可穿戴市场“黑马”：小米手环

    和美国目前最畅销的几款可穿戴设备相比，小米手环给人的第一印象并不深刻。它既不能显示通知，也无法连接第三方应用，甚至连时间都不能显示。然而正是这样一款产品，却很可能成为方兴未艾的可穿戴市场的搅局者。

    IDC公司最新发布的一份报告显示，上个季度，小米公司可穿戴设备的出货量仅次于两家科技巨头Fitbit和苹果，排在第三位。2015年第二季度，小米手环的出货量达到310万部，是排名第四的Garmin公司出货量的四倍多，占据全球市场17.1%的份额。当然，小米最广为人知的还是它的智能手机，但在健身追踪器市场上，小米也开始扮演一个举足轻重的角色。

    小米手环的崛起之所以让人惊讶，是因为此前它只在少数市场中销售，最重要的市场就是中国。

    IDC公司研究经理拉蒙•拉马斯指出：“小米目前的确是一个中国现象。绝大部分，即97%的小米手环，都是在中国售出的。”

    今年6月，小米在线商城正式上线，小米手环终于在美国和欧洲开售。所以IDC的数据只包含了一个月的美国市场销量。随着渠道的拓宽，小米手环的销量很可能将出现激增。只不过小米的在线销售模式在美国的反响或许不会特别好。

    “可穿戴设备仍然是一种新产品，大家都想尝试一下，而这一点在网上是没法做得特别好的。小米在中国是一个很好的品牌，也有很好的渠道，但它在美国的品牌知名度比较低，渠道也有限。至少可以说，美国市场对小米是一个挑战。”

    可穿戴设备是一个很宽泛的门类，很难对Fitbit Charge、Apple Watch和小米手环进行一个公正的横向比较。苹果手表可以说是一台功能齐全的腕上电脑，而小米手环却连屏幕都没有。

    但小米手环在价格上，几乎比所有主流可穿戴设备都要便宜得多。它的售价只有15美元，只是Fit和Jawbone的零头，但一样具备计步功能和睡眠量化功能。这种简洁性使它的电池续航时间达到30天之久，从而不太可能会因为忘记充电而被用户扔在抽屉里。另外，低廉的售价也使它成为许多发展中国家中产阶级的现实选择。

    有证据显示，超过50%的Fitbit用户在12个月内使用。由于小米手环要比美国产的可穿戴设备便宜很多，这很可能会说服失望的Fitbit用户再次给计步产品一个机会。另外，就算这款15美元的小米手环最后同样被用户扔进抽屉里，也不是什么大不了的损失。（财富中文网）

    译者：朴成奎

    审校：任文科

    Compared to the best-selling wearables in the United States, Xiaomi’s Mi Band looks underwhelming: It can’t display notifications, connect to third-party apps, or even tell the time. But, in the end, the product might just end up being what disrupts the wearables market just as it’s heating up.

    Xiaomi shipped more wearable devices in the last quarter than everyone except tech giants Fitbit and Apple, according to a new report from IDC. In the second quarter of 2015, Xiaomi shipped 3.1 million units of its Mi Band — over four times as many wearables as the fourth place company, Garmin, and good for 17.1% of the global market. Sure, Xiaomi is best known for its smartphones, but it’s truly a major player in the fitness tracker world.

    What makes the Mi Band’s rise so striking is that previously, it was sold only in a few select markets — most importantly, China.

    “Xiaomi is really a Chinese phenomenon right now. The vast majority, we’re talking 97% of its units, are ending up in China.” says Ramon Llamas, research manager at IDC.

    The Mi Band finally went on sale in the United States and Europe this past June when Xiaomi opened up its online store. So IDC’s data only includes a single month of US sales. With increased availability, the Mi Band could be in line for a major bump in sales. Still — Xiaomi’s online sales model might not translate particularly well to the United States.

    “Wearables are still new, people want to try these on, and you can’t do that online that well,” says Llamas. “Xiaomi is a great Chinese brand with great distribution, but low brand visibility in the US and limited distribution. It’s going to be a challenge to say the least.”

    Wearables is a broad category and it’s a valid argument that you can’t compare a Fitbit Charge or Apple Watch to a Mi Band. An Apple Watch is a full computer on your wrist. The Mi Band doesn’t even have a screen.

    But the Mi Band is radically cheaper than almost any other major wearable. It’s $15 and can do the same step tracking and sleep quantifying as Fitbit and Jawbone, all for a fraction of the price. Its simplicity helps it sport a 30-day battery life, which makes it less likely to end up in a drawer because users forgot to charge it. Its low price also makes it a realistic buy for the emerging middle class in many developing countries.

    Some evidence suggests that over 50% of Fitbit users abandon their device within 12 months. The fact that Mi Band is less expensive than American wearables could convince lapsed Fitbit users to give step tracking another chance. And, if the $15 Mi Band ends up in a drawer, it’s not a big loss.