing by Josh Horwitz)