“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” the old saying goes. If that is true, Apple should be feeling very flattered indeed. Chinese company Xiaomi has become the latest firm to imitate the AirPods with its AirDots wireless headphones. It is not just the name that’s similar. The design of the AirDots shares a lot with the AirPods. They are fully wireless and have a very familiar look charging case. The next generation of the AirPods is thought to use Bluetooth 5.0, and the Air Dots utilise that same technology. In fact, the biggest difference is the price. The Next Web reported that the Air Dots will retail for just $30. Here is a bit of what they make off this copy-cat offering:

It seems like everyone wants to get on the AirPod bandwagon. Apple’s wireless earbuds have proven so popular that shedloads of companies are copying the format and releasing similar-looking versions of the audio gear. The latest in this line? The Xiaomi AirDots. The earbuds have many of the same features as the AirPods. First off, they’re true wireless, meaning there’s not a cable in sight on the headphones themselves. The Xiaomi AirDots also have touch controls on the side of the buds and come with the now standard charging case.

India is home to a large population full of very tech-savvy. Not surprisingly, Apple is keen to increase its sales there. However, small incomes, high device costs and cheap alternatives are making this increasingly difficult. A good piece of analysis on Reuters reveals that even those in Bengaluru – India’s Silicon Valley, are resisting high-end new Apple devices. To compound the difficulties, Apple faces high import tariffs in India and lost some of its top executives in the country this year. While I suspect that tales of Apple’s demise in India is somewhat premature, there is little doubt the firm faces big challenges to keep the country’s 1.3 billion consumers buying its products. Here’s a snippet:

But in a country where the average per capita income is around $2,000 a year, even the cheapest of this year’s new iPhones, the XR at 76,900 rupees ($1,058), costs twice as much as many of the alternatives. Hong Kong-based Counterpoint Research says that iPhone sales are falling as a result. From three million phones in 2017, sales may sink to two million this year, according to their estimate, the first decline in four years.