A lot of people will consider any non-round smartwatch inspired by the Apple Watch, regardless of how close the design actually is aside from the rectangular-ish shape. And even if something is inspired by something else, it’s still pretty easy to distinguish between the inspiration and the “inspired by”.
Huawei, however, is in a different realm with the upcoming Watch Fit 3, if the renders of the device that leaked today turn out to be accurate. It would be very hard for most people to tell this one apart from an Apple Watch from afar – and even up close, we’d wager.
Huawei Watch Fit 3 – they’re going full Apple Watch clone mode with that new, more squarish screen and the crown up there in the right corner it seems. pic.twitter.com/5kwJXEkXvK
— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) April 19, 2024
Sure, upon very close inspection, the metal frames are different, as are the screen’s bezels. But was there any need to put a button that looks just like Apple’s Digital Crown in the exact same position as it is on an Apple Watch? A reason, that is, other than to make people who see you wearing one of these think it’s an Apple Watch. The other button is also placed exactly where it would be on an Apple Watch.
The case shape is less “inspired by” and more “practically identical”, as is the curvature of the corners. So, if you’ve always wanted a device that looks like an Apple watch but want to use an Android phone, the Huawei Watch Fit 3 will provide you with a unique opportunity once it comes out in the near future. It was initially rumored to launch alongside the new Pura 70 series of smartphones, but that didn’t happen. Still, it’s only a matter of time now.