Xiaomi’s Hugo Berra yesterday showed off a new gadget that the Chinese company is working on. Still nameless, the small gadget is effectively a small button that plugs into your Xiaomi phone’s headset jack. Different click types trigger up to 10 different actions such as taking a picture or recording a phone call. If it sounds familiar, it’s because it’s effectively a copy of a Kickstarter project called Pressy (which EyeOnMobility backed) which is pictured below.
The only difference between the two gadgets is that Xiaomi’s version comes with a clip to attach to your headphones’ cord whereas the Pressy comes with a key ring instead.
Pressy’ Kickstarter campaign was a resounding success. It met its US$40,000 target in less than 24 hours and went on to raise nearly US$700,000. Initially expected to begin shipping in March, Pressy pushed the delivery window back to mid-April to address manufacturing issues.
Pressy issued the following statement to Engadget:
“Though the knock-off versions were anticipated, we did not expect to see it from such a respectable and known company … We have IP rights for the design and functionality of Pressy, and are considering our next moves to handle the situation.”
In the meantime, Xiaomi’s Pressy clone will go on sale as early as April 8 in China. Adding insult to injury, it will sell for about ¥4.9 (about CA$0.90) compared to the US$27 for the Pressy, something that has many backers quite upset.
Xiaomi is not the only company that was clearly a little too inspired by Pressy. An Indiegogo project is also looking to raise funds for a nearly identical project but it does appear at this point that it will not reach its funding goal.
We’ll have to see how this story develops…
Sources : Xiaomi // +HugoBarra // Engadget